Scientists Develop Vaccine For MERS

The world could be one step closer to having a MERS vaccine as results of animal testings have shown promising results.

There are currently no licensed vaccines for MERS.

According to a study from the United States National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, vaccinated mice produced antibodies that neutralized MERS strains.

The vaccines that caused the largest immune responses in mice were then administered to monkeys, which were protected from a serious lung infection characteristic of MERS when given the experimental vaccines and then exposed to a version of the virus.

Researchers are now working on versions of the vaccine that could be tested in clinical trials for humans.

The MERS virus was first identified in humans in Saudi Arabiain 2012 and camels are believed to be carriers of the deadly virus.

No fewer than 36 people were killed in the latest outbreak of the virus in South Korea, while about 180 people were infected in the largest outside Saudi Arabia.