Volume 215, Issue 12, 15 June 2017

Ebola Zaire vaccine was generally well-tolerated, with increased rates of injection-site and systemic adverse events (AEs) compared to placebo; no vaccine-related serious AEs or deaths occurred. These findings support the use of this vaccine in persons at risk for Ebola virus disease.

The usefulness and value of a multifunctional global laboratory database is far reaching, with uses including but not limited to informing local outbreak interventions, developing global outbreak response strategies, virtual biobanking, and disease forecasting.

A human monoclonal antibody, MCA1, directly targeting the receptor-binding domain of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) S glycoprotein, was isolated from a human survivor. MCA1 highly neutralized MERS-CoV in vitro and completely inhibited viral replication in common marmosets.

Antibody responses to dengue virus infections in patients clinically diagnosed with a non-dengue febrile illness differed from responses to classic dengue and were associated with viral load at presentation. These findings have important implications for dengue virus immunology and surveillance.

A prophylactic hepatitis C virus (HCV) vaccine is needed for global control of HCV infection. A soluble E2 vaccine was evaluated in this study in rhesus macaques and showed the capacity of inducing both cross-neutralizing antibodies and intrahepatic memory T-cell responses.

SdrF, a Staphylococcus epidermidis surface protein, was found to facilitate binding to keratins 1 and 10, human nasal epithelial cells, and neonatal human epithelial keratinocytes. SdrF may facilitate S. epidermidis adherence to skin surfaces.

Postpartum receipt of tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccine significantly increases maternal antibody concentrations in consecutive infants, and blunting of the later-born siblings’ immune responses occurs, similar to the effect of Tdap vaccination during pregnancy.

A detailed characterization of the human immune response to Lassa virus infection reveals an association between virus clearance and interferon α, robust B- and T-cell activation during acute infection, and the generation of polyfunctional Lassa-specific T-cell responses.

Children who were overweight or obese, particularly with asthma, had higher odds of intensive care admission or mechanical ventilation. There was no association between elevated BMI and severe outcomes in adults, however, underweight adults had longer hospital stay..

In populations pauci-immune to malaria, risk of severe malaria increases with age. In knowlesi malaria, systemic inflammation, endothelial activation, and microvascular dysfunction increase with age, independent of parasitemia, and may account for the greater severity of disease seen in older adults.

Cytoadhesion and var gene transcription profile of infected erythrocytes have been performed in pediatric malaria patients in Benin. The results support the notion that complementary receptor interactions of EPCR binding PfEMP1with ICAM-1 amplifies development of severe malaria symptoms.