Dr. Rath's Avian Flu research presented in Paris, France

At the 2nd International Conference on Avian Influenza in Humans in Paris, France, Dr. Rath's research scientists - in collaboration with University of Beirut - presented research findings regarding the effects of specific nutrient combinations on the avian flu virus.

This study has shown that nutrients applied in synergy show significant improvement in the signs and symptoms of avian flu virus in chickens within 10-14 days. There was a 64% reduction in the immune response to the viral proteins indicating that the nutrient mixture considerably reduces the infectivity of the virus, with complete absence of toxicity signs, proving the safety of this combination.

The title and abstract of the study is as follows:

Pathologic and Immunomodulatory Effects of a Specific Nutrient Synergy against Avian Flu Virus

Elie. K. Barbour*1, Edward G. Rayya1, Houssam Shaib1, Rindala G. El Hakim1, Aleksandra Niedzwiecki2, Afif M. Abdel Nour3, Matthias Rath2, and Steve Harakeh2
1Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, American University of Beirut, P.O. Box 11-0236, Fax: 00-961-1-744460, E-mail address: eb01@aub.edu.lb or sharakeh@gmail.com. 2 Dr. Rath Research Institute B.V., 1260 Memorex Dr., Santa Clara, Ca 95050. 3 Institut Polytechnique LaSalle Beauvais, 19 Rue Pierre Waguet, 60000 Beauvais, France.

Abstract

Objectives:
The immunomodulatory and alleviation of pathologic effects of a specific nutrient synergy, as the one present in Epican Forte (EF), was investigated in meat type chicken infected with Avian Flu Virus (H9N2).

Methodology:
Based on the toxicity data, adequate doses of orally administered EF for seven days to birds challenged with that virus were used. Appropriate statistical tests (ANOVA) were used to compare the data obtained between the experimental and that of the control.

Results:
The results indicated that the daily oral administration of the EF to birds at 2X dose-level (320 mg/kg body weight or 48.8 mg/ml/bird) resulted in consistent significant improvement in the feed conversion (P<0.05) at 10 and 14 days of age, associated with a significant increase (P<0.05) in the liver weight index. In addition, it led to complete absence of toxicity signs (swollen infraorbital sinuses, ocular exudates, nasal discharge, thick oral saliva, diarrhea, lameness and huddling), and complete absence of toxicity lesions (airsacculitis, hydropericardium sign, pericarditis, perihepatitis, splenomegaly, and tracheitis). Reductions in pathologic effect at 14 days of age were also observed, namely, signs (absence of rales at 3 days post H9N2 challenge), and gross lesions (absence of tracheitis and enteritis at 7 days post challenge). Such reductions in signs and gross lesions were associated with a 63.4% reduction in immune responses to the Hemagglutinin protein of the H9N2, an indication that EF has a reducing effect on H9N2-infectivity in chicken. The daily administration of EF to birds challenged at 7-days old with H9N2-avian influenza virus had different impacts on tracheal deciliation, goblet cells degeneration, mucus accumulation, hypertrophy of mucosal layer, and counts of tracheal heterophils and specific heterophils containing inclusion bodies. Other effects of EF were observed in the histopathology of thoracic air sacs and lungs. Significant reduction in tracheal pathologic effects (P<0.05) were the mucus accumulation and the drop in specific heterophils manifesting a presence of inclusion bodies.

Conclusion:
based on the data, this specific nutrient synergy might have potential applications in the treatment of chicken infected with Avian Flu viruses.

To view a PDF of the 2nd International Conference on Avian Influenza in Humans: Recent Developments and Perspectives, please click here.