The first needle-free Ebola vaccine that can be inhaled protects non-human primates against the deadly virus and may advance to human clinical trials soon, scientists say.

Aerosolised delivery has never before been tested for an Ebola vaccine or any other viral hemorrhagic fever vaccine.

The new vaccine was developed by a collaborative team from The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston (UTMB) and the US National Institutes of Health.

Previous studies with primates suggest that aerosols of most biothreat agents, which are particles dispersed in the air, are infectious.

Recent studies show that contact with the Ebola virus through the mucus membranes that line the respiratory tract results in infection, suggesting that airway linings may be important portals of entry for the virus.