A preclinical trial in mice and ferrets of an experimental mRNA vaccine against the H5 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus generated neutralizing antibodies and prevented severe illness and mortality of the animals.

In their latest submission to Science, Weifeng Shi, director and professor at the Institute of Pathogen Biology at Shandong First Medical University in China, and George Gao, head of Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, have warned that “the global spread of H5N8 avian influenza viruses is a public health concern.”