AI Article Synopsis

  • Research on immune responses to neuraminidase (NA) is vital for improving influenza vaccines, particularly regarding its effect on infection susceptibility and infectivity.
  • A study in Managua, Nicaragua found that higher levels of antibodies against NA and hemagglutinin (HA) are linked to lower chances of influenza A/H3N2 infection, with distinct benefits from anti-NA antibodies in reducing infectivity.
  • These findings indicate that influenza vaccines targeting both NA and HA could enhance protection against infection and decrease the likelihood of spreading the virus among vaccinated individuals.

Article Abstract

Immune responses against neuraminidase (NA) are of great interest for developing more robust influenza vaccines, but the role of anti-NA antibodies on influenza infectivity has not been established. We conducted household transmission studies in Managua, Nicaragua to examine the impact of anti-NA antibodies on influenza A/H3N2 susceptibility and infectivity. Analyzing these data with mathematical models capturing household transmission dynamics and their drivers, we estimated that having higher preexisting antibody levels against the hemagglutinin (HA) head, HA stalk, and NA was associated with reduced susceptibility to infection (relative susceptibility 0.67, 95% Credible Interval [CrI] 0.50-0.92 for HA head; 0.59, 95% CrI 0.42-0.82 for HA stalk; and 0.56, 95% CrI 0.40-0.77 for NA). Only anti-NA antibodies were associated with reduced infectivity (relative infectivity 0.36, 95% CrI 0.23-0.55). These benefits from anti-NA immunity were observed even among individuals with preexisting anti-HA immunity. These results suggest that influenza vaccines designed to elicit NA immunity in addition to hemagglutinin immunity may not only contribute to protection against infection but reduce infectivity of vaccinated individuals upon infection.

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Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11213101PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.1101/2024.06.14.24308936DOI Listing

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