Vaccines in the Works: Scientists Prepare for Potential Human Bird Flu Pandemic

After instances of animal-to-human transmission, health authorities closely monitor the current bird flu epidemic in the US.

Experts say there is no human-to-human transmission as of present reporting, but they looked at vaccine development efforts to prepare for such a situation. However, the efficacy of several hundred thousand vaccine doses from prior studies against contemporary bird flu strains remains unknown, per Science Alert.

University of Georgia virologists Flavio Faccin and Daniel Perez found numerous potential avian flu vaccines. They made a comprehensive review of vaccines against bird flu for humans, highlighting vaccination as "the primary defense" against such infections.

Experts are Exploring Diverse Vaccines

To prepare for human-to-human transmission of avian influenza, scientists are improving vaccine types by "exploring and employing" a variety of vaccine platforms.

Faccin and Perez said they examined the following types of vaccinations. Among them is the live attenuated influenza vaccines (LAIV) employing weaker viral forms to prepare the body for more severe strains, showing promise in H5N1 experiments, including one with monkeys.

Researchers also developed inactivated vaccines using dead viral variants, and they significantly protected H5N1-infected mice in experiments.

Also promising are the viral-like particle (VLP) vaccines that resemble genuine viruses safely, whereas messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccinations employ mRNA fragments to urge cells to manufacture target viral proteins. Limited human trials show promising outcomes.

Despite advances, the H5N1 bird flu's high fatality rate in humans requires sustained surveillance. Global collaboration is essential for vaccine deployment, according to the WHO.

TechTimes previously reported that an experimental H5N1 avian flu mRNA vaccine averted severe illness and death in lab mice. Vaccination may prevent H5N1 bird flu outbreaks in US wild birds, poultry, and cows, experts said.

According to Penn microbiology professor Scott Hensley, the H5N1 vaccine employs mRNA technology like the COVID-19 vaccines, allowing fast production following viral strain sequencing.

Mexican Man Died of H5N2 Bird Flu Strain

The news on bird flu vaccine development comes in light of rising concerns following the mysterious death of a Mexican man being linked to the virus.

Health experts say the Mexican man's bird flu death is unrelated to US dairy farm outbreaks, AP News reported.. The 59-year-old Mexican man with chronic health issues experienced symptoms in April and died a week later. The WHO first detected the H5N2 avian flu in humans.

For years, H5N1 has infected poultry and other animals in the US, killing millions of birds. On dairy farms in Texas and Michigan, farmworkers with minor symptoms acquired this strain.

Influenza Surface proteins hemagglutinin (H) and neuraminidase (N) classify viruses that cause human flu pandemics. Once found in birds, H5N1 has spread to mammals.

H5N2, mostly prevalent in Mexican poultry, has surfaced in the U.S. during a 2004 Texas outbreak and in 2014-2015 chicken farms. H5N2 has threatened birds, but not humans. Researchers found it less contagious and deadly than H5N1.

Mexico's Health Secretary Jorge Alcocer said the guy died from renal and respiratory failure, not the virus. It is important to discover and document unusual human illnesses, and one expert suggests that the lack of interaction with diseased birds may increase the risk of human-to-human transmission.