Publications by authors named "Brooke M Mitchell"
Article Synopsis
- Western equine encephalitis virus (WEEV) used to cause significant outbreaks in humans and horses but has become less virulent over time, raising questions about the reasons for this change and the potential for re-emergence of deadly strains.
- Researchers identified protocadherin 10 (PCDH10) as a key receptor for WEEV, which ancient strains could bind to, while contemporary strains show reduced binding abilities indicating a shift in the virus’s host adaptation.
- The study suggests that PCDH10 not only facilitates infection in neurons but also that a soluble form can protect against WEEV, offering insights for future medical treatments and risk assessments of the virus.
Article Synopsis
- The Omicron subvariant BA.5 became the dominant strain globally, surpassing earlier subvariants due to its ability to evade immune responses and bind more effectively to receptors.
- A study using male Syrian hamsters assessed how well different COVID-19 vaccine regimens, including Janssen and Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines, protect against BA.5 after primary vaccination and boosters.
- Results showed that a single high or low dose of the Janssen vaccine offers longer-lasting immunity compared to two doses of Pfizer, and boosters like Novavax enhance immunity and reduce viral replication more effectively.
The Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 has caused many breakthrough infections in fully vaccinated individuals. While vaccine status did not generally impact the number of viral RNA genome copies in nasopharyngeal swabs of breakthrough patients, as measured by Ct values, it has been previously found to decrease the infectious viral load in symptomatic patients. We quantified the viral RNA, infectious virus, and anti-spike IgA in nasopharyngeal swabs collected from individuals asymptomatically infected with the Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFChildren are capable of initiating COVID-19 transmission into households, but many questions remain about the impact of vaccination on transmission. Data from a COVID-19 Delta variant outbreak at an overnight camp in Texas during June 23-27, 2021, were analyzed. The camp had 451 attendees, including 364 youths aged < 18 years and 87 adults.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTracking new and emerging severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants has become increasingly important for public health responses, primarily because of variant-dependent transmission, disease severity, and treatment decisions. This evaluation compared Seegene Technologies Novaplex SARS-CoV-2 Variants I, II, and IV (I,II&IV) assays to detect known SARS-CoV-2 variants using traditional spike gene Sanger sequencing results as the gold standard reference. Both RNA extraction and extraction-free protocols were assessed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMore than a year after its emergence, COVID-19, the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2, continues to plague the world and dominate our daily lives. Even with the development of effective vaccines, this coronavirus pandemic continues to cause a fervor with the identification of major new variants hailing from the United Kingdom, South Africa, Brazil, and California. Coupled with worries over a distinct mink strain that has caused human infections and potential for further mutations, SARS-CoV-2 variants bring concerns for increased spread and escape from both vaccine and natural infection immunity.
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