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detection of 11 common viral and bacterial pathogens causing community-acquired pneumonia or sepsis in asymptomatic patients by using a multiplex reverse transcription-pcr assay with manual (enzyme hybridization) or automated (electronic microarray) detection.community-acquired pneumonia (cap) and sepsis are important causes of morbidity and mortality. we describe the development of two molecular assays for the detection of 11 common viral and bacterial agents of cap and sepsis: influenza virus a, influenza virus b, respiratory syncytial virus a (rsv a), rsv b, mycoplasma pneumoniae, chlamydophila pneumoniae, legionella pneumophila, legionella micdadei, bordetella pertussis, staphylococcus aureus, and streptococcus pneumoniae. further, we report the ...200818650351
epidemiologic characteristics and seasonal distribution of human metapneumovirus infections in five epidemic seasons in stockholm, sweden, 2002-2006.the presence of human metapneumovirus (hmpv) was analyzed retrospectively by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (rt-pcr) in five epidemic seasons, in stockholm, 2002-2006. the occurrence of hmpv was compared with five common respiratory viruses; respiratory syncytial virus, influenza a virus, influenza b virus, parainfluenza virus and adenovirus. with a detection rate of 2.9% (n = 143/4,989) in nasopharyngeal samples over the whole period, hmpv was the fourth most common respiratory ...200818649344
detection of influenza virus types a and b and type a subtypes (h1, h3, and h5) by multiplex polymerase chain reaction.infections with influenza virus type a and b present serious public health problems on a global scale. however, only influenza a virus has been reported to cause fatal pandemic in many species. to provide suitable clinical management and prevent further virus transmission, efficient and effective clinical diagnosis is essential. therefore, we developed multiplex pcr assays for detecting influenza types a and b and the subtypes of influenza a virus (h1, h3 and h5). upon performing multiplex pcr a ...200818648185
estimating the impact of childhood influenza vaccination programmes in england and wales.there is increasing interest in routine vaccination of children against influenza. we use an age-structured model to demonstrate that the long-term incidence of influenza a could decrease by 11-21% in the overall population by vaccinating individuals aged 6 to <24 months, and by 22-38% and 65-97% through targeting those aged 6 to <60 months and 6 months to 16 years, respectively. the corresponding reductions predicted for influenza b were 25-35%, 44-69% and 85-96%, respectively. these results ar ...200818647634
structure-activity relationship of flavonoids as influenza virus neuraminidase inhibitors and their in vitro anti-viral activities.flavonoids are polyphenolic compounds that widely exist in plant kingdom, and the structure-activity relationship (sar) of 25 flavonoids was studied on neuraminidase (na) activity of influenza virus. three typical influenza virus strains a/pr/8/34 (h1n1), a/jinan/15/90 (h3n2), and b/jiangshu/10/2003 were used as the source of nas, the average of ic(50)s of these compounds on these nas was used in the sar analysis. the order of potency for na inhibition was as follows: aurones>flavon(ol)es>isofla ...200818640042
simultaneous detection of different respiratory virus by a multiplex reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction combined with flow-through reverse dot blotting assay.cell culture and immunofluorescence (if) assays have been traditionally used for the laboratory diagnosis of respiratory viral infections, but these assays have a low sensitivity and are time consuming. we developed a multiplex reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction combined with flow-through reverse dot blotting (mrt-pcr-ft-rdb) assay for the simultaneous detection of influenza virus type a including h5 subtype and h9 subtype, influenza virus type b, parainfluenza virus types 1 and 3, ...200818639996
real-time pcr compared to binax now and cytospin-immunofluorescence for detection of influenza in hospitalized patients.rapid tests have had a significant impact on influenza diagnosis, but more accurate tests are needed for hospitalized patients who test negative by rapid methods.200818639488
influenza. 200818637267
translational termination-re-initiation in viral systems.viruses have evolved a number of translational control mechanisms to regulate the levels of expression of viral proteins on polycistronic mrnas, including programmed ribosomal frameshifting and stop codon readthrough. more recently, another unusual mechanism has been described, that of termination-dependent re-initiation (also known as stop-start). here, the aug start codon of a 3' orf (open reading frame) is proximal to the termination codon of a uorf (upstream orf), and expression of the two o ...200818631147
influenza virus in human exhaled breath: an observational study.recent studies suggest that humans exhale fine particles during tidal breathing but little is known of their composition, particularly during infection.200818628983
cell-based influenza vaccines: progress to date.human vaccines against influenza have been available for almost 60 years and, until recently, were prepared almost entirely from viruses grown in the allantoic cavity of 9- to 11-day-old embryonated chicken eggs. manufacture involving eggs is not sufficiently flexible to allow vaccine supplies to be rapidly expanded, especially in the face of an impending pandemic. other problems may arise from the infections of progenitor flocks that adversely affect egg supplies, and from the manufacturing pro ...200818627206
surveillance for neuraminidase inhibitor resistance among human influenza a and b viruses circulating worldwide from 2004 to 2008.the surveillance of seasonal influenza virus susceptibility to neuraminidase (na) inhibitors was conducted using an na inhibition assay. the 50% inhibitory concentration values (ic(50)s) of 4,570 viruses collected globally from october 2004 to march 2008 were determined. based on mean ic(50)s, a(h3n2) viruses (0.44 nm) were more sensitive to oseltamivir than a(h1n1) viruses (0.91 nm). the opposite trend was observed with zanamivir: 1.06 nm for a(h1n1) and 2.54 nm for a(h3n2). influenza b viruses ...200818625765
