Iconic Australian mammals could be at real risk from bird flu. Could we protect them using vaccines in baits?

Ulrich Hollman/Getty The deadly rabies virus was once common across Europe. A bite from an infected dog, wolf or fox could be fatal. But then came a breakthrough: an edible vaccine. Since 1978, a billion baits containing the vaccine have been distributed by 30 European nations. Many European nations are now considered rabies-free. Our research team has been developing edible bait vaccines for Tasmanian devils to protect them from devil facial tumour disease. This approach could be adapted to…