Hepatitis C Outbreak in Prisons- who's responsibility is medical care?

The prevalence of Hepatitis C infection in US prisoners is 17%. That is 17x higher than the general population prevalence, which is just around 1%. Though there is an effective and curative treatment available for Hepatitis C, access to these drugs has yet to reach incarcerated people. Of the estimated 144000 incarcerated people who are currently infected with HIV, only about 3% are receiving treatment. Advocates say this is in direct violation to constitutional law, and the Supreme Court's ruling that incarcerated people have a right to medical care. Prisons say they simply don't have the money. A single course of Hepatitis C treatment can cost up to $90,000 dollars, so its true that cost really is prohibitively high. This is yet another case in which the science has advanced far enough for cures to be available, but social policies and structures make it impossible for everyone to access these life-saving treatments. If drug development is expensive, but everyone, even the poor, marginalized, and incarcerated have a right to medical care, who is going to bear the cost of developing and providing that care? This is a huge issue, but one that is clearly viewable in the continued Hepatitis C outbreak among incarcerated Americans. 

~Lisa Manzanete

References:

- https://www.hepmag.com/article/advocates-say-ending-hepatitis-c-epidemic-must-start-prisons

- https://www.governing.com/topics/public-justice-safety/khn-state-prison-inmates-hepatitis.html

Zoonoses becoming Human Infections? Hanta outbreak in Argentina

There's an outbreak of Andes virus happening in the southern region of Patagonia in Argentina right now. Cases first began occurring in late 2018 and are still going strong. Andes virus is a species of hantavirus that is spread by rodents. This virus does not exist in the United States, but is similar, in many ways to the hantaviruses Sin Nombre and Seoul, which are now endemic to the southwestern United States. 
Hantavirus symptoms typically start off like the flu: headache, fever, chills, nausea, diarrhea and muscle aches. However, in a portion of those infected, it can progress to the very serious Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS), which causes the lungs to fill with fluid and is often fatal, even with treatment. This is true of all the Hantaviruses. Andes virus, however, has one particularly concerning characteristic. It can also spread human to human. All human hantaviruses are rodent born zoonoses, acquired from contact with rodents or their feces. However, an individual who contracts Andes virus in this way can infect other humans directly, through close physical contact. Many existing human pathogens began as zoonoses that became more and more effective at human transmission. The potential for this to occur with Andes virus is deeply concerning. 
For now, the CDC recommends travelers to the region avoid contacts with sick individuals, rodents or anything that could be contaminated with rodent feces, and that travelers report any flu like symptoms to their doctor immediately. 

~Lisa Manzanete

References
- https://www.cdc.gov/hantavirus/resources/andes-virus.html
- https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/watch/andes-virus-hantavirus-argentina

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Getting infected with the flu...for science? (Promising new flu vaccine)

A novel influenza vaccine being developed by FluGen, a subgroup of the Swiss biotech firm SGS, is showing remarkable promise in a Phase 2 clinical trial in humans. The vaccine aims to protect against Influenza A H3N2. This strain is important because its more severe than other strains and especially because it has an especially high mutation rate. This makes it one of the hardest influenza strains to consistently develop effective vaccines against. Last year’s H3N2 vaccine was only about 6% effective. Its important to note that last year’s flu vaccine overall was NOT only 6% effective. Since the vaccine is multi-valent, the vaccine can be effective overall even if it fails with one of the strains it was meant to protect against. The vaccine in question is interesting because though it is live attenuated, it is attenuated in a novel way: it has been molecularly engineered such that the virus can only complete one replication cycle after it has been administered (as a nasal spray). The craziest thing about this news to me though, is not the ingenuity of the researchers in their approach, but the design of the trial with which they’ve tested it. In a placebo controlled study with 99 participants. Half the participants received the vaccine, and the other half received a placebo. Then, all the participants were (willingly!) infected with H3N2 influenza virus. Essentially, they consented to a 50% chance of being given the flu with no prophylaxis. So far, it appears participants who received the vaccine did in fact have lower viral loads once infected. There’s still a lot to be done before this vaccine is even ready to be considered for market, but its an exciting step in the development of ever more efficacious flu vaccinations. 

~Lisa Manzanete

Reference:

• https://www.healio.com/infectious-disease/influenza/news/online/%7B9bbd2f2d-6557-4c86-a7bd-ed13bc284285%7D/novel-flu-vaccine-shows-efficacy-against-mismatched-h3n2-virus

• https://www.sgs.com/en/news/2019/03/successful-phase-2-clinical-trial-results-for-novel-influenza-vaccine 

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Pox Parties: Foolish Festivities

An NYTimes article came out today with the title “Remember Chickenpox Parties?” I certainly had no idea what those were, so naturally, I had to investigate. It turns out that prior to the invention of the Varicella Zoster Virus vaccine in 1995, chickenpox parties were fairly common practice. Because of the widespread and not incorrect belief that contracting chickenpox during childhood was safer than contracting it during adulthood, parents would intentionally expose their kids to the illness. If one kid in the neighborhood got sick, other friends and family would bring their kids over so the virus would be spread to all the “pox party” attendees. Though it sounds crazy, prior to the existence of the vaccine this was a bold strategy, sure, but not a completely terrible one. Catching chickenpox once means you'll never catch it again, and it really is worse in adulthood. After the invention of the vaccine, however, which carries a much lower risk of complications, the popularity of these parties died down in the wake of a better option. 

Chickenpox parties are back in the news now because, unfortunately, they're coming back into vogue, as part of the anti-vaxxer movement. There are some high profile people participating: the governor of Kentucky said in an interview on Tuesday that all 9 (nine!) of his children attended chickenpox parties rather than receive the vaccine. Chickenpox parties may not be immediately lethal, but in a world with an effective and safe vaccine, chickenpox parties are bad for everyone. Kids who get chickenpox and recover will be fine, and immune, true, but they will be shedding virus and can infect vulnerable individuals. Kids who receive the vaccine will be immune without ever getting sick, and they will shed the virus at a much lower rate and so are less likely to spread the illness. Plus, some may develop complications that can lead to hospitalizations or even death. Most bizarre of all, the governor’s wife and the mother of those kids is a registered nurse. Why!

Vaccinate kids y’all. Its the safest choice for the child, the family, and the community.

~Lisa Manzanete

References: 

• https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/21/us/kentucky-governor-chickenpox.html

• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29070705

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US Resumes Controversial Research on Modifying Bird Blu

After 4 years of stasis, the US has approved experiments proposed by two labs related to modifying bird flu viruses to make them more infectious. The two labs given the green light were Yoshihiro Kawaoka's in UW Madison and the University of Tokyo, and Ron Fouchier's at Erasmus University Medical. In 2011, the two researchers separately announced that they had modified H5N1 avian flu to allow it to spread among ferrets. The research immediately raised concerns that the deadly flu, which previously could not spread to humans, could now bridge the mammalian gap. In 2014, similar gain of function research on SARS, MERS and influenza were placed on hold. Now, the HHS has reapproved the grants of both labs.