the contents of the syringe. 200818615063
household and community transmission of the asian influenza a (h2n2) and influenza b viruses in 1957 and 1961.this study analyzed the distribution of the number of cases in households of various sizes, reconsidering previous survey data from the asian influenza a (h2n2) pandemic in 1957 and the influenza b epidemic in 1961. the final size distributions for the number of household cases were extracted from four different data sources (n = 547, 671, 92 and 263 households), and a probability model was applied to estimate the community probability of infection (cpi) and household secondary attack rate (sar) ...200718613549
seasonal inactivated influenza virus vaccines.inactivated influenza virus vaccines are the primary modality used for prevention of influenza. a system of annual identification of new strains causing illnesses, selections for vaccines, chick embryo growth, inactivation, processing, packaging, distribution and usage has been in place for decades. current vaccines contain 15 microg of the ha of an a/h1n1, a/h3n2 and b strain and are given parenterally to induce serum anti-ha antibody for prevention of subsequent infection and illness from natu ...200818602728
immunogenicity, safety and consistency of new trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine.to augment the available influenza vaccine supply, a phase iii study was conducted to evaluate the immunogenicity, safety, and consistency of a new trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine manufactured by csl limited. healthy adults (ages 18-64) were randomized to receive either a single dose of tiv from multi-dose vials with thimerosal, tiv from pre-filled syringes without thimerosal, or placebo. of the tiv recipients, 97.8% achieved a post-vaccination titer > or =40 against h1n1, 99.9% against ...200818602726
effect of sublingual administration of interferon-alpha on the immune response to influenza vaccination in institutionalized elderly individuals.a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study was conducted to determine the effect of sublingual administration of ifnalpha on the immune response to influenza vaccination in elderly institutionalized individuals. sublingual administration of 10 million iu of ifnalpha immediately prior to vaccination, reduced the geometric mean haemagglutination inhibitory (hai) and igg2 circulating antibody titers, and the secretory iga (siga) response in saliva, to the new york strain of influenza a viru ...200818602725
duration of protection provided by live attenuated influenza vaccine in children.reliable availability of influenza vaccine before october could enable the vaccination of many children who might not otherwise be vaccinated.200818600188
typing (a/b) and subtyping (h1/h3/h5) of influenza a viruses by multiplex real-time rt-pcr assays.in this study, a specific and sensitive one-step multiplex real-time rt-pcr was developed in two assays by using primers and a number of specific locked nucleic acid (lna)-mediated taqman probes which increase the thermal stability of oligonucleotides. the first assay consisted of primers and probes specific to the matrix (m1) gene of influenza a virus, matrix (m1) gene of influenza b virus and gapdh gene of host cells for typing of influenza virus and verification by an internal control, respec ...200818598722
household responses to school closure resulting from outbreak of influenza b, north carolina.school closure is a proposed strategy for reducing influenza transmission during a pandemic. few studies have assessed how families respond to closures, or whether other interactions during closure could reduce this strategy's effect. questionnaires were administered to 220 households (438 adults and 355 children) with school-age children in a north carolina county during an influenza b virus outbreak that resulted in school closure. closure was considered appropriate by 201 (91%) households. no ...200818598620
baseline levels of influenza-specific cd4 memory t-cells affect t-cell responses to influenza vaccines.factors affecting immune responses to influenza vaccines have not been studied systematically. we hypothesized that t-cell and antibody responses to the vaccines are functions of pre-existing host immunity against influenza antigens.200818596908
s acylation of the hemagglutinin of influenza viruses: mass spectrometry reveals site-specific attachment of stearic acid to a transmembrane cysteine.s acylation of cysteines located in the transmembrane and/or cytoplasmic region of influenza virus hemagglutinins (ha) contributes to the membrane fusion and assembly of virions. our results from using mass spectrometry (ms) show that influenza b virus ha possessing two cytoplasmic cysteines contains palmitate, whereas ha-esterase-fusion glycoprotein of influenza c virus having one transmembrane cysteine is stearoylated. has of influenza a virus having one transmembrane and two cytoplasmic cyste ...200818596092
influenza activity--united states and worldwide, 2007-08 season.during the 2007-08 influenza season, influenza activity peaked in mid-february in the united states and was associated with greater mortality and higher rates of hospitalization of children aged 0-4 years, compared with each of the previous three seasons. in the united states, influenza a (h1n1) was the predominant strain early in the season; influenza a (h3n2) viruses increased in circulation in january and predominated overall. while influenza a (h1n1), a (h3n2), and b viruses cocirculated wor ...200818583957
selection bias in evaluating of influenza vaccine effectiveness: a lesson from an observational study of elderly nursing home residents.selection bias is of critical concern in the study of influenza vaccine effectiveness when using an observational study design. this bias is attributable to the inherently different characteristics between vaccinees and non-vaccinees. the differences, which are related both to vaccination and signs of clinical disease as an outcome, may lead to erroneous estimation of the effectiveness. in this report, we describe how selection bias among elderly nursing home residents may lead to a spurious int ...200818582520
