UQ COVID-19 vaccine researchers shift focus to next virus fight

“This research was actually our day job, and then the need for a COVID vaccine suddenly arose and we threw all our effort into that,” he said.

The new treatment the team has developed targets flaviviruses, such as dengue fever, Zika and West Nile, which are usually transmitted by mosquitoes.

Dengue alone affects an estimated 390 million people across the world every year, with half a million on average developing the serious form of the disease that can be fatal.

Previous vaccine treatments for the viruses targeted the main body of the viral particle, but could also sometimes enhance the infection.

The UQ team, in collaboration with researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, have instead targeted a different part of the virus, a…