Part of the controversy arises in the method of approval - the HHS refused to publicize the news, and many scientists only learned of the approval through an insider at the department leaking information. Critics call for the HHS to explain why it reapproved the research after years of keeping it on ice. Other researchers expressed irritation that the decision was made privately after heavy consultation of the field. The HHS has requested more stringent reporting requirements - if Kawaoka is to discover a strand with high infectivity and is transmissible respiratorily, he must report it to officials at the NIAID and his university.

For more information, see : https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2019/02/exclusive-controversial-experiments-make-bird-flu-more-risky-poised-resume

-Ed

Mosquitoborne Illness and Flood Linkage

Natural disasters often carry associated disease related risks. After several floods, the New South Wales Arbovirus Surveillance and Mosquito Monitoring Program was established to take note of the association between flooding and the prevalence of mosquitoborne disease. For example, a similar task force in New Orleans post- Hurricane Katrina noted a massive increase in cases of West Nile. In Australia, the incidence of Murray Valley Encephalitis Virus increased dramatically post flooding in 1970, and there is an anticipated increase in MVEV during this flooding as well. An increase in disease presence isn't always the case, however, because flooding also kills some of the reservoirs (see previous blog post) for the disease, so it is often case dependent. With the increase in extreme weather associated with global warming this will become a much more relevant issue. 

https://theconversation.com/after-the-floods-come-the-mosquitoes-but-the-disease-risk-is-more-difficult-to-predict-111173

Anja Zehfuss

 

Murray Valley Encephalitis

Murray Valley Encephalitis is an arboviral disease that is endemic to Western Australia. MVE is a flavivirus that is closely related to a more common encephalitic virus in Asia, Japanese Encephalitis Virus. Waterfowl and chickens provide a common reservoir for MVE in Australia, and then the disease is carried from these birds to humans via mosquitoes. Most cases are asymptomatic, but the disease is severe when it causes symptoms- about 25% of cases result in death. Right now the rarity of the disease means that it hasn't been a huge cause of death in Australia, but other encephalitic diseases have been terrors to their regions. If MVE was carried by birds throughout the entirety of Australia, instead of just occasional waterfowl in Western Australia, then this disease could become a major killer. Thankfully the Australian health authorities are tracking the spread of the virus to make sure it continues to be contained.

http://theconversation.com/explainer-what-is-murray-valley-encephalitis-virus-112212

Anja

Herpes Coming Out of Dormancy?? Less Gnarly than Anticipated

Several days ago there was a study published in Frontiers in Microbiology  about herpes virus reactivation in astronauts in space. About 50% of astronauts that were exposed to spaceflight, as well as over 60% of astronauts aboard the International Space Station had reactivation of herpes viruses ranging from Varicella Zoster to Epstein Barr Virus to the less malignant Herpes Simplex 1. While this is a very shocking headline that could freak out the casual observer (viruses re-emerging like the Kraken from the depths of the human immune system??), this is actually less bad than anticipated. Viruses like EBV or HSV are characterized by their ability to resurface during times of stress. Shockingly enough, intense and risk-prone spaceflight is an example of a high stress period. While the shedding of the virus caused by exposure to space and associated cortisol levels isn't great for the astronaut's overall health, it probably isn't terrible either as the astronauts have most likely been previously exposed to these common diseases. All in all, I would recommend strengthening the immune system as much as possible pre-flight and (of course!) a strict regimen of handwashing.

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2019.00016/full

Anja Zehfuss

We Really Gotta Stop Keeping Smallpox in Random Boxes in the CDC: Reasons Why

We've discussed a lot in class why we should just eliminate our last stashes of eradicated viruses. For example, we have smallpox samples in Russia and in Atlanta. They also found a couple of vials of still-live smallpox in a random locked fridge in the National Institute of Health. Thankfully no one became infected, but it was a distinct possibility. For diseases as dangerous as smallpox, completely wiping them off of the face of the Earth is the safest option. I understand the nuclear equivalent argument (if Russia has them, we should too), but storing the virus in the US in any capacity isn't helping us at all it is just increasing the possibility for human error the longer it is present here. And it isn't just smallpox. According to the FDA, hundreds of unintended exposures to biological (and disease-causing) factors occur a year. Not all of these involve smallpox or other infectious agents that can eliminate millions off of the face of the Earth, but you only need one mistake with a dangerous virus to release it into the US. Thankfully, the Center of Disease control and the NIH (among others) do a good job of preventing the spread of these diseases after the mistake has been made (see the smallpox exposure in Britain in the 1980s when 1 woman died and 300 were preventatively hospitalized) but it is a matter of time before we make a mistake we can't contain.

And on that happy note, here is my article!
https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2019/3/20/18260669/deadly-pathogens-escape-lab-smallpox-bird-flu
Anja Zehfuss

Multipartite Plant Viruses

There is finally firm proof that viruses can split into multiple parts that never actually meet and just reproduce independently. To the casual observer, this makes no sense. It just so happens that it also makes no sense to high level virologists, who studied the phenomenon for 6 years after confirming its' existence just to confirm that they were seeing what they thought they were. Fava Bean Necrotic Stunt Virus, or FBNSV, is a virus thats' genome is split in 8 parts. Each of these eight parts is contained in a different capsule. Originally it was theorized that each of these eight capsules were all simultaneously infecting the same cell and reproducing from there, but this was pretty much mathematically impossible. After they found that, the virologists realized that there had to be a way for the capsules to reproduce independently and combine (even though some bits encoded the capsule, for example, while others encoded the DNA polymerase). 6 years of work later they found that for plant proteins in particular there is a network that connects cells and allows proteins to combine. This system allows multipartite plant viruses to recombine and function, but prevents the same technique from working in humans. 

https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2019/03/the-revolutionary-discovery-of-a-distributed-virus/584884/

Anja Zehfuss

3/20

U.S. Funds $10 million towards Marburg vaccine

Marburg, a hemorrhagic fever virus, has long been considered a potential bioweapon, as deemed so by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Since it was discovered in the 1960s, it’s re-emerged several times in the form of outbreaks, in one particularly deadly outbreak, it achieved about an eighty percent mortality rate. A biotech firm in Massachusetts received a Biomedical Advanced Research and Development authority (BARDA) award in the form of a two-year, ten million dollar contract to work on developing a vaccine. Should they be successful, they will be eligible to receive up to $72 million dollars to advance through stage II clinical trials.However, the question still remains as to why did the U.S. government thought it so worthy to invest in developing a vaccine all of a sudden, especially since it was long ago identified as a potential bioweapon, and it’s primary  infected demographic is outside of the U.S.  Read more at:   https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/03/19/bioterror-fears-marburg-ebolas-deadlier-cousin-us-begins-10m/

-Brittany Stinson

Mononucleosis is a form of EBV which is human herpes virus. Infectious mononucleosis infects 1% to 5% of college students and six months later 10% of those turn out to have chronic fatigue syndrome. Chronic fatigue syndrome makes it super difficult to function generally by making cognition and motion really taxing on the body. Recently, researchers have developed a new scale so that they are able to detect whether people are at risk of having chronic fatigue syndrome before a six month follow up assessment. They found that those who scored high on their test were significantly more likely to later be diagnosed with chronic fatigue symptoms or at least show multiple symptoms of it after six months. This suggests that their new test could be a measure for diagnosing cases that are likely to present with chronic fatigue syndrome later which could help patients to be aware of their condition earlier.