tracking the spatial diffusion of influenza and norovirus using telehealth data: a spatiotemporal analysis of syndromic data.telehealth systems have a large potential for informing public health authorities in an early stage of outbreaks of communicable disease. influenza and norovirus are common viruses that cause significant respiratory and gastrointestinal disease worldwide. data about these viruses are not routinely mapped for surveillance purposes in the uk, so the spatial diffusion of national outbreaks and epidemics is not known as such incidents occur. we aim to describe the geographical origin and diffusion o ...200818582364
comparison of the clinical effectiveness of oseltamivir and zanamivir against influenza virus infection in children.we compared the clinical effectiveness of oseltamivir and zanamivir in children with influenza a (h1n1) virus, influenza a (h3n2) virus, and influenza b virus infections.200818582202
[influenza vaccination present and future].in healthy adults younger than 65 years the effectiveness of influenza vaccination is up to 90% for laboratory confirmed influenza, but is far less in elderly individuals over 65 years and those with comorbidities. however the vaccination in elderly people is effective in preventing complications of influenza infection: pneumonia, hospital admission and death from influenza or pneumonia. this effect is larger for elderly individuals living in nursing homes than in those living in the community. ...200718581910
[validity of diagnostic tests]. 200818575669
influenza vaccine effectiveness among elderly persons living in the community during the 2003--2004 season.to examine the effectiveness of influenza vaccine among community-dwelling elderly (65-79 years old), we conducted a population-based cohort study during the 2003--2004 influenza season. a total of 4787 elderly individuals were interviewed regarding acute febrile illness, hospital visits, hospitalization and death by telephone every month. the vaccination status and physician-diagnosed clinical influenza (hereinafter referred as clinical influenza) were determined based on data obtained from the ...200818573296
history of influenza vaccination programs in japan.in 1976, influenza mass vaccination among schoolchildren was started under the preventive vaccination law, which was intended to control epidemics in the community. however, in the late 1980s, questions about this policy and vaccine efficacy arose, and a campaign against vaccination began. in 1994, influenza was excluded from the target diseases list in the preventive vaccination law, without considering the immunization policy with respect to the common indications in high-risk groups. in 2001, ...200818573292
influenza virus infection and risk of acute myocardial infarction.increasing evidences have shown that pathogens might promote atherosclerosis and trigger acute myocardial infarction (ami). but the conclusions from various studies on the correlation between previous influenza virus (iv) infection and ami were inconsistent. we conducted a case-control study to assess the association of previous iv infection and ami. questionnaire survey was conducted to collect information about demographic characteristics and heart disease risk factors. fasting blood sample wa ...200818568394
protection abilities of influenza b virus dna vaccines expressing hemagglutinin, neuraminidase, or both in mice.every year, a vaccination against influenza b virus (ibv) is essential due to an antigenic variation. development of an efficient and convenient vaccine is important for the prevention of viral infection. this study reports examination of the protective immunity in mice evoked by a single inoculation of plasmid dna expressing hemagglutinin (ha dna) or neuraminidase (na dna) of ibv. the ha dna or na dna was injected intramuscularly into balb/c mice separately or as a mixture. the injection of pla ...200818564897
influenza virus vaccination induces interleukin-12/23 receptor beta 1 (il-12/23r beta 1)-independent production of gamma interferon (ifn-gamma) and humoral immunity in patients with genetic deficiencies in il-12/23r beta 1 or ifn-gamma receptor i.to investigate whether protective immune responses can be induced in the absence of normal interleukin-12/23/gamma interferon (il-12/23/ifn-gamma) axis signaling, we vaccinated with the seasonal influenza virus subunit vaccine two patients with complete il-12/23 receptor beta1 (il-12/23r beta 1) deficiencies, two patients with partial ifn-gamma receptor i (pifn-gamma ri) deficiencies, and five healthy controls. blood samples were analyzed before, 7 days after, and 28 days after vaccination. in m ...200818562567
upper respiratory virus detection without parent-reported illness in children is virus-specific.viral upper respiratory tract infection (vuri) may or may not present with a cold/flu-like illness (cfli).200818538629
patterns of evolution and host gene mimicry in influenza and other rna viruses.it is well known that the dinucleotide cpg is under-represented in the genomic dna of many vertebrates. this is commonly thought to be due to the methylation of cytosine residues in this dinucleotide and the corresponding high rate of deamination of 5-methycytosine, which lowers the frequency of this dinucleotide in dna. surprisingly, many single-stranded rna viruses that replicate in these vertebrate hosts also have a very low presence of cpg dinucleotides in their genomes. viruses are obligate ...200818535658
recombinant influenza b virus ha and na antigens administered in equivalent amounts are immunogenically equivalent and induce equivalent homotypic and broader heterovariant protection in mice than conventional and live influenza vaccines.influenza b virus is an important cause of acute upper respiratory disease in humans. vaccination is the primary method of control of influenza related disease, yet vaccine methodology and production technology have not changed in over 40 years. in this study, we compare the efficacy of recombinant baculovirus produced protein based neuraminidase containing influenza b vaccines with conventional inactivated influenza vaccine (civ) and live-attenuated influenza vaccine (laiv) in a murine model. a ...200818535408
high titer growth of human and avian influenza viruses in an immortalized chick embryo cell line without the need for exogenous proteases.the current method of growing influenza virus for vaccine production is through the use of embryonated chicken eggs. this manufacturing system yields a low concentration of virus per egg, requires significant downstream production for purification, and demands a considerable amount of time for production. we have demonstrated an immortalized chick embryo cell line, termed pbs-1, is capable of growing unmodified recent isolates of human and avian influenza a and b viruses to extremely high titers ...200818524432
