UK scientists devise vaccine for tropical disease

Scientists from Public Health England have been able to create a promising new vaccine for a dangerous tropical disease.

Published in the journal PLOS ONE, the study shows the new vaccine was able to deliver 100 percent protection against Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) in an experimental model in mice. It uses a safe friendly virus to present the components of the CCHF strain and induce a protective immune response.

CCHF is endemic in many countries in Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Eastern Europe, including Turkey and Bulgaria. It primarily affects agricultural workers, healthcare staff and military personnel, and can be transmitted either by tick bite or by contact with infected people.

In 2012, a lethal case of CCHF occurred in a UK citizen returning to Glasgow from Afghanistan, showing the international threat the disease can pose.

Professor Miles Carroll, a deputy director and head of research for microbiology services at Public Health England, said: "Viruses don't have borders. Our work on CCHF not only demonstrates our commitment to the health of the UK, but also our scientists desire to combat infections worldwide."

CCHF outbreaks have a case fatality rate of up to 40 percent, with no vaccine currently available for people or animals.