For more information visit: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/03/190320120539.htm

-India Robinson

Medusavirus and the origin of species

I found this sick Atlantic article about virus that turns stuff to stone. This virus is called medusavirus. It is interesting partially because of its size- it has acquired advanced mechanisms from bacteria and more evolved cells. For example, the medusavirus has stolen 5 histones. Because the virus predominantly infects amoebas (and turns them to "stone" aka causes them to defensively shrivel and harden), it is theorized that these histones originated as amoeba histones. Examining the medusavirus genome proves this to be at least partially true, because there have been over 50 incidences of genetic crossover between the amoebas and the virus. The Atlantic speculates, however, that if some of the histones originated in the virus itself this virus (among other large viruses like it) could be proof of the origin of species. If these viruses have self-containing and high level histones and aspects of replication then they could have been part of the building blocks of the first species.

https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2019/03/giant-medusavirus-hosts-turn-to-stone/585289/

Anja Zehfuss
3/20

DNA viruses welcome a new member

Medusavirus, a new large DNA virus was isolated from a hot spring in Japan by Masaharu Takemura, a virologist at the Tokyo University of Science. The researchers at Tokyo University proposed that it be a part of it’s own family, medusa virus. It’s aptly named after Medusa, because when Takemura grew microbes from the hot spring mud in his lab, notice that amoebas died in the presence of this virus, having bursted open in as  a result. However other cells would harden and shrivel, much how like Medusa turns her male victims into stone.  s for electron morphology, it is icosahedral and covered in spikes (remind you of adenovirus?). When sequencing its genome, they found some molecular peculiarities, it has genes encoding for all five types of histones that are present in complex cells. There are a couple of theories as to how it acquired these histones… to find out read on here:  https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2019/03/giant-medusavirus-hosts-turn-to-stone/585289/  -Brittany Stinson

Nonhuman Primates as Zika Reservoirs in the Americas

Many viruses are known to have jumped to humans from other animal species (including influenza and HIV), but the reverse is also possible - human viruses can infect other animal species, creating a reservoir that maintains the threat of human epidemics long after every human case has been treated. Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis are studying nonhuman primates in South America to see if they have become a potential reservoir for Zika. In order to do so, they developed a noninvasive way to test nonhuman primates for Zika using fecal samples and published their work in PLOS ONE.

While Zika can be found in a variety of bodily fluids, including semen, saliva, blood, and urine, feces presents the safest and easiest way for researchers to collect the samples at scale. However, feces is loaded with contaminants and RNA viruses are often not as resistant to the environment, making it a difficult thing to test for. The method from WashU was validated against a gold-standard qRT-PCR based assay and has now been used to evaluate samples from nearly 50 animals in Ecuador, Colombia, and Brazil.

Read more at: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/03/190319182238.htm

- Arjun Kumar

HBV used to track migration of ancient humans

Researchers have been able to use HBV genome sequencing to track the movement of ancient human populations into Australia. The discovery was happenstance to research being done to characterize HBV strains in indigenous Australian populations. Chronic HBV, one of the major causes of hepatocellular carcinoma, is endemic in Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Researchers have used the human genome to trace ancient human migration, but this case is of particular interest because it is not the direct human genome that is being traced, but one of the pathogens that has hitched a ride with these groups of people and evolved with them over time. The study was published in the Journal of Molecular Biology and Evolution and reportedly used gene sequencing of HBV DNA, archaeological fossils, and human genomes to develop the study. What the researches found was that the mother strain to the modern HBV/C4 virus entered Australia thousands of years ago, and separated into two groups which are geographically distributed in a strikingly similar manner to the two main Aboriginal Australian groups today. While this is all very fun for virus hunters, the biggest benefit it seems to have brought to the Aboriginal Australian populations is a heightened awareness of HBV in their communities. Professor Josh Davis from the University of Melbourne says that throughout the duration of their study, "community members have asked to find out more about hepatitis B and how they can be tested and treated". The modern day treatments for HBV are mediocre, but with a heightened awareness, hopefully people will begin vaccinating their children to prevent the spread of HBV to younger generations.

Renata Starbird
https://phys.org/news/2019-03-hepatitis-virus-ancient-human-population.html

Tiny but mighty particle fights against the flu

The specificity of our immune system is often a blessing; it using identifies minuscule, particular features of a pathogen to differentiate it from a host of possible disease causing specimens, and then tailor its response accordingly. However, certain viruses, including influenza, are able to turn this system on its head and engineer evolutionary changes to the specific regions of the virus that the immune system targets. This often explains why a flu vaccine will leave us immune to some but not all strains of the virus.
As a result, scientists are exploring the efficacy of perhaps not being so specific, but instead focusing on general features shared by influenza viruses, such as hemagglutinin, the H protein of the HA complex. HA is the surface protein responsible for allowing viruses to inject their genetic material into vulnerable host cells. This process can be blocked by broadly neutralizing antibodies, which defend against one of two types of HA classes. While these antibodies alone could serve as a therapy against flu infection, antibodies as a whole are often difficult to administer. They must be refrigerated before use, injected because they cannot endure the digestive tract and still run the risk of being rejected by the immune system.
To counter this problem but still use the generality exemplified by broadly neutralizing antibodies, researchers at Johnson and Johnson searched for a small molecule that could essentially out bind the antibody that would typically attach to the HA. After multiple rounds of screening and making adjustment to the molecules, scientists tested a modified molecule in mice models injected with the flu and the results were promising-the mice survived despite receiving doses of the flu that should have been lethal. The same molecule was trailed in human bronchial cells. However, far more research and consideration is needed before this small molecule therapy can materialize as a treatment and/or prevention of flu infection in humans.

-Riasoya Jodah
Source: Timmer J. A small-molecule drug can block a broad range of flu viruses in mice. Ars Technica. https://arstechnica.com/science/2019/03/a-small-molecule-drug-can-block-a-broad-range-of-flu-viruses-in-mice/. Published March 11, 2019. Accessed March 18, 2019.

Herpes...In Space

New tests show that dormant herpes viruses reactivate in over half of the astronauts aboard Space Shuttle and the International Space Station missions. NASA has released a warning after finding out it was reactivating among the crew. Their real concern is not so much with the astronauts, because only a small proportion develop symptoms, however this could have implications for long missions. The stressors of microgravity, cosmic radiation and extreme G forces puts stress on the body that can impair the immune system. This can be compounded by the psychological tolls of confinement and social separation. Researchers found that the longer the mission, the more likely the viruses were to reactivate.

