Two new flu vaccines developed for man's best friend

New Delhi: Scientists have developed two new flu vaccines for the first time for dogs that may not only protect them but also keep you safe.

Dogs that have been infected with multiple influenza viruses have the potential to act as "mixing vessels" and generate new flu strains that could infect people, researchers said.

Today, veterinarians use vaccines that include inactivated or killed flu virus, but experts say they provide short-term, limited protection.

Scientists led by Luis Martinez-Sobrido from University of Rochester in the US created two "live-attenuated" vaccines against H3N8 canine influenza virus, which is currently circulating in dogs in the US.

Past research shows that live-attenuated vaccines, made from live flu virus that is dampened down so that it does not cause the flu, provide better immune responses and longer periods of protection.

Researchers used a genetic engineering technique called reserve genetics to create a live vaccine that replicates in the nose, but not in the lungs.

The nose is where the virus first enters a dog's body, so generating an immune response there could stop the virus in its tracks.

If the vaccine were to get into the lungs it could create unwanted inflammation in response to the live virus.

The study found the live vaccine was safe and able to induce better immune protection against H3N8 canine influenza virus in mice and dog tracheal cells than a commercially available inactivated vaccine.

(With PTI inputs)