IL-15 adjuvanted multivalent vaccinia-based universal influenza vaccine requires CD4+ T cells for heterosubtypic protection.

Current influenza vaccines are ineffective against novel viruses and the source or the strain of the next outbreak of influenza is unpredictable; therefore, establishing universal immunity by vaccination to limit the impact of influenza remains a high priority. To meet this challenge, a novel vaccine has been developed using the immunogenic live vaccinia virus as a vaccine vector, expressing multiple H5N1 viral proteins (HA, NA, M1, M2, and NP) together with IL-15 as a molecular adjuvant. Previously, this vaccine demonstrated robust sterile cross-clade protection in mice against H5 influenza viruses, and herein its use has been extended to mediate heterosubtypic immunity toward viruses from both group 1 and 2 HA lineages.

The evolving threat of influenza viruses of animal origin and the challenges in developing appropriate diagnostics.

Background: An H1N1 subtype of swine origin caused the first influenza pandemic in this century. This pandemic strain was a reassortant of avian, swine, and human influenza viruses. Many diagnostic laboratories were overwhelmed by the testing demands related to this pandemic.

Rapid genotyping of swine influenza viruses.

The emergence of pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus highlighted the need for enhanced surveillance of swine influenza viruses. We used real-time reverse-transcription PCR-based genotyping and found that this rapid and simple genotyping method may identify reassortants derived from viruses of Eurasian avian-like, triple reassortant-like, and pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus lineages.

Rapid detection of reassortment of pandemic H1N1/2009 influenza virus.

Background: Influenza viruses can generate novel reassortants in coinfected cells. The global circulation and occasional introductions of pandemic H1N1/2009 virus in humans and in pigs, respectively, may allow this virus to reassort with other influenza viruses. These possible reassortment events might alter virulence and/or transmissibility of the new reassortants.

Evaluation of novel H1N1-specific primer-probe sets using commercial RT-PCR mixtures and a premixed reaction stored in a lyophilized format.

The recent emergence of a novel H1N1 influenza A virus in humans caused the first influenza pandemic of this century. Many clinical diagnostic laboratories are overwhelmed by the testing demands related to the infection. Three novel H1N1-specific primer-probe sets reported during the early phase of the pandemic were tested in three commercial real-time RT-PCR mixtures.