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Researchers in Japan report that mice
given a nasal spray containing the "good'' bacteria Lactobacillus
casei found in human intestines were more
likely to survive a serious bout of the flu and showed less
influenza activity.
These findings suggest nasal administration
of L. casei enhances cellular
immunity in the respiratory tract and protects against influenza
virus infection.
The researchers administered the bacteria
to the mice for 3 days, before infecting the animals with
the influenza virus. The researchers found that the mice that
had received the good bacteria had a 90% lower viral level
compared with those not treated with the nasal spray.
What's more, 69%
of the nasal-spray mice survived their bout with
the flu, while only 15%
of the untreated animals did.
Clinical and
Diagnostic Laboratory Immunology May 2001;8:593-597
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