Macaque used in vaccine research, Source: TIME
The lab of Ted M Ross focuses on understanding and developing vaccines for the flu, not in humans, but in nonhuman primates, mice, and ferrets. Last year Ross received a grant for 3.6 million dollars to develop a vaccine for avian flu [1]. Diseases like the Avian flu, develop and spread, in theory, from inhumane, cramped, and filthy conditions of factory farming animals, causing mutated and resistant forms of bacteria and viruses which develop and spread to the human population. They also likely develop from a mutation of a virus moving across species. [2,3,4]With these things in mind, it is quite ironic that the Ross lab is now exposing species different from our own to to the avian flu in order to understand a virus that is plaguing our species. One of the most obvious solutions to the problem of these developing viruses is to stop factory farming. However, as opportunity arises for pharmaceutical companies and researchers to make money, they grasp it.
Imagine the progress that could be made it $3.6 million were spent on prevention of such diseases. Perhaps others like the more recent Swine Flu would not continue to arise.
In the Ross lab's most recent research, several species of animals have been exposed to diseases and vaccines, and their suffering was documented and published. In one study, mice were exposed to different strains of avian flu[5]. All of the unvaccinated mice in the study suffered and all of them were left to die of the viruses. From the article: "both viruses caused severe weight loss within 8 days and 100% of mice died from complications associated with viral infection... Animals were monitored for survival and morbidity (i.e. weight loss, ruffling fur, inactivity) weekly during the vaccination regimen and each day during viral challenge." They weren't even given the courtesy of being put out of their misery before suffering to death. In another study, the Ross lab exposed ferrets to the bird flu virus and again, allowed them to die from the virus [6].
They have several publications like these using mice and ferrets, but much of their research with nonhuman primates has not been published recently. As a result, we cannot be sure what these animals suffer through. But, we know they do, as it is specifically mentioned on the Ross' page that he tests on nonhuman primates in vaccine testing, meaning they will go through many things listed in the aforementioned publications.
Contact Ted Ross at tmr15@cvr.pitt.edu.9047 BST3, 3501 Fifth Avenue
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261
Phone: (412) 648-8666
Fax: (412) 624-4440
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References
[1] Pitt Scientists Receive $3.6 Million To Test Vaccine Against Deadliest Strain Of Avian Flu
[2]Birds of a Feather: Commercial Producers Play Chicken with Avian Flu
[3]Are Urban Vermin the Most Disease-Ridden Animals?
[4]How to Clip Bird Flu's Wings
[5] Bright, RA et al. (2008). Cross-Clade Protective Immune Responses to Influenza Viruses with H5N1 HA and NA Elicited by an Influenza Virus-Like Particle. PLoS one. 3(1).
[6] Mahmood, K et al. (2008). H5N1 VLP vaccine induced protection in ferrets against lethal challenge with highly pathogenic H5N1 influenza viruses. Vaccine. 26(42). 5393-5399.