-Brittany Stinson

Read more here:

https://news.sky.com/story/nasa-issues-space-herpes-warning-as-virus-reactivates-in-astronauts-11669335

Researchers use Gene Insertion to Restore the Vision of Blind Mice

Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley have used an adeno-associated virus (AAV) to restore vision to the eyes of blind mice. The treatment uses a genetically engineered AAV to introduce light sensitivity to ganglion cells. Macular degeneration leads to the destruction of rods and cones, which are the retina's photoreceptor cells, but it leaves the bipolar and retinal ganglion cells untouched. The AAV introduces a gene for light-sensitivity from green-sensitive opsin into the ganglion cells. The treated mice develop vision over the course of a few months and seem to behave just as unimpaired mice, although the exact nature of the vision provided remains to be seen. Researchers initially attempted to use the red-sensitive rhodopsin, but it was too slow for image and object recognition. Both opsins connect to the ganglion's signalling system and provide the brain with signals resembling vision. The treated mice could differentiate parallel and horizontal lines, moving and stationary lines and even dim iPad images.

For more, see:https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/03/190315095808.htm

-Ed

Patient May Be Second Person to Be Cured of HIV

A man with HIV from London received a stem-cell transplant from a donor who was genetically resistant to HIV. Extensive testing now shows he has no detectable amounts of HIV. He has been off antiretroviral drugs for around 20 months. This finding advances the search for a cure to HIV. Ravindra Gupta, who lead the study, said he and the research team said that the individual is in remission and that it is too early to say he has been cured.

The man could become the second patient cured of HIV if he continues to remain free of the virus. However, the approach can't be applied to the millions of other people living with HIV due to risk and cost. Both men cured of HIV had diseases that warranted stem-cell transplants: the first person cured Timothy Brown had leukemia and needed a transplant; the "London patient" had Hodgkin lymphoma. They both received transplants from donors who had two copies of the gene mutation CCR5, which is used by HIV strains to gain entry to the immune-system cells.


Source: https://www.wsj.com/articles/london-man-may-be-cured-of-hiv-after-stem-cell-transplant-researchers-say-11551746867

-- Caroline Aung

Mosquito Saliva Proteins as Potential Zika Vaccine Targets

The 2015 epidemic of Zika virus in Brazil and the Americas launched a global search for a vaccine, and researchers at Yale University are investigating Aedes aegypti (the mosquito that carries and transmits Zika) to find new strategies for vaccines against mosquito-borne illnesses.

The team took the blood of mice that had been bitten by mosquitoes and isolated antibodies, identified mosquito proteins using a genomic screen, and examined the effects of these mosquito proteins on Zika infection in vitro and in vivo. One of those proteins, AgBR1, exacerbated Zika infection in mouse models. They then tested AgBR1 inhibition in vivo using an antiserum, which reduced Zika viral loads over time and provided partial protection against advanced disease and death.

Led by Prof. Erol Fikrig, Section Chief of Infectious Diseases at the Yale School of Medicine, the team published their work in Nature Microbiology. This work points to mosquito salivary proteins as potential targets when engineering vaccines against mosquito-borne flaviviruses like Zika.

Read more at: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/03/190311125346.htm

- Arjun Kumar

A Virus Social Mixer Today and Every Day in Your Immune System

You might assume that once viruses are in your body, it’s every virus for itself. However, recent research from a group at the Institute of Integrated Systems Biology has shown that viruses behave rather unselfishly to avoid the immune system together.

All viruses have mechanisms they use to individually avoid being blocked by the immune system, but they also have mechanisms they use to modify the adaptation of other viruses that create variants of those viruses. This process contributes to viral evolution and their ability to evade the immune system.

Turns out that viruses are quite social. Based on the research done by the Institute, the same ecological and social principles that apply to more complex organisms also apply to viruses. This is an area of virology and immunology that requires more research and could change the way we treat and vaccinate against viral diseases.

-Mailo Numazu

Source:

https://phys.org/news/2019-03-viruses-interact-socially-evade-immune.html

Getting a flu shot while hospitalized may lower the chance of a heart attack

According to a research study of nearly 30 million adult patient records in the US, patients who got a flu shot while hospitalized had a 10% lower risk of having a heart attack that year compared to people who were hospitalized but did not receive a flu shot during their stay. These findings support previous research that suggesting a link between flu vaccine administration and a reduction in cardiovascular issues.

The study was led by Dr. Mariam Khandaker, an internal medicine resident at the Icahn School of Medicine, and the results were recently presented at the 68th Annual Scientific Session of the American College of Cardiology. Dr. Khandaker said that the findings showed "the flu vaccine should be considered primary prevention for heart attack, just like controlling your blood pressure, diabetes and cholesterol" - a statement that I'm not sure I agree with, despite the encouraging nature of the data.

It raises interesting questions around statistical error, such as how well the researchers controlled for confounding factors like how well-stocked the hospital was, the patient's receptiveness to medical advice and willingness to commit to overall health/preventative care, and the provider's tendency to follow proper protocols when giving care. I'm also curious about how how much of the 10% risk reduction could be explained by residual confounding beyond those factors.

Read more at: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/03/190307081032.htm

- Arjun Kumar

Violence worsens the ongoing Ebola outbreak

The Ebola outbreak in the DRC began spreading in early August and the number afflicted has grown steadily, soon to reach 1000 confirmed cases. This has quickly become the second largest Ebola outbreak recorded and the violence ravaging the country is making things worse. In December, political protesters of the DRC government robbed and burned an Ebola-treatment facility. In recent months, protesters have burned and shot at similar facilities. The reason for this is that the protesters believe the government's efforts to stop the Ebola outbreak are intertwined with the government's political interests. Last year, the DRC president blocked people in three cities from voting saying it was to prevent further spread of Ebola. 

These factors are certainly enough to keep health workers hands full, but to top it off, the WHO has released data that suggests the virus is spreading undetected and outside of its normal routes of transmission. According to the WHO, 43% of patients who died of Ebola in the last month were found dead in their communities, not in health care facilities. The current mortality rate of this outbreak is 60%. 

The WHO is playing a difficult game to try and best support the DRC during this outbreak. They estimate that the cost of stopping the current outbreak would be near $150 million USD, and they don't have nearly enough funds to do this. One option is to declare the outbreak a public-health emergency, but as a central African country, there is some concern that such a declaration would shut down the local economy making it difficult to aid in the outbreak. Some experts think that declaring a public health emergency would do little to contribute since in the last major outbreak in 2014, what really triggered international support was news of a few cases traveling into the US. Adia Benton, an anthropologist from Northwestern University in Evanston believes this is the case and the world will remain largely ignorant of the issue "just was the world has largely ignored arson, starvation and violence in the DRC for a quarter-century."

