Ampicillin resistance in from COPD patients in the UK.

Background: is commonly isolated from the airways of COPD patients. Antibiotic treatment may cause the emergence of resistant strains, particularly ampicillin-resistant strains, including β-lactamase-negative ampicillin resistance (BLNAR) strains. Genetic identification using sequencing is the optimum method for identifying mutations within BLNAR strains.

Respiratory viruses and influenza-like illness: Epidemiology and outcomes in children aged 6 months to 10 years in a multi-country population sample.

Background: Better population data on respiratory viruses in children in tropical and southern hemisphere countries is needed.

Methods: The epidemiology of respiratory viruses among healthy children (6 months to <10 years) with influenza-like illness (ILI) was determined in a population sample derived from an influenza vaccine trial (NCT01051661) in 17 centers in eight countries (Australia, South East Asia and Latin America). Active surveillance for ILI was conducted for approximately 1 year (between February 2010 and August 2011), with PCR analysis of nasal and throat swabs.

Prevalence and Incidence of Respiratory Syncytial Virus and Other Respiratory Viral Infections in Children Aged 6 Months to 10 Years With Influenza-like Illness Enrolled in a Randomized Trial.

Background: The high burden of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)-associated morbidity and mortality makes vaccine development a priority.

Methods: As part of an efficacy trial of pandemic influenza vaccines (NCT01051661), RSV epidemiology in healthy children aged 6 months to <10 years at first vaccination with influenza-like illness (ILI) was evaluated in Australia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand between February 2010 and August 2011. Active surveillance for ILI was conducted for approximately 1 year, with nasal and throat swabs analyzed by polymerase chain reaction.

Relative efficacy of AS03-adjuvanted pandemic influenza A(H1N1) vaccine in children: results of a controlled, randomized efficacy trial.

Background: The vaccine efficacy (VE) of 1 or 2 doses of AS03-adjuvanted influenza A(H1N1) vaccine relative to that of 2 doses of nonadjuvanted influenza A(H1N1) vaccine in children 6 months to <10 years of age in a multinational study conducted during 2010-2011.

Methods: A total of 6145 children were randomly assigned at a ratio of 1:1:1 to receive 2 injections 21 days apart of A/California/7/2009(H1N1)-AS03 vaccine at dose 1 and saline placebo at dose 2, 2 doses 21 days apart of A/California/7/2009(H1N1)-AS03 vaccine (the Ad2 group), or 2 doses 21 days apart of nonadjuvanted A/California/7/2009(H1N1) vaccine (the NAd2 group). Active surveillance for influenza-like illnesses continued from days 14 to 385.

Respiratory syncytial virus and other respiratory viral infections in older adults with moderate to severe influenza-like illness.

Background: Few studies have prospectively assessed viral etiologies of acute respiratory infections in community-based elderly individuals. We assessed viral respiratory pathogens in individuals ≥65 years with influenza-like illness (ILI).

Methods: Multiplex reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction identified viral pathogens in nasal/throat swabs from 556 episodes of moderate-to-severe ILI, defined as ILI with pneumonia, hospitalization, or maximum daily influenza symptom severity score (ISS) >2.

Genetic and antigenic typing of seasonal influenza virus breakthrough cases from a 2008-2009 vaccine efficacy trial.

Estimations of the effectiveness of vaccines against seasonal influenza virus are guided by comparisons of the antigenicities between influenza virus isolates from clinical breakthrough cases with strains included in a vaccine. This study examined whether the prediction of antigenicity using a sequence analysis of the hemagglutinin (HA) gene-encoded HA1 domain is a simpler alternative to using the conventional hemagglutination inhibition (HI) assay, which requires influenza virus culturing. Specimens were taken from breakthrough cases that occurred in a trivalent influenza virus vaccine efficacy trial involving >43,000 participants during the 2008-2009 season.

Vaccine for prevention of mild and moderate-to-severe influenza in children.

Background: Commonly used trivalent vaccines contain one influenza B virus lineage and may be ineffective against viruses of the other B lineage. We evaluated the efficacy of a candidate inactivated quadrivalent influenza vaccine (QIV) containing both B lineages.

Methods: In this multinational, phase 3, observer-blinded study, we randomly assigned children 3 to 8 years of age, in a 1:1 ratio, to receive the QIV or a hepatitis A vaccine (control).

Use of real-time polymerase chain reaction (rtPCR) as a diagnostic tool for influenza infection in a vaccine efficacy trial.

Background: Conventional techniques for diagnosing influenza based on viral cell culture or disease serology have limitations, and molecular assays, such as real-time polymerase chain reaction (rtPCR) are increasingly used.

Objectives: To evaluate the use of rtPCR as a diagnostic tool for the determination of influenza virus infection.

Study Design: This prospective, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomised efficacy study was conducted in persons aged 18-64 years.