Scientists plan small group flu experiment

December 3, 2008

Scientists plan `Big Brother' flu experiment By Jack

Published: December 1 2008, Financial Times

British researchers plan to recruit 200 volunteers to be infected with

flu while living together during week-long experiments, in order to

deepen understanding of how to tackle a pandemic.

In a groundbreaking Big Brother-style trial, recruits will be divided

into groups of half a dozen. They will spend their time sleeping,

eating and socialising in specially adapted hotels under constant

camera observation and medical supervision.

The aim is to gather information on how and how easily they contract

flu from each other and the effectiveness of hand washing, face masks

and keeping their distance to prevent infection.

Van-Tam, professor of health protection at the University of

Nottingham, who is helping develop the trials, said the studies

reflected how much remains unknown about flu transmission, nearly two

centuries after medical journals began discussing the issue.

" Transmission is poorly understood and hotly debated, " he said.

Disagreement remained on such as whether flu was contracted by

airborne particles or via surfaces touched by hand.

He is raising funds for the work, which expands research on

infections' transmission carried out until 1989 by the government's

Common Cold Unit near Salisbury.

The Department of Health is believed to be among those considering

support. While fear of a flu pandemic from the H5N1 strain has spurred

large investments in preparation plans and the development and

purchase of drugs and vaccines, many more fundamental questions about

basic infection are still open and could affect a pandemic's impact.

Professor Oxford, a leading researcher on influenza, said he

expected the " challenge quarantine " studies to begin early next year

through his company, Retroscreen Virology. He said they would use a

mild variant of the H3N2 seasonal flu virus called A-Wisconsin tested

in his laboratories, with a volunteer infected through the nose and

subsequent observation to see how it spread to others.

He said volunteers would be paid about £3,000 ($4,592) each for a

week-long trial.

Recommended Posts