hendra inside

Page 14 JULY 24 2011

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Brave bat pack puts life on the line

On guard: CSIRO scientistsstudy samples for thepresence of Hendra.Pictures: Jamie Hanson

Kelmeny Fraser

DEEP in Australia’s most secureresearch laboratory, a scientist in aprotective oxygen suit clasps a vialholding one of the world’s deadliestviruses.

It contains just 20ml of liquid, buteach drop contains millions of liveHendra virus particles – in theoryenough to kill every man, womanand child in Queensland, or anestimated four million horses, ac-cording to calculations by the facil-ity’s team leader, Dr Linfa Wang.

Last week The Sunday Mail wasgiven exclusive access to the

CSIRO’s $1 billion Australian Ani-mal Health Laboratory in Geelong,Victoria, as researchers worked oncountering the latest Hendra out-break, which has killed 13 horsesacross two states and exposed more

than 60 people to the deadly virus.For those inside the nation’s most

microbiologically secure facility, itwas just another day in the quest tosolve the Hendra puzzle, 17 yearsafter its Queensland discovery.

But the stringent safety pro-cedures ensure those working upclose with the microscopic killernever drop their guard.

‘‘Hendra is one of the most lethalviruses we have ever known . . . forhumans or for animals,’’ Dr Wangsaid. ‘‘But if you can say anythinggood about this virus, it is not very

Cut redtape forvaccineScientists’ Hendra hopeKelmeny Fraser

Worst-case scenario: Dr Linfa Wangis working on a Hendra vaccine.

HENDRA virus researchers have heldurgent talks with the nation’s drugregulators to call for a fast-trackedvaccine on the back of the worstoutbreak on record.

It comes as scientists engineeringthe vaccine reveal they have plannedfor adapting the drug should theworst-case scenario of the virus pass-ing directly from bat to human, or evenhuman to human, eventuate.

‘‘As a scientist I cannot say that willnever happen,’’ said Dr Linfa Wang,team leader at the top security Aust-ralian Animal Health Laboratory inGeelong, Victoria, where the researchis taking place.

‘‘If a new virus emerges this willwork,’’ he said.

‘‘The same vaccine formulation withminimum adaptation can be used inother animals and humans.’’

Scientists at the Geelong laboratoryare confident the Hendra virus has notmutated into a more virulent strain.They believe the latest outbreak islinked to environmental factors, rang-ing from an increase in flying foxnumbers to disruptions to bat coloniesas a result of flooding.

But the similarity of Hendra toanother virus – the Nipah virus inBangladesh – has prompted scientiststo factor a worst-case scenario into thedevelopment of the vaccine.

The Nipah virus can pass directlyfrom bats to humans. So far Hendrahas only been contracted by humansfrom horses infected by bats.

In the worst outbreak of Nipah inAsia, triggered by forest fires disrupt-ing bat colonies, about 100 people died.The Nipah virus can also pass from

bats to pigs, but AAHL directorMartyn Jeggo said there was noevidence the virus had switched hostsin Australia.

Prof Jeggo said while ferrets andcats had been infected with Hendra inlaboratory trials, scientists had de-tected no effect on dogs living close toinfected horses.

‘‘So far the virus has not evolved andthere is no evidence it has changed inany real way,’’ he said.

AAHL officials met with drug regu-lators the Australian Pesticides andVeterinary Medicine Authority lastlast week to open a ‘‘strong dialogue’’for an equine Hendra vaccine to befast tracked. Without speeding up theapproval process it would not beavailable until 2013.

Animal trials have shown the vac-cine works and is the best chance ofshort-circuiting the Hendra cycle.

A spokeswoman for the APVMAsaid it was yet to receive a formalapplication for a Hendra vaccine.

An interstate government taskforceis still to decide whether to make thevaccination of horses mandatory oncethe drug is ready for market.