Publications by authors named "Lak Kumar Fernando"

Article Synopsis
  • The systematic literature review aimed to investigate the changes in dengue epidemiology in Sri Lanka from 2000 to 2020.
  • The review found that dengue is endemic in Sri Lanka, with significant outbreaks occurring in 2017 and 2019, particularly affecting individuals aged 25-49, and DENV-2 being the most prevalent serotype since 2017.
  • The results emphasize the increasing burden of dengue, suggesting a need for improved surveillance, prevention methods, and potential vaccination efforts.
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Background: Outbreaks of dengue can overburden hospital systems, drastically reducing capacity for other care. The 2017 dengue serotype 2 (DENV-2) outbreak in Sri Lanka coincided with vaccination in an ongoing phase 3 efficacy trial of a tetravalent dengue vaccine, TAK-003 (NCT02747927). Here, we present data on the efficacy of TAK-003 following two doses of the vaccine administered 3 months apart in participants aged 4-16 years in Sri Lanka.

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Background: Dengue is an increasing threat to global health. This exploratory analysis evaluated the immunogenicity, safety, and vaccine efficacy (VE) of a live-attenuated tetravalent dengue vaccine (TAK-003) in participants enrolled in the phase 3 DEN-301 trial (NCT02747927), stratified by baseline age (4-5 years; 6-11 years; or 12-16 years).

Methods: Participants were randomized 2:1 to receive 2 doses of TAK-003, administered 3 months apart, or placebo.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study investigated how previous vaccinations for Yellow Fever (YF) and Japanese Encephalitis (JE) affect the effectiveness of the dengue vaccine candidate, TAK-003, in children aged 4-16 years.
  • Out of 20,071 participants, different levels of vaccine efficacy were observed: 55.7% in those previously vaccinated for YF, 77.8% for JE, and 53.5% for those with no prior vaccinations, but these results were influenced by the regional distribution of dengue virus serotypes.
  • Overall, the findings indicate that prior YF or JE vaccinations do not significantly impact the efficacy of TAK-003, which was well-tolerated across various epidemiological settings.
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Article Synopsis
  • About half of the global population lives in areas where dengue fever is common, leading researchers to test the tetravalent dengue vaccine TAK-003 for its long-term effectiveness in children and adolescents aged 4-16.
  • The study is a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial conducted across eight dengue-endemic countries, enrolling over 20,000 participants, and focusing on the vaccine's ability to prevent symptomatic dengue disease.
  • Results will be evaluated over approximately 4.5 years, monitoring both efficacy and the incidence of serious adverse events, with ongoing oversight to ensure participant safety.
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In the pivotal phase 3 efficacy trial (NCT02747927) of the TAK-003 dengue vaccine, 5 of 13,380 TAK-003 recipients and 13 of 6,687 placebo recipients experienced two episodes of symptomatic dengue between the first dose and the end of the study, ∼57 months later (patients received the second dose 3 months after the first dose). Two of these participants experienced repeat infection with the same serotype (i.e.

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Background: Takeda's live attenuated tetravalent dengue vaccine candidate (TAK-003) is under evaluation in a long-term clinical trial across 8 dengue-endemic countries. Previously, we have reported its efficacy and safety in both seronegative and seropositive participants and that its performance varies by serotype, with some decline in efficacy from first to second year postvaccination. This exploratory analysis provides an update with cumulative and third-year data.

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Genetic variations in dengue virus (DENV) play a distinct role in epidemic emergence. The DENV 3' UTR has become a recent interest in research. The objective of the study was to examine the genetic variation in the domain II, 3' UTR region of human and mosquito-derived DENV.

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Background: Takeda's dengue vaccine is under evaluation in an ongoing phase 3 efficacy study; we present a 2-year update.

Methods: Children (20 099, 4-16 years old) were randomized to receive 2 doses of TAK-003 or placebo 3 months apart and are under surveillance to detect dengue by serotype-specific RT-PCR.

Results: Cumulative efficacy against dengue approximately 27 months since first dose was 72.

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Background: Dengue, a mosquito-borne viral disease, was designated a World Health Organization top 10 threat to global health in 2019.

Methods: We present primary efficacy data from part 1 of an ongoing phase 3 randomized trial of a tetravalent dengue vaccine candidate (TAK-003) in regions of Asia and Latin America in which the disease is endemic. Healthy children and adolescents 4 to 16 years of age were randomly assigned in a 2:1 ratio (stratified according to age category and region) to receive two doses of vaccine or placebo 3 months apart.

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Objective: Dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF) is a major public health concern responsible for significant morbidity in both adult and paediatric populations in Sri Lanka. This study examined if persistent non structural protein 1 (NS1) antigen positivity beyond day 3 was predictive of the occurrence of dengue haemorrhagic fever. The patients were followed up during their in-hospital stay and the severity of the illness was classified according to the WHO classification.

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The objectives of the study were to compare the DENV NS1 and nucleic acid positivity in dengue fever (DF) and dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF) patients and to evaluate the usefulness of these parameters in severe dengue. Blood samples were collected from 91 patients with DF or DHF (fever days 3-9) from Gampaha and Negombo General Hospitals, Sri Lanka and tested for DENV NS1 antigen and nucleic acid. On fever day 3, 67% of the DF and 33% of the DHF patients had DENV nucleic acid whereas 50% of the DF and 67% of the DHF patients had NS1.

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Dengue is one of the major hurdles to the public health in Sri Lanka, causing high morbidity and mortality. The present study focuses on the use of geographical information systems (GIS) to map and evaluate the spatial and temporal distribution of dengue in Sri Lanka from 2009 to 2014 and to elucidate the association of climatic factors with dengue incidence. Epidemiological, population and meteorological data were collected from the Epidemiology Unit, Department of Census and Statistics and the Department of Meteorology of Sri Lanka.

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