Rutgers Scientist Discovery Could Fight Flu Outbreaks

Scientists at Rutgers University have identified chemical agents that can help fight the spread of influenza, including the bird flu, by preventing the replication of the virus’s cells, the University announced.

The bird flu is caused by the H5N1 influenza A virus and the H7N9 virus. The H7N9 virus caused an outbreak in China this year.

According to Eddy Arnold, Board of Governors Professor of chemistry and chemical biology in the School of Arts and Sciences at Rutgers, some strains of the flu have developed a resistance to Tamiflu, which he notes is the only effective oral drug available for combating the disease.

Arnold is among a group of scientists who are in the midst of developing drugs that target specific strains of the virus and prevent them from multiplying. The method was the same approach used in development of the anti-AIDS drug, according to the University.

The American Chemical Society journal ACS Chemical Biology recently published their findings.