enhanced surveillance for serious complications of influenza in children: role of the australian paediatric surveillance unit.influenza contributes significantly to disease burden among children aged less than five years. existing influenza surveillance systems do not provide detailed data on clinical presentation, management, vaccination status, risk factors and complications in hospitalised children, or link such data with laboratory results. following a number of child deaths due to influenza in 2007, the australian government department of health and ageing approached the australian paediatric surveillance unit (ap ...200818522307
influenza viruses with reduced sensitivity to the neuraminidase inhibitor drugs in untreated young children.the neuraminidase inhibitors are a class of antiviral drugs used for both the prophylaxis and treatment of influenza infections. clinical trials of these inhibitors detected a low level of resistant viruses from treated individuals, although a higher frequency was detected in children (5%-6%) compared to adults (1%-4%). in addition, there have been some previous reports of na inhibitor resistant viruses being isolated from untreated individuals. here we report on the na inhibitor sensitivity of ...200818522305
clinical features of children infected with different strains of influenza b in southern taiwan.this study was designed to determine the clinical characteristics of children infected with different strains of influenza b viruses isolated in southern taiwan. the clinical features were compared with influenza a infection occurring in the same period.200818520968
homologous recombination is unlikely to play a major role in influenza b virus evolution.influenza b viruses cause a significant amount of morbidity and mortality. the occurrence of homologous recombination in influenza viruses is controversial. to determine the extent of homologous recombination in influenza b viruses, recombination analyses of 2,650 sequences representing all eight segments of the influenza b viruses were carried out. only four sequences were indentified as putative recombinants, which were verified using phylogenetic methods. however, the mosaics detected here we ...200818505573
the evolutionary dynamics of human influenza b virus.despite their close phylogenetic relationship, type a and b influenza viruses exhibit major epidemiological differences in humans, with the latter both less common and less often associated with severe disease. however, it is unclear what processes determine the evolutionary dynamics of influenza b virus, and how influenza viruses a and b interact at the evolutionary scale. to address these questions we inferred the phylogenetic history of human influenza b virus using complete genome sequences ...200818504518
mdck-siat1 cells show improved isolation rates for recent human influenza viruses compared to conventional mdck cells.the ability to isolate and propagate influenza virus is an essential tool for the yearly surveillance of circulating virus strains and to ensure accurate clinical diagnosis for appropriate treatment. the suitability of mdck-siat1 cells, engineered to express increased levels of alpha-2,6-linked sialic acid receptors, as an alternative to conventional mdck cells for isolation of circulating influenza virus was assessed. a greater number of influenza a (h1n1 and h3n2) and b viruses from stored hum ...200818480230
enhanced detection of respiratory viruses using cryopreserved r-mix readycells.r-mix, which contains a fresh mixture of two cell lines, mv1lu (mink lung cells) and a549 cells, has shown good sensitivity and specificity for respiratory virus culture. however, it has until recently only been available in north america, in part due to the shipping constraints associated with cell aging and the difficulty in providing these cells to hard to reach regions. recently, cryopreserved r-mix readycells for longer storage were developed. these cells, which are shipped on dry ice and h ...200818467164
essential sequence of influenza b virus hemagglutinin dna to provide protection against lethal homologous viral infection.hemagglutinin (ha) is the main surface glycoprotein of influenza b virus. the b/ibaraki/2/85 virus ha gene is 1758 bp in length, including signal peptide sequence, ha1 sequence, and ha2 sequence. we previously proved that b/ibaraki/2/85 ha dna induced immune response and provided effective protection in mice against challenge with homologous virus. in this study, a series of recombinant plasmids encoding truncated ha gene were constructed by pcr. balb/c mice were immunized with the plasmids and ...200818466089
is exercise protective against influenza-associated mortality?little is known about the effect of physical exercise on influenza-associated mortality.200818461130
increased antibodies against unfolded viral antigens in the elderly after influenza vaccination.our studies aimed to measure the quality of antibody response to influenza vaccines in the elderly. the frequency of significant rise in hemagglutination inhibition (hai) titer in the elderly is low and although annual vaccination reduces morbidity and mortality, better correlates of vaccine efficacy in the elderly are needed.200718458742
anti-influenza virus activity of chaenomeles sinensis.this investigation evaluated anti-influenza virus activity of 50% ethanol extract of the fruit of chaenomeles sinensis k(oehne), which is widely used as a traditional chinese medicine to treat throat diseases.200818456441
limited compatibility between the rna polymerase components of influenza virus type a and b.reassortants between type a and b influenza viruses have not been detected in nature, although both viruses co-circulate in human populations. one explanation for this may be functional incompatibility of rna transcription and replication between type a and b viruses. to test this possibility, we constructed type a/b mosaic polymerase machinery, containing pb2, pb1, pa and nucleoprotein from each of the two virus types, and assessed their polymerase activities with a type a promoter in a reporte ...200818455827
