University of Pittsburgh researchers are working with a biotechnology company to develop a vaccine aimed at quickly countering outbreaks that could be caused by a deadly avian flu virus.

The vaccine, being developed by researchers at Pitt's Center for Vaccine Research and Novovax Inc., produced a strong immune response in mice and protected them from death following infection with the H5N1 virus, according to study findings released this evening. They will be published tomorrow in the online journal PLoS ONE.

The vaccine also has been tested in humans in early-stage trials.

Outbreaks of H5N1 flu in birds were reported in Asia several years ago, and more recently in Europe, Africa and the Near East, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The virus usually does not infect people, but more than 200 human cases have been reported.

Because all flu viruses can change, however, scientists are concerned that H5N1 could gain the ability to spread easily from person to person, which could trigger a flu pandemic.

Typically, flu vaccines have been grown in chicken eggs and can take six to nine months to develop. But Dr. Ted Ross, lead author of the study and an assistant professor at Pitt's vaccine research center, said the vaccine he and others are developing uses a cell-based technology that can eliminate months of production time, which could be crucial if a pandemic occurred.