Influenza Epidemiology And Influenza Vaccine Effectiveness During The 2015-2016 Season: Results From The Global Influenza Hospital Surveillance Network

BackgroundThe Global Influenza Hospital Surveillance Network is an international platform whose primary objective is to study severe cases of influenza requiring hospitalization.MethodsDuring the 2015-2016 influenza season, 11 sites in the Global Influenza Hospital Surveillance Network in nine countries (Russian Federation, Czech Republic, Turkey, France, China, Spain, Mexico, India, and Brazil) participated in a prospective, active-surveillance, hospital-based epidemiological study. Influenza infection was confirmed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Influenza vaccine effectiveness (IVE) against laboratory-confirmed influenza was estimated using a test-negative approach.Results9882 patients with laboratory results were included of which 2415 (24.4%) were positive for influenza, including 1415 (14.3%) for A(H1N1)pdm09, 235 (2.4%) for A(H3N2), 180 (1.8%) for A not subtyped, 45 (0.5%) for B/Yamagata-lineage, 532 (5.4%) for B/Victoria-lineage, and 33 (0.3%) for B not subtyped. Of included admissions, 39% were<5years of age and 67% had no underlying conditions. The odds of being admitted with influenza were higher among pregnant than non-pregnant women (odds ratio, 2.82 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.90 to 4.19]). Adjusted IVE against influenza-related hospitalization was 16.3% (95% CI, 0.4 to 29.7). Among patients targeted for influenza vaccination, adjusted IVE against hospital admission with influenza was 16.2% (95% CI, -3.6 to 32.2) overall, 23.0% (95% CI, -3.3 to 42.6) against A(H1N1)pdm09, and-25.6% (95% CI, -86.3 to 15.4) against B/Victoria lineage.ConclusionsThe 2015-2016 influenza season was dominated by A(H1N1)pdm09 and B/Victoria-lineage. Hospitalization with influenza often occurred in healthy and young individuals, and pregnant women were at increased risk of influenza-related hospitalization. Influenza vaccines provided low to moderate protection against hospitalization with influenza and no protection against the predominant circulating B lineage, highlighting the need for more effective and broader influenza vaccines.Wo

Influenza Epidemiology And Influenza Vaccine Effectiveness During The 2016-2017 Season In The Global Influenza Hospital Surveillance Network (Gihsn)

BackgroundThe Global Influenza Hospital Surveillance Network (GIHSN) aims to determine the burden of severe influenza disease and Influenza Vaccine Effectiveness (IVE). This is a prospective, active surveillance and hospital-based epidemiological study to collect epidemiological data in the GIHSN. In the 2016-2017 influenza season, 15 sites in 14 countries participated in the GIHSN, although the analyses could not be performed in 2 sites. A common core protocol was used in order to make results comparable. Here we present the results of the GIHSN 2016-2017 influenza season.MethodsA RT-PCR test was performed to all patients that accomplished the requirements detailed on a common core protocol. Patients admitted were included in the study after signing the informed consent, if they were residents, not institutionalised, not discharged in the previous 30days from other hospitalisation with symptoms onset within the 7days prior to admission. Patients 5years old or more must also complied the Influenza-Like Illness definition. A test negative-design was implemented to perform IVE analysis. IVE was estimated using a logistic regression model, with the formula IVE=(1-aOR)x100, where aOR is the adjusted Odds Ratio comparing cases and controls.ResultsAmong 21,967 screened patients, 10,140 (46.16%) were included, as they accomplished the inclusion criteria, and tested, and therefore 11,827 (53.84%) patients were excluded. Around 60% of all patients included with laboratory results were recruited at 3 sites. The predominant strain was A(H3N2), detected in 63.6% of the cases (1840 patients), followed by B/Victoria, in 21.3% of the cases (618 patients). There were 2895 influenza positive patients (28.6% of the included patients). A(H1N1)pdm09 strain was mainly found in Mexico. IVE could only be performed in 6 sites separately. Overall IVE was 27.24 (95% CI 15.62-37.27. Vaccination seemed to confer better protection against influenza B and in people 2-4years, or 85years old or older. The aOR for hospitalized and testing positive for influenza was 3.02 (95% CI 1.59-5.76) comparing pregnant with non-pregnant women.ConclusionsVaccination prevented around 1 in 4 hospitalisations with influenza. Sparse numbers didn't allow estimating IVE in all sites separately. Pregnancy was found a risk factor for influenza, having 3 times more risk of being admitted with influenza for pregnant women.Wo

Genomic Approaches for Climate Resilience Breeding in Oats

Editors: Chittaranjan Kole.Oat (Avena sativa L.), ranking sixth in world cereal production, is primarily produced as a multipurpose crop for grain, pasture, and forage or as a rotation crop in many parts of the world. Recent research has elevated its potential dietary value for human nutrition and health care. Oats are well adapted to a wide range of soil types and can perform on acid soils. World oat production is concentrated between latitudes 35–65º N, and 20–46º S. Avena genomes are large and complex, in the range of 4.12–12.6 Gb. Oat productivity is affected by many diseases, although crown rust (Puccinia coronate f. sp. avenae) and stem rust (Puccinia graminis f. sp. avenae) are the key diseases worldwide. The focus of this chapter is to review the major developments and their impacts on oat breeding, especially on the challenges posed by climate or environmental changes (biotic and abiotic stresses mainly) for oat cultivation. Next-generation breeding tools will help to develop approaches to genetically improve and manipulate oat which would aid significantly in oat enhancement efforts. Although, oat biotechnology has been advanced at a similar pace as the rest of cereals, it lags still behind. More genomic tools, from genomic assisted breeding to genome editing tools are needed to improve the resources to improve oats under climate change in the next few decades