[interaction of influenza a and b viruses with a carbon-containing sorbent].the investigation demonstrated that influenza a and b viruses actively interacted with a sorbent obtained from modified oxygen-containing graphite via hydrothermal treatment irrespective of the antigenic structure of surface proteins. virionic sorption occurred in a wide range of temperatures from 8 to 34 degrees c for 15 min or more. after interaction with the sorbent, the titer of a virus decreased 4- to 256-fold. the immobilized viruses were able to interact with homologous antibodies and imm ...200818450109
rapid cloning of high-affinity human monoclonal antibodies against influenza virus.pre-existing neutralizing antibody provides the first line of defence against pathogens in general. for influenza virus, annual vaccinations are given to maintain protective levels of antibody against the currently circulating strains. here we report that after booster vaccination there was a rapid and robust influenza-specific igg+ antibody-secreting plasma cell (asc) response that peaked at approximately day 7 and accounted for up to 6% of peripheral blood b cells. these ascs could be distingu ...200818449194
correlation of cellular immune responses with protection against culture-confirmed influenza virus in young children.the highly sensitive gamma interferon (ifn-gamma) enzyme-linked immunosorbent spot (elispot) assay permits the investigation of the role of cell-mediated immunity (cmi) in the protection of young children against influenza. preliminary studies of young children confirmed that the ifn-gamma elispot assay was a more sensitive measure of influenza memory immune responses than serum antibody and that among seronegative children aged 6 to <36 months, an intranasal dose of 10(7) fluorescent focus unit ...200818448618
safety and immunogenicity of trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine in infants.trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine (tiv) is not licensed for use in infants <6 months old, the group with the highest influenza hospitalization rates among children.200818444800
improved antibody responses in infants less than 1 year old using intradermal influenza vaccination.antibody response to influenza vaccine is limited in early. infants have poorer hemagglutination-inhibiting antibody responses than 12-month-old. intradermal administration reportedly elicited immune responses similar to or better than a standard intramuscular dose. we hypothesized that intradermal injection could achieve a better response in infants than subcutaneous injection.200818436353
the course of fever following influenza virus infection in children treated with oseltamivir.although the effectiveness of oseltamivir against influenza virus infection is well known, there has been no report analyzing the detailed time course of fever following the drug treatment in children. oseltamivir was prescribed for 4 days to every child with a positive result for rapid immunological test for influenza virus during 2002--2003, 2003--2004, and 2004--2005 epidemics. only those who were 1-12 years of age and prescribed oseltamivir within 24 hr after the onset of fever were included ...200818428131
development of a high-throughput alamar blue assay for the determination of influenza virus infectious dose, serum antivirus neutralization titer and virus ca/ts phenotype.flumist is an intranasal influenza live vaccine containing two influenza a strains (currently h1n1 and h3n2) and one b strain (yamagata or victoria lineage). characterization of the vaccine requires determination of the median tissue culture infectious dose (tcid(50)) titer, serum antivirus neutralization titer and vaccine cold adapted/temperature sensitive (ca/ts) phenotype. visual cytopathic effect (cpe) readings are used widely in viral assays, but these are subjective and labor intensive. in ...200818423899
lung transplant patients' t cell responses to influenza vaccine viruses between seasons.we hypothesized that t cell responses to influenza viruses by lung transplant and healthy individuals would be similar. twelve lung transplant patients and 12 healthy individuals received influenza vaccines during two seasons. lymphocytes were isolated for the trans-vivo delayed-type hypersensitivity assay from blood samples following immunization. t cell responses to all three inactivated influenza antigens from each were similar between the groups. however, the response to the a/new caledonia ...200818420314
update: influenza activity--united states, september 30, 2007-april 5, 2008, and composition of the 2008-09 influenza vaccine.this report summarizes u.s. influenza activity since september 30, 2007, the start of the 2007-08 influenza season, and updates the previous summary. low levels of influenza activity were reported from october through early december. activity increased from mid-december and peaked in mid-february.200818418347
interim within-season estimate of the effectiveness of trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine--marshfield, wisconsin, 2007-08 influenza season.during clinical trials, the efficacy of vaccination with inactivated influenza vaccines for the prevention of serologically confirmed influenza infection has been estimated as high as 70%-90% among healthier adults. however, the effectiveness of annual influenza vaccination typically is lower during those influenza seasons when a suboptimal match between the vaccine strains and circulating influenza strains is observed. for example, in a 4-year randomized study of influenza vaccine among healthy ...200818418344
a model of base-call resolution on broad-spectrum pathogen detection resequencing dna microarrays.oligonucleotide microarrays offer the potential to efficiently test for multiple organisms, an excellent feature for surveillance applications. among these, resequencing microarrays are of particular interest, as they possess additional unique capabilities to track pathogens' genetic variations and perform detailed discrimination of closely related organisms. however, this potential can only be realized if the costs of developing the detection microarray are kept at a manageable level. selection ...200818413341
