Are women who work in bars, guesthouses and similar facilities a suitable study population for vaginal microbicide trials in Africa?

Background: A feasibility study was conducted to investigate whether an occupational at-risk cohort of women in Mwanza, Tanzania are a suitable study population for future phase III vaginal microbicide trials.

Methodology/principal Findings: 1573 women aged 16-54 y working in traditional and modern bars, restaurants, hotels, guesthouses or as local food-handlers were enrolled at community-based reproductive health clinics, provided specimens for HIV/STI and pregnancy testing, and asked to attend three-monthly clinical follow-up visits for 12-months. HIV positive and negative women were eligible to enter the feasibility study and to receive free reproductive health services at any time.

Hospital-based surveillance to estimate the burden of rotavirus gastroenteritis among European children younger than 5 years of age.

Objectives: Rotavirus is the leading cause of acute gastroenteritis requiring hospitalization in young children. Data on the burden of rotavirus gastroenteritis are needed to guide recommendations for rotavirus vaccine use. This study was undertaken to estimate the burden of rotavirus gastroenteritis in European children <5 years of age.

Safety and immunogenicity of a tetravalent live-attenuated dengue vaccine in flavivirus naive children.

A live-attenuated tetravalent dengue virus (DENV) vaccine candidate has been well tolerated and immunogenic in healthy, US flavivirus naive adult volunteers. We conducted a pilot, safety, and immunogenicity trial of the vaccine candidate in healthy Thai children (6-7 years of age) to prepare for its eventual evaluation in Thai infants. In an uncontrolled, open clinical trial, the investigational vaccine was administered on study Days 0 and 180 to seven volunteers residing in Bangkok without neutralizing antibodies to DENV1-4 or to Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV).