NTU Virus Bom : Anti virus compound for swine flu

A National Taiwan University research team has developed an anti-virus compound that can break down the surface structures of the H1N1, enterovirus and avian flu viruses as well as of illness-causing bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus.


The compound can destroy viruses such as A(H1N1) swine flu and avian influenza and stop the spread of bacteria including those responsible for staph infections.

It could be used widely in hygiene products, detergents and air filters, as well as face-masks and protective gear, the researchers from National Taiwan University said.

Researchers said the invention was of special significance amid signs that swine flu had started to develop resistance to Tamiflu, the world's major anti-viral flu drug.

Steve Kuo, director of the Centers for Disease Control under the Department of Health, refused to comment on claims that the new compound can destroy viruses and bacteria.

He only said that alcohol mixtures with an alcoholic content of at least 70 percent can be used to control H1N1, avian flu and seasonal influenza viruses and that the DOH suggests the use of such mixtures as part of preventative measures to avoid infection.

The WHO has said the virus is moving around the globe at "unprecedented speed."

Britain is the worst-hit territory in Europe, with estimates of 55,000 new cases of the A(H1N1) virus last week.

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