Superior Neutralizing Antibody Response and Protection in Mice Vaccinated with Heterologous DNA Prime and Virus Like Particle Boost against HPAI H5N1 Virus

Although DNA plasmid and virus-like particle (VLP) vaccines have been individually tested against highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 viruses, the combination of both vaccines into a heterologous prime-boost strategy against HPAI H5N1 viruses has not been reported before. of homologous H5N1 challenge even when the challenge was administrated at 60 days post the boost.These results provide strong support for clinical evaluation of heterologous DNA-VLP prime-boost strategy as a public health intervention against a possible H5N1 pandemic

Etude écologique et nosologique des arbovirus transmis par les tiques au Sénégal. II. Etude expérimentale du pouvoir pathogène du virus Bhanja pour les petits ruminants domestiques

Les auteurs testent expérimentalement le pouvoir pathogène du virus Bhanja (BHA) pour les petits ruminants. L'inoculation intraveineuse d'une suspension de cerveaux de souriceaux infectés par du virus BHA à 4 chèvres, 1 bouc et 1 mouton n'a entraîné ni virémie, ni signe clinique, ni modification significative des constantes sanguines. Deux boucs inoculés avec une suspension de tiques Amblyomma variegatum infectées ont, eux, fait une virémie fugace d'une demi-journée à une journée, les deuxième et troisième jours après l'inoculation, mais n'ont pas manifesté le moindre signe clinique. Le virus BHA peut être considéré comme généralement pas ou peu pathogène pour les petits ruminants domestiques. Un hérisson (Atelerix albventris) et un écureuil terrestre (Xerus erythropus) inoculés avec un broyat de tiques infectées n'ont pas fait de virémie prolongée et ne peuvent donc pas être considérés comme des hôtes d'entretien du virus BH

The Israeli strain IS-98-ST1 of West Nile virus as viral model for West Nile encephalitis in the Old World

West Nile virus (WNV) recently became a major public health concern in North America, the Middle East, and Europe. In contrast with the investigations of the North-American isolates, the neurovirulence properties of Middle-Eastern strains of WNV have not been extensively characterized. Israeli WNV strain IS-98-ST1 that has been isolated from a white stork in 1998, was found to be highly neuroinvasive in adult C57BL/6 mice. Strain IS-98-ST1 infects primary neuronal cells from mouse cortex, causing neuronal death. These results demonstrate that Israeli strain IS-98-ST1 provides a suitable viral model for WNV-induced disease associated with recent WNV outbreaks in the Old World

Molecular monitoring of causative viruses in child acute respiratory infection in endemo-epidemic situations in Shanghai

International audienceBACKGROUND: Numerous viruses are responsible for respiratory infections; however, both their distribution and genetic diversity, in a limited area and a population subgroup, have been studied only rarely during a sustained period of time. METHODS: A 2-year surveillance program of children presenting with acute respiratory infections (ARIs) was carried out to characterize the viral etiology and to assess whether using gene amplification and sequencing could be a reliable approach to monitor virus introduction and spread in a population subgroup. RESULTS: Using multiplex RT-PCR, 15 different respiratory viruses were detected within the 486 nasopharyngeal positive samples collected among 817 children aged <9-year old who presented with ARI during October 2006 to September 2008. A single virus was detected in 373 patients (45.7%), and two to four viruses in 113 patients (13.8%). The most frequent causative viruses were respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) (24.7%), human bocavirus (24.5%), and human rhinovirus (HRV) (15%). RSV was more prevalent in winter and among young infants. Cases of seasonal influenza A and B viruses were reported mainly in January and August. An increase in adenovirus infection was observed during the spring of the second year of the study. Sequence analyses showed multiple introductions of different virus subtypes and identified a high prevalence of the newly defined HRV-C species. A higher viral incidence was observed during the winter of 2008, which was unusually cold. CONCLUSIONS: This study supports the usefulness of multiplex RT-PCR for virus detection and co-infection, and for implementation of a molecular monitoring system for endemic and epidemic viral respiratory infections