Renata Starbird

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/violence-propels-ebola-outbreak-toward-1-000-cases/

Hurricanes and HIV

According to a joint study conducted by the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health,University of Puerto Rico, University of Miami and the Puerto Rico Department of Health,  Hurricane Maria significantly affected the outcomes of people infected with HIV differentially based on several social indicators. The study consisted of computer-aided personal interviews which assessed factors such as homelessness, substance use, experience of domestic violence access to care and social support, and blood samples to assess CD4 count and viral load of HIV-positive individuals living in the San Juan area. Data was collected at the beginning of the study and at 6 month follow-up visits which occurred before and after the hurricane hit. Among participants, viral suppression decreased from 71 percent to 65 percent across the sample due to the impacts of the hurricane and access to care was reduced by over 22 percent. Participants who were not virally suppressed before the hurricane hit the island had significantly less access to care and lower medication adherence, but also sought out health care more frequently after to the hurricane compared to before. The average viral load after the hurricane was 11% higher. Though Hurricane Maria made landfall nearly two years ago, the public health effects are just being unearthed, and this study shows that even more inquiry into the changing health needs of vulnerable populations is needed to better cater to the needs of HIV-infected individuals in order to improve their quality of life.

-Riasoya Jodah

Read the full story at: Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health. "Hurricane Maria had a significant impact on HIV care outcomes." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 7 March 2019. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/03/190307103119.htm>.

Not just a Scientific Problem: Polio eradication in Pakistan

Pakistan's health ministry released a video last month of a father pleading with viewers to vaccinate their children against polio. Pakistan is one of only two countries in the world where poliovirus is still endemic. Though the country has made enormous strides towards polio eradication, from having 20,000 cases in 1994 to only 12 cases in 2018, there has been a renewed wave of mistrust and refusal to vaccinate children in recent months. Four new cases of polio have been confirmed since January 1, and the virus has been identified in the sewer water of 8 urban centers across the country. This setback is not a result of lack of resources or crumbling infrastructure: Pakistan has enough international support to vaccinate every child in the country twelve times over. The trouble is deep mistrust between the people and the government. Widespread rumors claim that the polio vaccine is an antifertility drug meant to prevent Pakistani people from having children. Others claimed they were poison sent from America because of anti-muslim sentiment. In some areas, militant anti-vaxxers have committed violence against public health workers administering the vaccine. In the last six months, a video of unknown origin went viral, describing the polio vaccine as a menace to the health of Pakistani children.
This situation is another example of the complex factors that mediate viral disease. Understanding the virus and its impact on the host alone is not enough to effectively combat viral infections and promote human health. This case reminds me of the public response to calls for yellow fever vaccination in Brasil during the outbreak about a year and a half ago: deep mistrust between the public and the government allowed lies about the vaccine's safety to spread. One of the biggest challenges, in Brasil and Pakistan, is that mistrust of the government is not unfounded-- in order to effectively promote health, the governments of these countries must rebuild the faith of the people in their ability to govern in a trustworthy manner. Combatting polio in Pakistan, and infectious disease everywhere is not only a biological and ecological challenge, but a deeply political one.

Sources:

• https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/pakistan-on-verge-of-eradicating-polio-virus-faces-human-hurdles/2019/03/04/8758b01c-353d-11e9-8375-e3dcf6b68558_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.00452b20ef58
• https://www.washingtonpost.com/video/world/father-of-polio-victim-in-pakistan-appeals-for-vaccination/2019/03/05/b66b2f5e-56d3-416f-b893-3e6536f2ed9-c_video.html?utm_term=.bfa512ee9c84
• https://www.who.int/csr/don/11-february-2019-yellow-fever-brazil/en/

~Lisa Manzanete

Influenza zoonosis associated with diet in African mammals

Alex D. Greenwood and Gabor A. Czirjack at the Liebniz Wildlife institute tested three hypotheses to help determine how influenza A is spread among mammals in the African planes. They tested whether relatedness, sociality or diet containing birds were strongly related to prevalence and diversity of influenza in various mammal populations. Closer relations and tighter social groups were hypothesized to allow for easier transmission of the virus which bird diets were posited to allow for easier transformation of influenza A from birds to other hosts. 

While both relatedness and sociality were found to have no significant correlation with prevalence or diversity of influenza, carnivorous diet (specifically a diet including birds) was strongly predictive of these factors. Study of this zoonosis is important when considering the flu in humans because contact with birds (especially water fowl) often results in zoonosis, which can produce new and more dangerous forms of the virus. The fact that contact with birds and consumption of birds reigns most indicative of flu transmission allows a deeper understanding of this zoonotic process including the possibly increased adaptability of bird flu to transfer to new hosts. This suggests that mammalian hosts have less defenses against the avian form of the flu than forms of the flu that have been adapted by other hosts of the same species, an issue that further presses our need to discovery the mechanisms behind the versatile ways in which the flu replicates.

-India Robinson

For more information visit: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/03/190306081659.htm

Aid Groups Struggle Against Ebola Epidemic in Democratic Republic of Congo

Aid workers are facing immense difficulties combating the second largest Ebola epidemic ever taking place in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Efforts to abolish the disease are failing in some areas because many people still don't understand Ebola and also because severe measures by the outside organizations, police, and military have alienated communities. Distrustful and fearful of aid groups, people have evaded testing and treatment, and do not want interference in rituals around death and burial. 

President of Doctors Without Borders, Dr. Joanne Liu, said, "Ebola responders are increasingly being seen as the enemy... In the last month alone, there were more than 30 different incidents and attacks against elements of the response... The existing atmosphere can only be described as toxic." 

Some people question why the vaccine is being distributed only to certain individuals, like health workers and contacts of patients, rather than to everyone. Many people wonder why outside aid has not been dedicated to other diseases, such as diarrhea, that afflict more people. Others have asked aid workers where they were when militias were massacring civilians. Distrust grew in Beni and Butembo after the government prohibited people from voting in their December election, supposedly due to concerns about the spread of Ebola. 

After attacks on two treatment centers operated by Doctors Without Borders, Dr. Liu blamed medical teams, rather than the community, for the lack of trust: "They hear constant advice to wash their hands, but nothing about the lack of soap and water. They see their relatives sprayed with chlorine and wrapped in plastic bags, buried without ceremony. Then they see their possessions buried."

Furthermore, physician from Doctors Without Borders, Dr. Vinh-Kim Nguyen, wrote in an essay, "Early in the epidemic, we witnessed armed agents forcibly bringing patients in for treatment. In a population already traumatized by violence and forceful responses to numerous crises, such tactics fuel distrust of responders, which prompts patients to flee and spawns violence."

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/07/health/ebola-epidemic-congo.html

-- Caroline Aung

New methods for CRISPR

A new study conducted at the UT Southwestern Medical Center was trying to use CRISPR on mice and human cells to correct a common mutation that underlies Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). During the course of the study, researchers discovered that altering the dosages of the component sof the CRISPR improves how much dystrophin is produced. Dystrophin is the protein lost in DMD individuals which is essential for muscle control.

