A new discovery made by scientists in the US may help in the development of a treatment to prevent or reduce stomach infection.

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, have identified an immune sensor that detects stomach viruses, triggering an immune response to fight infection.

The study performed on mice, found that a protein called MDA-5 induces the body's defences against norovirus infection (stomach flu).

Commenting on the findings, senior investigator Dr Marco Colonna, professor of pathology and immunology, said: "Our research strongly indicates that MDA-5 is the primary sensor for norovirus infection, but the body's ability to detect the virus is so important that it doesn't just rely on one sensor.

"We found that another protein sensor - TLR3 - serves as a back-up and there may be others that have not yet been discovered."

In response to the research, the scientists believe that a norovirus treatment could be particularly beneficial for those more susceptible to the infection due to having common variations of the MDA-5 gene.

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