Scientists in the UK have developed an antiviral strategy that targets the conditions viruses need to multiply, rather than the virus itself.

The method, developed at Edinburgh University, allows antiviral treatments to target multiple viruses simultaneously and can help prevent viruses from becoming drug resistant.

The new method could promote the production of new viral drug treatments and help patients suffering more than one condition, with research set to take place in relating this method to the influenza virus.

The findings have been published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.