Normally, a 1 to 1 ratio of Cas 9 and guide RNA is used to guide a target to a certain part of the gene. However, the research group was not obtaining good results and thus decided to change this ratio. Through multiple trials, the researchers found that a 10 to 1 ratio of guide RNA to Cas9 resulted in optimal editing of the dystrophin gene, leading to eventual restoration of 90% of muscle function.

The research team is conducting a longer-term study using the same method to treat dogs with DMD. They hope that clinical trials are in store for the near future and hope to be able to extend this method to provide treatment for other childhood diseases.

Source
UT Southwestern Medical Center. "Scientists find method to boost CRISPR efficiency: Discovery made while editing genetic defect behind Duchenne muscular dystrophy." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 6 March 2019. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/03/190306171244.htm>.

-Angela Wang

Yet Another Reason to Avoid Mosquitos

Dengue virus exhibits a very strange phenomenon known as antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE) where the antibodies against one strain of the virus can worsen the effects of being infected by another strain. This is known and expected, and scientists are in the process of figuring out how to reduce this.

However, a concern has risen that dengue might not be the only virus exhibiting this phenomenon. Zika might be joining the party.

Due to the pregnancy-specific effects of Zika, such as microcephaly and other severe birth defects, scientists are beginning to investigate whether Zika cross-reacts with dengue and whether prior dengue infection could worsen the effects of Zika. Considering that both dengue and Zika are very similar viruses: they’re both flaviviruses transmitted by mosquitos and ticks, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the ADE phenomenon occur between these two.

Lab experiments are currently in progress for determining whether this is true. Some previous assessments of South American populations have suggested that it may be false, and that dengue may actually offer a protective effect. Hopefully, scientists can discover whether there is any phenomenon occurring between Zika and dengue so that the correct public health measures can be put in place to keep populations as healthy as possible. But for now, don’t forget your bug spray.

-Mailo Numazu

Source: https://www.the-scientist.com/news-opinion/does-prior-dengue-exposure-help-or-hurt-a-zika-infection---65570

New study results finds no link between autism and the MMR vaccine

In a recently published Danish study the MMR vaccine was once again not found to be associated

with a higher incidence of autism. This longitudinal study conducted by the States Sirum Institut in

Copenhagen collected data on all children born in Denmark to Danish-born mothers from 1999-2010

and followed kids from age 1 to the end of August 2013. All in all 657,461 children were assessed

and 6,517 of them were diagnosed with autism.  Among the pool 95% of the kids in the

study got the vaccine and researchers found that children who had no childhood vaccinations were 17

percent more likely to be diagnosed with autism than kids who did. One important thing to note is

that this study was not aimed at proving whether or not vaccines cause autism, they looked at

outcomes such as gender disparities in autism diagnosis, and likelihood of diagnosis of children with

autistic siblings.  Dr, Paul Offit, creator of the MMR vaccine made comments about the study " The 

biggest contributor of the study was the inclusion of children at risk of autism" and expressed hope

that this new evidence will reassure parents with children at risk for developing autism that the

vaccine will not increase their risk.

-Brittany Stinson

read more at:

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/kids-health/another-study-finds-no-link-between-autism-measles-mumps-rubella-n979176

https://www.cnn.com/2019/03/04/health/mmr-vaccine-autism-study/index.html

Potential cure for HIV?

Treatment for HIV today consists of many types of antiviral drugs that each
target a specific viral function. Since the virus can mutate quickly inside the body,
patients have to take their specific drug cocktail everyday without fail or risk their
infection getting worse. While many researchers have been looking for a way to
cure HIV infection, none has been found. But recently, a treatment has shown
potential success in treating HIV patients. A patient living London recently became
the second known person to be seemingly cleared of HIV after receiving a bone
marrow transplant from a donor with a unique mutation making them HIV resistant.

According to the physician and researchers treating this patient, this does not mean
the patient is cured necessarily, because they will have to wait and see if the infection
returns. The patient was first diagnosed with HIV in 2003 and in 2012 was also
diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. In 2016, when the patient was very sick from the
cancer, the doctors decided to search for a transplant donor.

A potential cure for HIV infection would be a major break through if it is found to be
successful, and it does raise other questions in the context of the recent gene edited
babies breaking news. If the number of HIV resistant bone marrow donors is very low,
how would we equitably treat all the people who suffer from HIV? Is there a risk that gene
edited babies who are HIV resistant could be used for harvesting bone marrow on the
black market?

Renata Starbird

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/hiv-positive-man-u-k-2nd-known-adult-worldwide-be-n979186

Researchers from Columbia Use Genetic Sequencing to Identify Uknown Ugandan Viral Pathogens

Researchers at Columbia's Center for Infection and Immunity (CII) and Department of Medicine have published a study highlighting the usage of a sophisticated genetic sequencing technique to identify unknown respiratory pathogens in Uganda. The method in question, called VirCapSeq-VERT, allowed to researchers to identify nine clusters of infections across Uganda. Cooperating with scientists at the Uganda Virus Research Institute, the authors identified 2,901 patients with unexplained severe acute respirtaory infections between 2010 and 2015. They identified nine infectious clusters and found that urban areas during rainy season were most prone to disease. Among the clusters, they discovered an outbreak of measles that could be linked the U.K. and a novel picobirnavirus related to swine and dromedary viruses. In total, five cases could be traced to an unvaccinated tourist from Manchester, where there had been an outbreak in 2011.

The researchers assert the importance of employing precision sequencing to detect and control outbreaks of infectious disease. Acute lower respiratory infections are responsible for nearly 3 million deaths around the world every year, and the addition of tools like VirCapSeq-VERT is incredibly promising. “One-size-fits-all public health solutions are just as obsolete as one-size-fits-all approaches to cancer therapy," argues co-first author Matthew J. Cummings.

For more info, see: https://www.mailman.columbia.edu/public-health-now/news/precision-public-health-method-identifies-clusters-respiratory-disease-uganda

-Ed

Bat influenza viruses could infect humans

Influenza viruses are made up of many different strains, and the primary host range of these strains are humans, pigs, and birds. Most seasonal flu outbreaks in humans come from human strains, but zoonotic transmission from other species (birds in particular) has introduced deadly combinations of hemagglutinin and neuraminidase epitopes into vulnerable immune systems, triggering pandemics. Bats are well-known reservoirs for a variety of viral diseases, including the recent Ebola epidemic, and six years ago virologists discovered an influenza virus strain that infects bats.

A team of researchers led by the University of Zurich has now discovered that these viruses can infect humans and livestock as well. They do so through a unique and fascinating mechanism: while most influenza viruses bind to and enter host cells via sialic acid, the hemagglutinin molecules on bat influenza A viruses don't bind to sialic acid - instead, they bind to Major Histocompatibility Complex II (MHC-II), one of the most important molecules in the adaptive immune system. The results, which were published in Nature, showed that bat flu A can enter the cells of humans, pigs, chickens, mice, and other bat species.