identification of the pore-lining residues of the bm2 ion channel protein of influenza b virus.the influenza b virus bm2 proton-selective ion channel is essential for virus uncoating, a process that occurs in the acidic environment of the endosome. the bm2 channel causes acidification of the interior of the virus particle, which results in dissociation of the viral membrane protein from the ribonucleo-protein core. the bm2 protein is similar to the a/m2 protein ion channel of influenza a virus (a/m2) in that it contains an hxxxw motif. unlike the a/m2 protein, the bm2 protein is not inhib ...200818408016
influenza vaccine dosages. 200818407384
influenza in canada: 2006-2007 season. 200818404807
identification of a human monoclonal fab with neutralizing activity against h3n2 influenza a strain from a newly constructed human fab library.a combinatorial fab library was constructed in pcomb3h phagemid vectors, using rna from peripheral blood lymphocytes of a healthy volunteer who had recovered from an influenza a virus infection. the library contained approximately 1.3 x 10(8)e. coli transformants. bio-panning was carried out against an influenza vaccine containing components of influenza a/new caledonia/20/99 (h1n1), a/panama/2007/99 (h3n2), and b/shandong/7/97 for the enrichment of phages displaying human fab specific to the vi ...200818402598
influenza-associated pneumonia in a turkish area with endemic avian influenza.the aim of the study was to describe the effects of influenza associated with community-acquired pneumonia (cap) on the outcome of patients in an area characterized by endemic avian influenza.200818399870
protective effect of nasal immunization of influenza virus hemagglutinin with recombinant cholera toxin b subunit as a mucosal adjuvant in mice.to develop an efficient nasal influenza vaccine, influenza a and b virus ha with rctb as a mucosal adjuvant were administered to mice intranasally. serum anti-ha igg and iga antibody responses for both ha vaccines were significantly increased in the presence of rctb. higher hi and neutralizing antibody titers and higher mucosal iga antibody responses in the respiratory tract were detected when rctb was added than without rctb. when mice were immunized with ha vaccine with or without rctb and cha ...200818380802
comparison of a commercial qualitative real-time rt-pcr kit with direct immunofluorescence assay (dfa) and cell culture for detection of influenza a and b in children.institutional pandemic planning prompted a study of the molecular detection of influenza virus from respiratory specimens in children, compared to conventional diagnostics.200818374630
survival of influenza virus on banknotes.successful control of a viral disease requires knowledge of the different vectors that could promote its transmission among hosts. we assessed the survival of human influenza viruses on banknotes given that billions of these notes are exchanged daily worldwide. banknotes were experimentally contaminated with representative influenza virus subtypes at various concentrations, and survival was tested after different time periods. influenza a viruses tested by cell culture survived up to 3 days when ...200818359825
molecular detection and typing of influenza viruses: are we ready for an influenza pandemic?we cannot predict when an influenza pandemic will occur or which variant of the virus will cause it. little information is currently available on the ability of laboratories to detect and subtype influenza viruses including the avian influenza viruses.200818359662
different roles for two ubiquitin-like domains of isg15 in protein modification.isg15 (interferon-stimulated gene 15) is a novel ubiquitin-like (ubl) modifier with two ubl domains in its architecture. we investigated different roles for the two ubl domains in protein modification by isg15 (isgylation) and the impact of influenza b virus ns1 protein (ns1b) on regulation of the pathway. the results show that, although the c-terminal domain is sufficient to link isg15 to ube1l and ubch8, the n-terminal domain is dispensable in the activation and transthiolation steps but requi ...200818356159
in vitro and in vivo investigations on the antiviral activity of a series of mixed-valence rare earth borotungstate heteropoly blues.a series of mixed-valence rare earth borotungsto-heteropoly blues, k15h2[ln(bw9w2o39)2].28h2o (ln2, ln=la, ce, pr, nd, sm, eu, gd), have been prepared and characterized by ir, uv, xps, esr and electrochemistry. the cytotoxicity and antiviral activity of these rare earth borotungstate heteropoly blues were investigated against influenza a(fluva) strain (a/h1n1/jingfang/1/91 and a/h3n2/jingfang/30/95) and influenza virus b(fluvb) (b/hufang/1/87) in mdck cells. the results show that k15h2[pr(bw9w2o ...200818342405
design and optimization of a multiplex anti-influenza peptide immunoassay.current flu vaccines are based on killed or attenuated virus vaccines that must be altered each year to include the hemagglutinin and neuraminidase genes from a strain of virus predicted to predominate in the coming year. a vaccine that could protect against multiple strains of influenza a and b would be a major asset in the fight against flu-related mortality and morbidity. to support development of such a vaccine, we have developed a flu multiplex assay based on a luminex platform to assess se ...200818329663
influenza virus and proteolytic bacteria co-infection in respiratory tract from individuals presenting respiratory manifestations.a role for proteolytic bacteria in the exacerbation of influenza virus has been shown in natural hosts such as pigs and humans. four hundred seven samples were collected from the respiratory tract of individuals presenting clinical manifestations, during influenza season (2003-2005) in são paulo city. the aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence of determined bacteria co-infecting virus in human respiratory tract. tests, such as bacteriological, immunofluorescence (if), rt/pcr and hemaggl ...200818327486
clinical and genetic characterization of severe influenza b-associated diseases during an outbreak in taiwan.mismatches between circulating and vaccine strains of influenza virus had been observed in taiwan. a comprehensive clinical and genetic analysis of influenza b viruses-associated important diseases was lacking.200818325832
[antigenic and genetic study of influenza virus circulated in china in 2006].to analyse seasonal influenza epidemic situation in 2006, and to analyse the genetic and antigenic characteristics of viral hemagglutinin (ha) gene.200718322584
