Volume 227, Issue 6, 15 March 2023

Within the endemic region, MPXV clades show distinctive geographic structuring of genetic diversity. Separation of major lineages occurred in a period ranging from the Medieval Warm Period to the Little Ice Age, which was characterized by changes in rainforest coverage.

Among 3,400 rural adult participants from East Cameroon, HTLV-1 prevalence was 1.1%. Independent factors associated with the infection were Pygmy ethnicity, history of surgery and non-human primate bite, suggesting both nosocomial and zoonotic transmission of HTLV-1 in this region.

Vaccine formulations against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) containing the stabilized prefusion conformation of RSV fusion protein (RSVPreF3) were well tolerated and immunogenic. Based on safety/immunogenicity profiles, the AS01_E-adjuvanted vaccine containing 120 μg of RSVPreF3 was selected for further clinical development.

Vaccination with the primary series was strongly associated with reduction in COVID-19 mortality at state level in the Alpha, Delta, and Omicron wave. This effect did not vary by the state-level seroprevalence or estimated proportion of the population ever infected.

Avidity maturation augments host immunity following a natural infection and/or vaccination. For protection against SARS-CoV-2, avidity maturation was progressive beyond acute recovery from infection or became apparent after the booster vaccine dose, and granted broader neutralizing capacity against variant strains.

Highly functional SARS-CoV-2–vCTLs can be rapidly generated from convalescent COVID-19 donors using the CliniMACS Cytokine Capture System. SARS-CoV-2–vCTLs displayed a highly diverse TCR repertoire, enhanced memory CD8 and CD4 T cells, and increased gene expression in T-cell function and other pathways.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection during Delta predominance provided no significant protection against BA.4/BA.5 infection and minimal protection against hospitalization with BA.4/BA.5. Conversely, prior infection during BA.1/BA.2 and up-to-date vaccination provided modest protection against BA.4/BA.5 infection and hospitalization.

Postmenopausal women may be subjected to an increased risk of CDI hospitalization. A deficiency of endogenous estrogen and dietary soy isoflavones increased the mortality of mice with CDI. The most prominent component of soy isoflavone, genistein, protects against CDI.

In this retrospective cohort study, a rough colony morphology of Mycobacterium abscessus complex was associated with poor treatment outcome, cavitary disease, and cough as a presenting symptom in the study participants, as compared to those with smooth isolates.