ONRAB® oral rabies vaccine is shed from,but does not persist in,captive mammals

ONRAB® is a human adenovirus rabies glycoprotein recombinant vaccine developed to control rabies in wildlife. To support licensing and widespread use of the vaccine, safety studies are needed to assess its potential residual impact on wildlife populations. We examined the persistence of the ONRAB® vaccine virus in captive rabies vector and non-target mammals. This research complements work on important rabies vector species (raccoon, striped skunk, and red fox) but also adds to previous findings with the addition of some non-target species (Virginia opossum, Norway rats, and cotton rats) and a prolonged period of post vaccination monitoring (41 days). Animals were directly inoculated orally with the vaccine and vaccine shedding was monitored using quantitative real-time PCR applied to oral and rectal swabs. ONRAB® DNA was detected in both oral and rectal swabs from 6 h to 3 days post-inoculation in most animals, followed by a resurgence of shedding between days 17 and 34 in some species. Overall, the duration over which ONRAB® DNA was detectable was shorter for non-target mammals, and by day 41, no animal had detectable DNA in either oral or rectal swabs. All target species, as well as cotton rats and laboratory-bred Norway rats, developed robust humoral immune responses as measured by competitive ELISA, with all individuals being seropositive at day 31. Similarly, opossums showed good response (89% seropositive; 8/9), whereas only one of nine wild caught Norway rats was seropositive at day 31. These results support findings of other safety studies suggesting that ONRAB® does not persist in vector and non-target mammals exposed to the vaccine. As such, we interpret these data to reflect a low risk of adverse effects to wild populations following distribution of ONRAB® to control sylvatic rabies.     

Durability of humoral immune responses to rubella following MMR vaccination

BackgroundWhile administration of the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR-II®) vaccine has been effective at preventing rubella infection in the United States, the durability of humoral immunity to the rubella component of MMR vaccine has not been widely studied among older adolescents and adults.MethodsIn this longitudinal study, we sought to assess the durability of rubella virus (RV)-specific humoral immunity in a healthy population (n = 98) of adolescents and young adults at two timepoints: ~7 and ~17 years after two doses of MMR-II® vaccination. Levels of circulating antibodies specific to RV were measured by ELISA and an immune-colorimetric neutralization assay. RV-specific memory B cell responses were also measured by ELISpot.ResultsRubella-specific IgG antibody titers, neutralizing antibody titers, and memory B cell responses declined with increasing time since vaccination; however, these decreases were relatively moderate. Memory B cell responses exhibited a greater decline in men compared to women.ConclusionsCollectively, rubella-specific humoral immunity declines following vaccination, although subjects’ antibody titers remain well above the currently recognized threshold for protective immunity. Clinical correlates of protection based on neutralizing antibody titer and memory B cell ELISpot response should be defined.     

Inactivated influenza vaccine formulated with single-stranded RNA-based adjuvant confers mucosal immunity and cross-protection against influenza virus infection

Influenza vaccination is considered the most valuable means to prevent and control seasonal influenza infections, which causes various clinical symptoms, ranging from mild cough and fever to even death. Among various influenza vaccine types, the inactivated subunit type is known to provide improved safety with reduced reactogenicity. However, there are some drawbacks associated with inactivated subunit type vaccines, with the main ones being its low immunogenicity and the induction of Th2-biased immune responses. In this study, we investigated the role of a single-stranded RNA (ssRNA) derived from the intergenic region in the internal ribosome entry site of the Cricket paralysis virus as an adjuvant rather than the universal vaccine for a seasonal inactivated subunit influenza vaccine. The ssRNA adjuvant stimulated not only well-balanced cellular (indicated by IgG2a, IFN-γ, IL-2, and TNF-α) and humoral (indicated by IgG1 and IL-4) immune responses but also a mucosal immune response (indicated by IgA), a key protector against respiratory virus infections. It also increases the HI titer, the surrogate marker of influenza vaccine efficacy. Furthermore, ssRNA adjuvant confers cross-protective immune responses against heterologous influenza virus infection while promoting enhanced viral clearance. Moreover, ssRNA adjuvant increases the number of memory CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells, which can be expected to induce long-term immune responses. Therefore, this ssRNA-adjuvanted seasonal inactivated subunit influenza vaccine might be the best influenza vaccine generating robust humoral and cellular immune responses and conferring cross-protective and long-term immunity.     