evaluation of the nanochip 400 system for detection of influenza a and b, respiratory syncytial, and parainfluenza viruses.the nanochip400 system uses multiplex pcr chemistry and electronic microarray detection of influenza a and b viruses; respiratory syncytial viruses a and b; and human parainfluenza virus types 1, 2, and 3. the results obtained with the nanochip 400 system were compared with those obtained by direct fluorescent-antibody staining (dfa) and real-time pcr with 122 and 130 specimens, respectively. concordance between dfa and nanochip 400 system was obtained for 106 of 122 (86.9%) specimens. on the ba ...200818322066
influenza a (h1n1) virus resistance to cyanovirin-n arises naturally during adaptation to mice and by passage in cell culture in the presence of the inhibitor.influenza a/new caledonia/20/99 (h1n1) virus was studied for development of resistance to cyanovirin-n (cvn). cvn neutralizes virus infectivity by binding to specific high-mannose oligosaccharides on the viral haemagglutinin 1 (ha1) subunit. during virus adaptation to mice in the absence of cvn treatment the virus became resistant to cvn (cvn-mr virus), as did virus passaged in cell culture in the presence of cvn (cvn-r virus). the cvn-r virus possessed a single amino acid change at position 94a ...200718320936
recommended composition of influenza virus vaccines for use in the 2008-2009 influenza season. 200818309579
on the mechanism of phenotypic conversion of human cervical adenocarcinoma hela cells surviving infection by influenza b virus: potential implications for biological management of adenocarcinomas.we infected hela cells with low (10(-9) units), medium (10(-6) units), and high (10(-2) units) influenza b titers and compared the resulting human papilloma virus (hpv), retinoic acid receptor alpha subunit (raralpha) and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (gapdh) mrna content of surviving infected hosts with that of their uninfected precursors by semi-quantitative reverse transcriptase/polymerase chain reaction amplification (rt/pcr). this comparison revealed a moderate and drastic depend ...200818291599
rapid diagnosis of influenza infection in older adults: influence on clinical care in a routine clinical setting.laboratory diagnosis of influenza has previously relied on viral isolation in culture. rapid antigen tests (rats) are now available but few studies have examined their use in older adults under routine clinical conditions.200818289930
update: influenza activity--united states, september 30, 2007-february 9, 2008.this report summarizes u.s. influenza activity since the beginning of the 2007-08 influenza season (september 30, 2007) and updates the previous summary. from september through early december, influenza activity remained low in the united states. activity increased from early december through the end of the year and has continued to increase in january and february.200818288077
effectiveness of oseltamivir treatment among children with influenza a or b virus infections during four successive winters in niigata city, japan.oseltamivir has been used for treatment of influenza a and b infections, but recent reports documented that it was less active against the latter. we compared the effectiveness of oseltamivir in children between laboratory confirmed influenza a and b over 4 influenza seasons from 2001 to 2005 in a pediatric clinic in japan. among 1,848 patients screened, 299 influenza a and 209 influenza b patients were administered oseltamivir (treated groups), and 28 influenza a and 66 influenza b patients wer ...200818285668
fatal necrotizing pneumonia due to a panton-valentine leukocidin positive community-associated methicillin-sensitive staphylococcus aureus and influenza co-infection: a case report.recent studies have described a number of fatalities due to methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (mrsa) and influenza virus co-infection. mrsa isolates provide a challenge to caregivers due to inherent wide range antibiotic resistance. many facilities have instituted screening methods, based on the presence of antibiotic resistance genes, to identify mrsa positive patients upon admission. however, the resistance profile of the pathogen does not necessarily determine the severity of diseas ...200818284686
[efficacy of production of reassortant of epidemic strains and cold-adapted influenza viruses in chicken embryo and mdck cells].reassortant strains for modern live influenza vaccines are prepared using growing chicken embryos. it is very important to switch manufacture of influenza vaccines from chicken embryos to cell cultures, especially due to the threat of future pandemic, when there will be need of big quantities of vaccine for immunization of all age groups. efficacy of production of reassortant strains with 6:2 vaccine formulation of genome (6 internal genes from the donor of attenuation and 2 genes coding externa ...200718283733
sudden death in toddlers caused by influenza b infection: a report of two cases and a review of the literature.sudden fatal cases of influenza b infection in a 4-year-old girl and a 2-year-old boy are presented. both children complained of abdominal pain without respiratory, neurologic or cardiac symptoms; additionally the girl had vomiting within 2 days of death. autopsy revealed histological changes in the respiratory system consistent with a viral infection. influenza b infection was identified by immunohistochemistry in the girl and real-time polymerase chain reaction in the boy. additional testing i ...200818279259
definition of the peptide binding motif within drb1*1401 restricted epitopes by peptide competition and structural modeling.this study identified the peptide-binding motif of hla-dra/drb1*1401 (dr1401). first, peptides containing dr1401 restricted epitopes were identified using tetramer-guided epitope mapping. among these, an influenza b peptide was selected for the motif study. after confirming the binding register for this peptide using a set of arginine substitutions, binding affinities were determined for 33 peptides derived from this influenza b sequence with single amino acid substitutions. the dr1401 peptide-b ...200818276010
