The Journal of infectious diseases
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Safety and immunogenicity of an AS01-adjuvanted varicella-zoster virus subunit candidate vaccine against herpes zoster in adults >=50 years of age.
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There are limited data on respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection among children in settings with a high prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). We studied the epidemiology of RSV-associated acute lower respiratory tract infection (ALRTI) hospitalizations among HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected children in South Africa. ⋯ HIV-infected children have a higher risk of hospitalization with RSV-associated ALRTI and a poorer outcome than HIV-uninfected children. These children should be targeted for interventions aimed at preventing severe RSV disease.
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Information on the epidemiology of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection in Africa is limited for crowded urban areas and for rural areas where the prevalence of malaria is high. ⋯ An effective RSV vaccine would likely substantially reduce the burden of respiratory illness among children in rural and urban areas in Africa.
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H7N9 avian influenza is an emerging viral disease in China caused by avian influenza A (H7N9) virus. We investigated host cytokine and chemokine profiles in serum samples of H7N9 patients by multiplex-microbead immunoassays. ⋯ Furthermore, IL-6 and the chemokine IP-10 were significantly higher in severe H7N9 patients compared to nonsevere H7N9 cases. We suggest that proinflammatory cytokine responses, characterized by a combined Th1/Th17 cytokine induction, are partially responsible for the disease progression of patients with H7N9 infection.
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Multicenter Study
Distribution of 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine Streptococcus pneumoniae serotypes in US adults aged ≥50 years with community-acquired pneumonia.
Streptococcus pneumoniae causes a substantial proportion of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and healthcare-associated pneumonia (HCAP) in the United States. Limited data are available regarding the pneumococcal serotypes causing CAP and HCAP. ⋯ Pneumococcal serotypes causing noninvasive pneumonia in adults may differ significantly from those causing invasive disease, with PCV7-associated serotypes overrepresented. Serotype 5, rarely seen in contemporary surveillance of invasive disease in the United States, substantially contributed to the observed cases of S. pneumoniae-positive CAP or HCAP.