Sun Apr 20 23:10:00 UTC 2025: ## New Nasal Spray Vaccine Targets Avian Flu in Cows, Potentially Preventing Human Transmission
**COLLEGE PARK, MD** – Researchers at the University of Maryland and the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) are developing a nasal spray vaccine to protect dairy cattle from the highly pathogenic avian flu virus H5N1. A $650,000 grant from the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture will fund the project.
The development comes after the first confirmed cases of H5N1 in cattle last March, with subsequent human infections largely linked to contact with infected herds. Scientists are concerned about the potential for the virus to mutate into a form easily transmissible between humans. While only one human death has been reported so far, the virus’s ability to infect a growing range of mammals, including cats, foxes, and seals, increases this risk.
The researchers will adapt nasal spray technology previously used for COVID-19 and human influenza. Unlike injected vaccines, the nasal spray delivers a protein directly to the nasal passages, preventing the virus from infecting respiratory cells before an infection can even begin. This approach offers a quick and easy administration method and directly targets the entry point of respiratory infections. The vaccine could potentially be used in humans as well.
“Preventing the initial infection and spread of H5N1 in cows means reducing exposure to the virus for other mammals, dairy workers and the general public,” explained Professor Xiaoping Zhu of the University of Maryland’s Department of Veterinary Medicine. “And that is critical to managing the spread of bird flu.” The project aims to significantly reduce the risk of H5N1 mutating into a human-to-human transmissible strain.
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