rapid decline of influenza vaccine-induced antibody in the elderly: is it real, or is it relevant?advisory committees have cautioned that influenza vaccine-induced antibody declines more rapidly in the elderly, falling below seroprotective levels within 4 months. we conducted a literature review to assess this assertion. the articles that were included in this review reported antibody levels > or =4 months after influenza immunization in persons > or =60 years old, interpretable in the context of annual influenza vaccine-approval criteria (seroprotection/seroconversion) specified by the comm ...200818275271
adamantane-resistant influenza infection during the 2004-05 season.adamantane-resistant influenza a is an emerging problem, but infections caused by resistant and susceptible viruses have not been compared. we identified adamantane resistance in 47% of 152 influenza a virus (h3n2) isolates collected during 2005. resistant and susceptible viruses caused similar symptoms and illness duration. the prevalence of resistance was highest in children.200818258102
influenza a and b infection in children in urban slum, bangladesh. 200718257997
respifinder: a new multiparameter test to differentially identify fifteen respiratory viruses.broad-spectrum analysis for pathogens in patients with respiratory tract infections is becoming more relevant as the number of potential infectious agents is still increasing. here we describe the new multiparameter respifinder assay, which is based on the multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (mlpa) technology. this assay detects 15 respiratory viruses in one reaction. the mlpa reaction is preceded by a preamplification step which ensures the detection of both rna and dna viruses wit ...200818256230
genetic and epidemiological analysis of influenza virus epidemics in taiwan during 2003 to 2006.the genetic characterization of taiwanese influenza a and b viruses on the basis of analyses of pairwise amino acid variations, genetic clustering, and phylogenetics was performed. a total of 548, 2,123, and 1,336 sequences of the ha1 genes of influenza a virus subtypes h1 and h3 and influenza b virus, respectively, collected during 2003 to 2006 from an island-wide surveillance network were determined. influenza a virus h3 showed activity during all periods, although it was dominant only in the ...200818256223
the role of respiratory viruses in cystic fibrosis.previous studies have suggested a role played by respiratory viruses in the exacerbation of cystic fibrosis (cf). however, the impact of respiratory viruses could have been underestimated because of the low detection rate by conventional laboratory methods.200818255355
synthesis of potent pyrrolidine influenza neuraminidase inhibitors.the synthesis of several pyrrolidine inhibitor analogs is described that possess nanomolar in vitro potencies against the neuraminidase enzymes expressed by the b/memphis/3/89 and a/n1/pr/8/34 influenza strains.200818242993
influenza-associated morbidity in children with cancer.the clinical impact of influenza in children undergoing therapy for cancer is not well-described in the literature.200818240170
do viruses cause inner ear disturbances?the association of viral infection to inner ear disease is controversial. experiments on animals show that several viruses are capable of causing hearing loss, if applied into the perilymph. some of these have specific affinity to the cellular type of the inner ear, as sensory epithelia and cochlear nerve. some viruses as adenoviruses and coxsackie virus b have specific car receptors that are identified in different cell types, whereas other act by attaching onto nonspecific cellular surface rec ...200818235204
time lines of infection and disease in human influenza: a review of volunteer challenge studies.the dynamics of viral shedding and symptoms following influenza virus infection are key factors when considering epidemic control measures. the authors reviewed published studies describing the course of influenza virus infection in placebo-treated and untreated volunteers challenged with wild-type influenza virus. a total of 56 different studies with 1,280 healthy participants were considered. viral shedding increased sharply between 0.5 and 1 day after challenge and consistently peaked on day ...200818230677
a prospective, comparative study of the immune response to inactivated influenza vaccine in pediatric liver transplant recipients and their healthy siblings.annual influenza vaccination is routinely recommended for pediatric solid organ transplant recipients. however, there are limited data defining the immune response to the inactivated vaccine in this population.200818230041
influenza: the virus and prophylaxis with inactivated influenza vaccine in "at risk" groups, including copd patients.influenza is a major respiratory pathogen, which exerts a huge human and economic toll on society. influenza is a vaccine preventable disease, however, the vaccine strains must be annually updated due to the continuous antigenic changes in the virus. inactivated influenza vaccines have been used for over 50 years and have an excellent safety record. annual vaccination is therefore recommended for all individuals with serious medical conditions, like copd, and protects the vaccinee against influe ...200718229561
flublok, a recombinant influenza vaccine.protein sciences corp and umn pharma inc are developing flublok, an injectable trivalent influenza vaccine formulation composed of recombinant influenza hemagglutinin (ha) proteins that match the ha from the three influenza isolates that currently circulate in humans (h1n1, h3n2 and b), for the potential prevention of influenza virus infection. phase iii clinical trials to compare flublok and a licensed trivalent influenza vaccine for immunogenicity, safety and efficacy in preventing naturally o ...200818228185
the influenza virus ns1 protein: inhibitor of innate and adaptive immunity.the influenza virus ns1 protein has been shown to be a multifunctional immune modulator and a virulence factor for this virus. among its multiple functions are the inhibition of the type i interferon (ifn) system in infected cells, the binding and sequestration of dsrna, the interference with the host mrna processing, the facilitation of preferential viral mrna translation, and the inhibition of dendritic cell (dc) activation. the combination of all these functions makes the ns1 protein a very p ...200718220965
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