PARIS, April 1 — Yellow fever is a disease caused by a virus transmitted by certain mosquitoes to humans.To remedy this, American researchers are working on a potential cure based on lab-made antibodies.Despite the existence of a vaccine since the 1930s, yellow fever remains endemic in tropical and subtropical regions of Africa and South America, where vaccination coverage is low.
With climate change, yellow fever is likely to become more common, as global warming is expected to expand hot, humid areas, which are conducive to the mosquitoes that spread the virus.Research from Oregon Health & Science University , in collaboration with George Washington University, is focusing on developing a treatment that could potentially cure people infected with the yellow fever virus.
The scientists then tested the effectiveness of these antibodies in two animal species, the rhesus macaque and the hamster.One group received the first antibody, another received the second antibody, and the last group received no antibody treatment. The animals that received either antibody had no trace of the virus in their blood, unlike the control group that developed the disease.“By showing such efficacy in a primate model that mimics severe human disease, we hope to advance this to clinical trials and be ready to deploy treatments for the next outbreak of yellow fever,” said the study’s first author, Michael Ricciardi, PhD, associate director of translational research at George Washington University, quoted in a news release.
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