From the local today
QUEENSLAND scientists have developed the world’s first cure for dengue fever using a drug drawn from melaleuca leaves.
The breakthrough is set to revolutionise the treatment for the debilitating virus which threatens half the world’s population.
The drug, dubbed 98alive, comes in a capsule and can be used to treat patients with dengue as well as working as a preventative for people visiting countries known for dengue outbreaks.
It contains melaleuca alternifolia concentrate from melaleuca plants grown throughout Queensland and is effective curing all four types of dengue.
Lead scientist Prof Max Reynolds, from Griffith University, said the drug worked by attacking the outer coating of the virus.
“It’s like taking an overcoat and putting it in acid and destroying it,” he said.
“The virus is no longer viable after that and dies.”
A vaccine has been considered crucial because there is no specific treatment for dengue and no way to prevent the disease other than controlling the mosquitoes that transmit it.
Infection by dengue virus can cause fever and intense joint and muscle pain, while severe cases can be fatal, particularly for children.
“When you consider 390 million people are diagnosed with dengue fever every year and between 2 and 10 per cent die, this is a major breakthrough,” Prof Reynolds said.
“The world has been trying for the last 70 years to stop it and this is the first time there has been a method to stop it.”
Hundreds of dengue fever patients took part in clinical trials in Indonesia that resulted in a 96 per cent success rate, killing the virus in fewer than three days.
Spread by the aedes aegypti mosquito, dengue fever has grown rapidly throughout the world and thrives in tropical areas, like Far North Queensland, where it is easily spreads in backyard items containing water.
The drug is set to be released next year and could be available locally, pending regulatory approvals.</fontcolor>
