But because mutations keep these molecules changing, the vaccine must be updated each season, and the virus you get might not be the one the vaccine is targeting. Now, from the University of Michigan, there's a new alternative that will disarm all viruses regardless of strain. Nanoemulsion involves a substance composed of oil, detergent, and a disinfectant that is aimed at the virus's coat, which the detergent dissolves like a glob of grease. The key to the nanoemulsion's value is that the mixture, once combined, consists of particles only nanometers in diameter, the same size as many viruses. At that size, and in low concentrations, it would kill the virus but not the much larger mammalian cell structure of the human body.
Researchers see the possibility of using it in a nasal spray that can coat mucous membranes.
The spray could be applied nasally during flu season to prevent transmission of the virus. All rights reserved.