纹带棒状杆菌多位点序列分型及应用

目的 建立纹带棒状杆菌的多位点序列分型（MLST）方法,探讨临床分离纹带棒状杆菌的种群结构和遗传进化关系。方法 筛选出7个管家基因（gyrA、gyrB、hsp65、sodA、secA1、rpoB、16S rRNA）,设计引物并进行PCR扩增和测序,测序所得序列通过SeqMan软件进行拼接。采用DnaSP 5.10.01软件、Splits tree 4.14.2软件对管家基因的多样性及基因重组特征进行评价;采用MEGA 7.0.14软件基于序列型别（ST）采用M-L法构建系统发育树,采用BioNumerics软件基于ST特征值构建最小生成树,并用eBURST软件分析ST间遗传进化关系。结果 所选的7个位点在所有试验菌株中均获得了预期的扩增产物;Splits tree表明所有纹带棒状杆菌的聚类一致,提示基因重组是推动纹带棒状杆菌进化的潜在动力;MLST将344株纹带棒状杆菌分成72个STs,85.7%的菌株形成克隆复合体（CC）结构,CC19形成了优势克隆复合体,但包含菌株数最多的ST为该克隆复合体中的ST16。ST具有一定的地域聚集性且与分离年份具有一定的相关性。结论 我国纹带棒状杆菌呈现高度的遗传多样性,CC19为优势克隆复合体。本研究建立的MLST分型方案可用于纹带棒状杆菌的分型,但尚需优化改进。     

海南省2311例关节炎症状患者的莱姆病抗体血清学研究

目的探讨海南省关节炎症状患者的莱姆病感染状况,为莱姆病的防控提供依据。方法采用抽样调查方法,2013至2018年在海南省8个市(县)(海口市、三亚市、儋州市、东方市、文昌市、琼海市、琼中县、五指山市)的医疗机构,对其进行抽样调查,收集2 311例关节炎症状就诊的患者血清标本,并对临床资料进行描述性研究。采用间接免疫荧光法(IFA)对血清标本进行莱姆病抗体初筛检测,并采用免疫印迹法(WB)对IFA检测阳性的血清标本进行确诊实验。采用χ²检验进行统计分析。结果 IFA方法检测血清样本2 311份,166份阳性,阳性率7.18%。进一步用 WB方法确认,62份阳性, 莱姆病抗体阳性率为2.68%(62/2 311)。海南省不同地区关节炎症状患者的莱姆病抗体阳性率差异有统计学意义(χ²=40.636,P<0.001),琼中县阳性率最高,为8.81%(14/159);儋州市阳性率次之,为5.62%(5/89);东方市阳性率最低,为0.51%(2/394)。莱姆病血清抗体阳性率男性及女性分别是2.79%(33/1 182)和2.57%(29/1 129);各年龄组间的抗体阳性率在1.74%~3.64%,在性别和年龄间差异无统计学意义(χ²=0.110,P=0.740;χ²=1.938,P=0.747)。结论海南省8个市(县)均存在伯氏疏螺旋体感染导致的关节炎症状患者,但莱姆病抗体阳性率各市(县)存在差异,以琼中县最高。     

从健康体检饮食服务人员中检出一株伤寒沙门菌

2004年10月海珠区疾病预防控制中心微检室在饮食从业人员健康体检者肛拭标本中检出一株伤寒沙门菌。伤寒的健康带菌者较少被发现，由从业人员体检标本中检出该菌的报道也不多见。