Read more at:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/02/190220133534.htm
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-019-0955-3

- Arjun Kumar

To improve vaccines; study HIV

In the study of HIV, a set of antibodies known as bnAbs (broadly neutralizing antibodies) that recognize the HIV envelope protein have proven essential in the immune systems battle with the disease. Recently, the Duke Vaccine Institute has characterized the biochemistry that results in these bnAbs. Work has shown that early in the development of these antibodies there is a series of critical mutations at elbow antibody sites. These sites determine the ability to bind a substrate (namely HIV or not HIV in the scope of this specific research) and provide a flexibility to the binding site of the antibodies that makes them (as their name implies) able to bind to a wide variety of substrates. Of course, this would still depend on antibody specificity for a given substrate, but this is not an impossible task for an unencumbered immune system and is manageable even for some immunocompromised patients. The characterization of these mutations that allow for specific sites to actually bind HIV viral particles is an essential step in helping the immune system to fight HIV and proposes a potential target for vaccines in somehow inducing these mutations in antibody-secreting cells in a controlled fashion. Further, the site of these mutations affects specific sites of recombination associated with V, D, and J immunological segments. Given that these mutations are controlled by an imperfect recombination system, it is then scientifically reasonable to induce this type of altered recombination in order to prevent HIV infection and create a vaccine against this dangerous disease.

Moving forward, these findings published in Nature Communications suggest that research can evaluate the effect of induction of this bnAb flexibility at steps throughout the pathway of their development and secretion. This suggests that the results of this work may result in a spectrum of control over a specific aspect of the immune system, and that this work could result in both a vaccine for HIV-1 and a treatment. This could induce the formation of these antibodies prior to infection through this mutational regulation and increase the prevalence of these types of flexible bnAbs in patients who are already infected.

~Kyle Enriquez

Duke University Medical Center. (2019, February 20). New insight on potent HIV antibody could improve vaccine design: Early mutation in neutralizing antibody gives it flexibility to adapt to virus's changes. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 1, 2019 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/02/190220174131.htm

Rory Henderson, Brian E. Watts, Hieu N. Ergin, Kara Anasti, Robert Parks, Shi-Mao Xia, Ashley Trama, Hua-Xin Liao, Kevin O. Saunders, Mattia Bonsignori, Kevin Wiehe, Barton F. Haynes, S. Munir Alam. Selection of immunoglobulin elbow region mutations impacts interdomain conformational flexibility in HIV-1 broadly neutralizing antibodies. Nature Communications, 2019; 10 (1) DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-08415-7

A new spin on de novo synthesis; from DNA Chemistry to Virus

Synthetic Biology is a growing field, and on the short list for this work is the creation of viruses to improve vaccines. The hope, at least for the study highlighted here, was that through the creation of a synthetic horsepox vaccine the pox vaccine (from vaccinia at this time) could be made even safer. The research made some interesting findings, including the ability of chemically synthesized DNA for the use of rescuing horsepox virus. Synthetic DNA was cloned into circular fragments which were then chemically manipulated into overlapping DNA fragments. These fragments were split into experiments that evaluated the effectiveness of these fragments in yeast and in helper-virus infected cells. It was shown that in yeast cells, fragments resulted in the production of yeast artificial chromosomes, synthetic viruses, and a wide variety of transformation associated recombination. In the presence of helper virus to insert DNA fragments into the genome, these DNA fragments were able to synthesize virus. This sequence was selected to emulate a pox virus, but showed the capability of synthetic sequences to be inserted by virus in addition to more traditional plasmid insertion which justified the use of these techniques for the creation of potentially safer DNA virus vaccines. While this procedure has been successful for other viruses in the past, the manifestation of this work for DNA viruses, specifically pox, is extremely important. The ability for these types of cross-reactivities to exist among viral families allows for the creation of safer viruses and the creation of viral mimics that are easier to harness and study in the laboratory. Further, past work has focused on the infectious nature of RNA viruses through the introduction of the RNA genome. However, in pursuing this path of research further, it seems relevant to determine the minimum set of necessary elements in order to produce the infectious introduction and integration of these DNA fragments. In doing so, the specific role that these elements play and the interactions that they have with host cell machinery can be further studied in order to advance understanding of these viruses.

~Kyle Enriquez

Thiel V (2018) Synthetic viruses—Anything new? PLoS Pathog 14(10): e1007019. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1007019

Noyce RS, Lederman S, Evans DH. Construction of an infectious horsepox virus vaccine from chemically synthesized DNA fragments. PLoS ONE. 2018;13(1):e0188453. pmid:29351298; PubMed Central PMCID: PMCPMC5774680.

The economic burden of Dengue in Kenya, Burkina Faso and Cambodia

Dengue fever is known to be a major concern in South America and South-East Asia and its burden on health is becoming an increasing threat within Africa. However, in order to get the proper attention from the government and from investors, it is essential to prove the economic burden of this disease. This is what a new study conducted by Jung-Seok Lee and colleagues attempted to answer for three countries in which the burden on health is most severe: Burkina Faso, Kenya and Cambodia. This was a follow-up study to a similar one that looked at the economic burden of Dengue in Vietnam, Thailand and Colombia. It is important to get the country-specific estimates of economic burden because prices of medication and treatment as well as national health care services can be extremely variable. This variability was expressed in the published results of this study with each case of Dengue costing $13-26 for care in Burkina Faso, $134 in Cambodia, and $23 in Kenya.

The economic burden in each of these countries was not insignificant when compared to malaria (another similar arbovirally transmitted disease) suggesting that these governments may need to consider redistributing some of their resources towards the increasingly pressing threat of Dengue.

-India Robinson

For more information visit: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/02/190228141241.htm 

Improved treatments of HIV: Massive strides in the making

HIV treatments have improved vastly over the last few decades and the trajectory of improvement is only becoming steeper. Specifically looking at patient frailty, there have been massive strides in recent years. Historically, patients with HIV/AIDS would age 10-15 years in appearance and function once they began treatment. Similarly, disfiguring body mass changes would befall patients. However, a recent study has revealed that a few years of anti-retroviral treatment is able to actually rehabilitate patients to a state without extreme frailty. A “frailty meter” which judged frailty using motion sensors that tracked range of motion and weight bearing abilities. These kinds of side effects are beginning to look as though they are a thing of the past, a physical, visible and tangible marker for medical improvements. These anti-retroviral treatments are also immensely more efficient and less harmful than previous versions, with doses being administered in three pills rather than twenty and few to no side effects. 

These advancements offer the possibility that in the future HIV/AIDS may become manageable to live with for most people afflicted by it. Luckily, advancements in pharmaceuticals have also been paired with advancements in clinical care. Certain clinics such as the Petersen Clinic offer advanced, intense HIV counseling as well as opportunities to be at the forefront of biomedical intervention. In essence, as more is known about the disease on the whole, more steps have been taken to support patients with HIV/AIDS medically and socially.

