Ineffectiveness of intranasal zinc gluconate for prevention of experimental rhinovirus colds

Zinc has generally been administered by the oral route in studies of preven tion or treatment of the common cold. The purpose of these studies was to e valuate the effectiveness of intranasal zinc gluconate for prevention of ex perimental rhinovirus infection and illness. Ninety-one volunteers, 41 trea ted with active medication and 50 treated with placebo, received study medi cation for 3 days, were inoculated with rhinovirus, and then were treated w ith study medication for an additional 6 days. Rhinovirus infection was doc umented in 37 (74%) of the 50 placebo-treated volunteers and in 32 (78%) of the 41 volunteers treated with active medication. Zinc treatment had no ef fect on total symptom score, rhinorrhea, nasal obstruction, or the proporti on of infected volunteers who developed clinical colds. These data do not s upport a role for intranasal zinc gluconate for prevention or treatment of the common cold.