New bird flu vaccine developed in the US

A new bird flu vaccine being developed in the US stimulates an immune response in mice, researchers have said.

Results, published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases, show that the mice were protected from bird flu infection.

Suresh Mittal, from Purdue University in Indiana, who undertook the study, said: "We want to have a vaccine that can be stored in advance and have the potential to provide protection for a period of time until we can change the vaccine to match the latest form of avian influenza."

The vaccine, which was developed using a mutated version of the common cold virus, has only been tested on mice to date but caused a strong enough immune response to last for a year.

"In humans we want a vaccine to be fully effective for at least a year," added Mr Mittal.

The World Health Organisation has said that bird flu has infected 381 and killed 240 people since 2003.

South Korea is currently suffering from its worst bird flu outbreak in four years and health officials have confirmed 15 cases of the disease in just two weeks.