-India Robinson

For more information visit: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/02/190227124843.htm

Mandatory Vaccines and the abolition of private property. What do they have in common?

An Arizona State Representative, Kelly Townsend (R) expressed her stance against vaccinations this past Thursday on Facebook. She mentioned that she heard about the idea of implementing mandatory vaccines to tame the current measles outbreak. She saw the move as a complete violation of our all-American liberty to go unvaccinated and spread viral infection to others, noting that:

"The idea that we force someone to give up their liberty for the sake of the collective is not based on  American values but rather, Communist."

 she also claimed that her child was "injured" from vaccines and signed her post "live free or die". This is all amidst the current measles outbreak that is up to about 160 cases across 10 states. The Arizona legislature had recently passed a bill allowing for religious exemption from required vaccination.

Amidst criticism for her post, Townsend followed up with another, noting that "The point here isn't whether or not we should vaccinate, that's for another post. he point is whether or not your body is sovereign or if the government can force you to be injected against your will".

Should we need to stand by our God-given right to refuse to give our children life-saving vaccines, or give up our bodies to evil communist ideologies? You decide.

-Brittany Stinson


Read more here:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2019/03/01/something-is-those-vaccines-lawmaker-says-mandatory-shots-are-communist-idea/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.f811159aa786

Once-Banned from Study. Research on this Deadly Flu Virus is About to Resume

The Government has mysteriously made plans to allow research that had previously been halted on this bird flu over safety concerns. In 2014, the government had halted research on H5N1, but months ago without any publication, allowed research to resume in two labs. This information was published in the Journal of Science. Back in 2011, two labs had altered H5N1, making it more contagious among ferrets, who are used in flu research because they cafc ti in a similar way that humans do. About H5N1, rarely does it jump from birds to humans, but when it does it is extremely lethal because it is not evident when those infected spread the disease to others. If it were modified to become better transmissible between humans, the results could be disastrous and cause an extremely high death toll.

The decision itself and the lack of information surrounding it has provoked outrage from some members of the research community, they are worried of this strain of influenza portrait to mutate into viruses that could generate a deadly pandemic if accidentally unleashed or were the target of bioterrorism.

Marc Lipsitch of Harvard and Tom Inglesby of Johns Hopkins University have called for more transparency in this process.  On Wednesday, they commented in the Washington Post:

“Making decisions to approve potentially dangerous research in secret betrays the government’s responsibility to inform and involve the public when approving endeavors, whether scientific or otherwise, that could put health and lives at risk”

-Brittany Stinson

Read more at: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/01/health/bird-flu-pandemic.html

Social Media Platforms Take Steps to Curb Misinformation About Vaccines

Pinterest, a social media platform popular with parents, is starting to crack down on the spread of anti-vaccination propaganda by purposefully banishing results associated with vaccine-related searches. The changes have not been publicly announced and started in September and October. Pinterest is an especially effective way to reach parents: 80% of mothers and 38% of fathers in the U.S. use Pinterest according to 2017 data from comScore. Other social media platforms like Facebook and YouTube have also been infiltrated with anti-vaccination information and are taking steps to combat it. One of YouTube's policies is to demonetize anti-vaccine videos. YouTube also said that is started surfacing more authoritative content in late 2017 for people searching for vaccination-related topics. An analysis by The Daily Beast of seven Facebook pages that promote anti-vaccine posts found that the pages had bought a combined 147 Facebook ads that had been viewed millions of times. Facebook spokeswoman Andrea Vallone said, "We've taken steps to reduce the distribution of health-related misinformation on Facebook, but we know we have more to do."
On the other hand, Twitter said that it had no specific policy to stem the spread of misinformation about vaccines but that its real-time nature was a "powerful antidote." Twitter spokeswoman Kati Rosborough said, "We, as a company, should not be the arbiter of truth." Arthur Caplan, head of the Division of Medical Ethics at the New York University School of Medicine, said, "We're just seeing all sorts of misinformation flying around on social media... Fake news. Fake science. Everybody's an expert."
"Internist Dr. Poland commented that he often encountered patients who relied on social media when researching health questions: "I will explain to a patient in detail the answer to their question and they'll look at me and say, 'Yeah, but I saw on Facebook that'... You just want to tear your hair out." 
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/23/health/pinterest-vaccination-searches.html

-- Caroline Aung

Egg-Based Flu Vaccines? We Should be Skeptical.

Based on a recent study of the 17-18 flu vaccine, concerns are arising over how effective egg-based vaccines are. This past year’s vaccine was disappointingly ineffective, with a 40% effectiveness according to the CDC. Researchers at the University of Michigan teamed up with the CDC to take a look at effectiveness of egg-grown versus cell-grown viruses.

The investigators took serum samples 15 cases with recently diagnosed influenza A (H3N2) and took samples in 15 hospitalized controls without influenza. The team measured titers against egg and cell-grown strains, and a set of circulating viruses for comparison. They found that those vaccinate in 17-18 had high antibody titers against the egg strain and lower against circulating viruses. They concluded that titers against circulating viruses were protective but those against egg-adapted strains weren’t.

Studies have shown that egg-based vaccines tend to mutate with time. Ian Wilson, DPhil, a professor of structural biology at the Scripps Research Institute, in California proposes an explanation citing that influenza viruses made in eggs have the opportunity to adapt in this environment and can generate mutations to grow better as a result.

Read more at: https://www.mdmag.com/medical-news/eggbased-vaccines-less-protective-against-circulating-flu-viruses

-Brittany Stinson

Scientists Unveil the History of Zika Virus in Thailand

In 2016, the WHO responded to the South American Zika outbreak by declaring a "public health emergency of international concern", prompting global action to combat the disease. In Thailand, the government, in collaboration with the Institut Pasteur, the CNRS, US researchers and the Thai National Institute of Health, decided to investigate the history of the virus in Thailand. While the Aedes mosquito is found in both South-East Asia and South America, Thailand did not have widely reported cases of Zika. The nature of the virus furthered muddied the waters, as Zika rarely causes serious illness and, even when it does, can easily be confused with the flu or dengue. 

To collect data on cases of Zika, the government requested hospitals to collect urine, blood and plasma samples from individuals with fever or rash symptoms. Over two years, 368 individuals were found to be infected by Zika. Inidividuals were spread out across age groups and across regions. The latter observation was surprising to researchers, as long-term circulation had not occured in the South American outbreaks.

In response, the researchers examined the viral genome, using "the little errors that emerge during viral replication to piece together the historical spread". The scientists discovered significant genetic diversity among the patients and concluded that the ancestor virus could have appeared in Thailand as early as 2002. Researchers have suggested cross-immunity or changes prior to transmission could be responsible for this diversity. Nevertheless, the continued presence of the disease could remain a problem for Thai public health authorities.

For more information, see the article: https://www.pasteur.fr/en/press-area/press-documents/zika-silent-long-term-circulation-thailand or the corresponding study: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473-3099(18)30718-7/fulltext.

-Ed