Now, a strain of rice that contains cholera vaccine

London : Japanese scientists have developed a strain of rice that contains edible vaccine for cholera.

The researchers believe that the vaccine may be used for large-scale and cost-efficient immunisation programmes.

Bound within the rice, the cholera vaccine can be stored at room temperature over long periods and is immune to digestion, say researchers.

According to Scotsman, the researchers feel that in future, rice vaccines may provide protection against a wide range of infectious diseases.

The new development is specifically expected to benefit the citizens of developing countries, most of which have rice as a staple food.

The researchers conducted experiments with a cholera vaccine to develop an edible version of it.

They say that the vaccine targets the immune system’s first line of defence - the nose, mouth, lungs and genito-urinary tract. (ANI)