The dreaded West Nile virus, which has killed seven people so far in New York, is now in Utah, under lock and key.

The Government has asked Utah State University to test new compounds against the virus, hoping to find an effective treatment before it spreads across the country.

Science Specialist Ed Yeates reports from Logan.

Scientists at USU's Institute for Anti-Viral Research are looking at new weapons which might kill the West Nile virus.

The virus is easy to grow and does infect mice, which could make it easy to study. But actually finding a compound which could attack the virus after its infected the brain may prove difficult.

JOHN MORREY, USU ANTI-VIRAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE: "THE ONE NEGATIVE THING, HOWEVER, IS THAT IF THE VIRUS DOES ENTER INTO THE BRAIN THERE IS A BARRIER. IT'S CALLED THE BLOOD BRAIN BARRIER."

That's the challenge, although the Centers for Disease Control hopes infected people could be identified early and treated before the virus enters the brain.

The National Institutes of Health selected USU since it has a secure area to study these dangerous bugs.

ED YEATES, SCIENCE SPECIALIST: "BEHIND THESE LOCKED DOORS, LABORATORY TECHNICIANS WORK WITH VERY RISKY VIRUSES. THIS IS SIMILAR TO A LEVEL THREE BIOCONTAINMENT AREA."

The rooms have air-lock doors and can only be entered with specific codes.

"THE INDVIDIUALS WHO ENTER THOSE ROOMS NEED TO BE CLOTHED IN CERTAIN CLOTHING TO PROTECT THEMSELVES, AND THE ROOMS ARE CONSTRUCTED IN SUCH A WAY TO PREVENT THE VIRUS FROM ESCAPING FROM THAT ROOM."

The compounds are first mixed into various recipes in a lab downstairs. Then they're brought to some secure containment rooms for testing on the virus itself.

While USU is under no specific timetable, the government is asking all test facilities to try and come up with some answers as soon as possible.