The Journal of infectious diseases
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Historical Article
Cross-protection between successive waves of the 1918-1919 influenza pandemic: epidemiological evidence from US Army camps and from Britain.
The current worst-case scenario for pandemic influenza planning is based on the catastrophic 1918-1919 pandemic. In this article, we examine the strength of cross-protection between successive waves of the 1918-1919 pandemic, which has remained a long-standing issue of debate. ⋯ Exposure to influenza in the spring and summer of 1918 provided mortality and morbidity protection during the fall pandemic wave. The intensity of the first wave may have differed across US cities and countries and may partly explain geographical variation in pandemic mortality rates in the fall. Pandemic preparedness plans should consider that immune protection could be naturally acquired during a first wave of mild influenza illnesses.
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CD14 is a pattern-recognition receptor that can facilitate the presentation of bacterial components to either Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) or TLR4. We have recently shown that during melioidosis, a severe infection caused by the gram-negative bacterium Burkholderia pseudomallei, TLR2 but not TLR4 impacts the immune response of the intact host in vivo. ⋯ CD14 is crucially involved in the recognition of B. pseudomallei by innate immune cells but plays a remarkable detrimental role in the host response against B. pseudomallei. Inhibition of CD14 may be a novel treatment strategy in melioidosis.