Virus World

Ferrets got two doses of a solution - which contains an artificial molecule designed to activate the immune system - during the trial. The spray is set to enter human trials in four months. Results reveal it slashed the virus' replication in their noses and throats by 96 per cent, reducing the risk of infection and cutting the odds of transmission.  The artificial compound — named INNA-051 — is set to enter human trials within the next four months. It was first developed to help protect against the common cold and flu, but is yet to be rubber-stamped because it has not been convincingly proven to work.  Previous research showed it 'accelerated' anti-viral responses in throat cells from healthy volunteers and those suffering from asthma, and provided 'prolonged protection' to mice from rhinoviruses, which cause runny noses in humans. If approved, the treatment could offer added defences to those at elevated risk from Covid-19 including the elderly and those with underlying health conditions.

A paper detailing the trial on INNA-051 has been published on the research website bioRxiv, although it is yet to be peer reviewed. The spray has been developed by Australian company Ena Respiratory, which first started work on the avant-garde treatment before the pandemic struck. It contains molecules designed to trigger TLR2 and TLR6 receptors on mucosal epithelial cells lining the throat and nose, attracting hordes of white blood cells to the area and boosting immunity.  The trial of the spray on the ferrets was led by Professor Miles Carroll, deputy director and head of research at Porton Down of Public Health England. Dr Christophe Demaison, managing director of Melbourne-based Ena Respiratory said: 'We've been amazed with just how effective our treatment has been. 'By boosting the natural immune response of the ferrets with our treatment, we've seen a rapid eradication of the virus.' He added: 'If humans respond in a similar way, the benefits of treatment are two-fold. 'Individuals exposed to the virus would most likely rapidly eliminate it, with the treatment ensuring that the disease does not progress beyond mild symptoms.

This is particularly relevant to vulnerable members of the community. 'In addition, the rapidity of this response means that the infected individuals are unlikely to pass it on, meaning a swift halt to community transmission.' The firm said if human trials prove successful and funding is secured, the therapy could be rapidly manufactured at scale. Professor Roberto Solari a respiratory specialist adviser to Ena Respiratory and visiting professor at Imperial College London, said: 'This is a significant development as the world races to find a solution to halt Covid-19 transmission and infection of at-risk populations. 'Most exciting is the ability of INNA-051 to significantly reduce virus levels in the nose and throat, giving hope that this therapy could reduce Covid-19 transmission by infected people, especially those who may be pre-symptomatic or asymptomatic and thus unaware they are infectious.'....

Preprint available in bioRxiv (Sept. 25, 2020):

https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.09.25.309914

Agriculture minister says origins of outbreak unclear after seven farm workers – and 87% of the mink – test positive. Spain has ordered the culling of nearly 100,000 mink on a farm after confirming many were carrying coronavirus, a regional minister said on Thursday. Joaquin Olona, agriculture minister for the north-eastern Aragon region, said the cull would involve the slaughter of 92,700 mink which are prized for their pelt.

Officials suspect the virus first reached the farm through a worker who passed it on to the animals. But Olona said it was not completely clear if “transmission was possible from animals to humans and vice versa”. In the Netherlands tens of thousands of mink have been slaughtered since the start of the pandemic after 20 farms were found to be infected, the Dutch authorities said earlier this month. The move came after at least two farm workers were found to be infected in May, most likely by the mink, with the World Health Organization saying it could be the first known cases of animal-to-human transmission.

In Spain the mink farm – in Puebla de Valverde, about 100km (60 miles) north-west of the coastal resort of Valencia – has been carefully monitored since 22 May after seven workers tested positive for Covid-19, Olona said. Since then no animals have left the property, which is the only mink farm in Aragon. Officials have since carried out a string of PCR tests which on 13 July showed that 87% of the mink were infected, prompting the decision to carry out a cull “to avoid the risk of human transmission”, Olona said....