Long-term fertility control in female cats with GonaCon™, a GnRH immunocontraceptive

The uncontrolled reproduction of free-roaming feral cats contributes to overpopulation and associated concerns regarding their welfare and impact on public health and the environment. Nonsurgical fertility control that could be administered to feral cats in the field would be a powerful tool for cat population control. The objective was to test the efficacy and duration of activity of a single-dose GnRH immunocontraceptive vaccine (GonaCon™) on the fertility of adult female laboratory cats. Vaccinated cats (n = 15) received a single injection of vaccine containing a GnRH-KLH conjugate (200 μg) emulsified in a mycobacterial and oil adjuvant on study Day 0. Sham-treated cats (n = 5) received a single injection containing all vaccine components except the GnRH-KLH conjugate. A breeding trial started on study Day 120. Vaccinated cats had a longer time to conception (median 39.7 mo) compared to sham-treated cats (4.4 mo; P \u3c 0.001). A total of 93% of vaccinated cats remained infertile for the first year following vaccination, whereas 73, 53, and 40% were infertile for 2, 3, and 4 y, respectively. At study termination (5 y after a single GnRH vaccine was administered), four cats (27%) remained infertile. The GnRH antibody titers declined more rapidly in short-term responding cats with \u3c 2 y of infertility (n = 4), compared to long-term responding cats that experienced fertility control for \u3c 2 y (n = 11) (P \u3c 0.05). Non-painful but persistent late-onset granulomatous injection site masses appeared 2 y after initial vaccination in five cats. We concluded that GnRH immunocontraception is an ideal candidate for further development for feral cat control

Influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 Virus among Healthy Show Pigs, United States

Within 5 months after the earliest detection of human influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 virus, we found molecular and culture evidence of the virus in healthy US show pigs. The mixing of humans and pigs at swine shows possibly could further the geographic and cross-species spread of influenza A viruses

High rate of A(H1N1)pdm09 infections among rural Thai villagers, 2009-2010.

Pandemic influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 emerged in Thailand in 2009. A prospective longitudinal adult cohort and household transmission study of influenza-like illness (ILI) was ongoing in rural Thailand at the time of emergence. Symptomatic and subclinical A(H1N1)pdm09 infection rates in the cohort and among household members were evaluated.A cohort of 800 Thai adults underwent active community-based surveillance for ILI from 2008-2010. Acute respiratory samples from ILI episodes were tested for A(H1N1)pdm09 by qRT-PCR; acute and 60-day convalescent blood samples were tested by A(H1N1)pdm09 hemagglutination inhibition assay (HI). Enrollment, 12-month and 24-month follow-up blood samples were tested for A(H1N1)pdm09 seroconversion by HI. Household members of influenza A-infected cohort subjects with ILI were enrolled in household transmission investigations in which day 0 and 60 blood samples and acute respiratory samples were tested by either qRT-PCR or HI for A(H1N1)pdm09. Seroconversion between annual blood samples without A(H1N1)pdm09-positive ILI was considered as subclinical infection.The 2-yr cumulative incidence of A(H1N1)pdm09 infection in the cohort in 2009/2010 was 10.8% (84/781) with an annual incidence of 1.2% in 2009 and 9.7% in 2010; 83.3% of infections were subclinical (50% in 2009 and 85.9% in 2010). The 2-yr cumulative incidence was lowest (5%) in adults born ≤ 1957. The A(H1N1)pdm09 secondary attack rate among household contacts was 47.2% (17/36); 47.1% of these infections were subclinical. The highest A(H1N1)pdm09 secondary attack rate among household contacts (70.6%, 12/17) occurred among children born between 1990 and 2003.Subclinical A(H1N1)pdm09 infections in Thai adults occurred frequently and accounted for a greater proportion of all A(H1N1)pdm09 infections than previously estimated. The role of subclinical infections in A(H1N1)pdm09 transmission has important implications in formulating strategies to predict and prevent the spread of A(H1N1)pdm09 and other influenza virus strains

Description of contact subjects living with A(H1N1)pdm09-infected cohort subjects, Kamphaeng Phet, Thailand.

a<p>≥4-fold increase in HI titer from day 0 to day 60 sera.</p>b<p>Single positive HI titer ≥1∶40.</p>c<p>Missing convalescent sample for one subject.</p><p>Description of contact subjects living with A(H1N1)pdm09-infected cohort subjects, Kamphaeng Phet, Thailand.</p

Age distribution of contact subjects with laboratory-confirmed A(H1N1)pdm09 infection, Kamphaeng Phet, Thailand.

a<p>Number in parenthesis refers to sample determined to be positive by qRT-PCR without documented seroconversion or single positive HI titer.</p>b<p>Symptomatic infections include those having positive respiratory sample for A(H1N1)pdm09 by qRT-PCR or ≥4-fold increase in HI titer of paired ILI sera or single positive HI titer with ILI or respiratory illness within 7 days prior to study enrollment.</p>c<p>Subclinical infections include those having ≥4-fold increase in HI titer of paired ILI sera or single positive HI titer without ILI or respiratory illness within 7 days prior to study enrollment.</p><p>Age distribution of contact subjects with laboratory-confirmed A(H1N1)pdm09 infection, Kamphaeng Phet, Thailand.</p

Three waves of the pandemic influenza A(H1N11)pdm09 in Thailand.

<p>Source: Bureau of Epidemiology, Ministry of Public Health, Thailand.</p

Evidence of A(H1N1)pdm09 infection among cohort subjects, Kamphaeng Phet, Thailand.

a<p>HI testing not conducted in some subjects due to insufficient serum volume.</p>b<p>≥4-fold increase in HI titer of 2009/2010 sera.</p>c<p>Positive respiratory sample for A(H1N1)pdm09 by qRT-PCR or ≥4-fold increase in HI titer of paired annual sera/paired ILI sera.</p>d<p>≥4-fold increase in HI titer of paired annual sera/paired ILI sera without positive respiratory sample for A(H1N1)pdm09 by qRT-PCR.</p><p>Evidence of A(H1N1)pdm09 infection among cohort subjects, Kamphaeng Phet, Thailand.</p

Risk factors for ≥4-fold increase in hemagglutination inhibition (HI) titer against A/Mexico/4108/2009(H1N1) from 2009 to 2010 among cohort subjects, Kamphaeng Phet, Thailand; odds ratios calculated by binary logistic regression.

<p>Abbreviation: OR, odds ratio; CI, confidence interval.</p>a<p>Covariate has some missing values.</p><p>Risk factors for ≥4-fold increase in hemagglutination inhibition (HI) titer against A/Mexico/4108/2009(H1N1) from 2009 to 2010 among cohort subjects, Kamphaeng Phet, Thailand; odds ratios calculated by binary logistic regression.</p