根據一個從2001年就開始進行相關研究的國際科學家團隊表示，用來保護人類的新型禽流感疫苗，其第一個臨床試驗結果顯示了它是安全的，並且在健康的受試者身上適應良好。這個疫苗是有史以來人類對抗高致死性禽流感病毒亞株H7N1的第一個有用的疫苗。
這個病毒亞株與2003年末開始並且目前流行於亞洲、非洲、中東，在12個國家導致328人染病，200人死亡的H5N1亞株不同。
然而，H7N1病毒株也曾經爆發歐洲的家禽死亡疫情，並且也同樣地具有在人類間感染及散佈的潛在能力。
1999年H7N1在義大利爆發的家禽死亡疫情，被證實與2003年在荷蘭造成超過80人感染1人死亡的H7N7禽流感病毒有關。
儘管H7型病毒發展成為普遍流行性感冒株的風險較低，希望這個研究仍會是未來流行性感冒疫苗發展時一個很重要的資源。
過去6年間，從疫苗病毒設計到這個首次臨床試驗的完成，這個疫苗是由一個歐洲科學家團隊所發展的，並且是由「歐盟研究框架計畫（European Union Research Framework Programme）」共同資助的。
這個名為FLUPAN的計畫，由來自英國、義大利、挪威及法國的許多研究團隊共同合作，並由歐盟第五研究框架計畫提供210萬歐元（約合290萬美元）的經費支援。
Results of the first clinical trial of a novel bird flu vaccine developed to protect humans show that it is safe and well tolerated in healthy volunteers, according to an international team of scientists who have been working on the project since 2001. The new vaccine is the first ever human candidate vaccine against the potentially deadly avian influenza H7N1 subtype.
This differs from the H5N1 viral subtype that is currently circulating in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, which has caused 328 human infections and 200 deaths in 12 countries since the latest outbreak began late in 2003.
But in the past the H7N1 virus, too, has caused lethal poultry outbreaks in Europe, and it too has the potential to infect and spread among humans.
The H7N1 virus caused lethal outbreaks in Italian poultry in 1999 and was shown to be related to the 2003 H7N7 poultry virus in the Netherlands, which was responsible for over 80 human infections and one death.
Although the risk of H7 emerging as a pandemic influenza strain is considered low, it is hoped that this research will be a valuable resource for pandemic vaccine development in the future.
During the six years from the design of the vaccine virus to the completion of this first clinical trial, the vaccine was developed by a team of European scientists and co-funded by the European Union Research Framework Programme.
Known as the FLUPAN project, the work brought together research teams from the UK, Italy, Norway and France. It has been supported by 2.1 million (US$2.9 million) from the EU's 5th Research Framework Programme.
全文及圖片詳見ENS
作者
In my healing journey and learning to attain the breath awareness, I become aware of the reality that all the creatures of the world are breathing the same breath. Take action, here and now. From my physical being to the every corner of this out of balance's planet.
