In July 2004, an outbreak of influenza A (H3N2) was detected at 3 Bhutanese refugee camps in southeastern Nepal. Hemagglutination inhibition showed that approximately 40% of the viruses from this outbreak were antigenically distinct from the A/Wyoming/3/03 vaccine strain. Four amino acid differences were observed in most of the 26 isolates compared with the A/Wyoming/3/2003 vaccine strain. All ...

In 2009, a novel H1N1 influenza (pH1N1) virus caused the first influenza pandemic in 40 y. The virus was identified as a triple reassortant between avian, swine, and human influenza viruses, highlighting the importance of reassortment in the generation of viruses with pandemic potential. Previously, we showed that a reassortant virus composed of wild-type avian H9N2 surface genes in a seasonal ...

While influenza vaccines aim to decrease the incidence of severe influenza among high-risk groups, evidence of influenza vaccine effectiveness (IVE) among the influenza vaccine target population is sparse. We conducted a multicentre test-negative case-control study to estimate IVE against hospitalised laboratory-confirmed influenza in the target population in 18 hospitals in France, Italy, Lith...

There is mounting evidence that in the absence of neutralizing antibodies cross-reactive T cells provide protection against pandemic influenza viruses. Here, we compared protection and CD8+ T cell responses following challenge with H1N1 2009 pandemic and H3N2 viruses of mice that had been immunized with hemagglutinin (HA), neuraminidase (NA) and the extracellular domain of matrix protein 2 (M2e...

Twelve avian-origin H3N2 influenza strains were isolated from dogs with signs of respiratory disease in northern China during 2009-2010. Phylogenetic analysis showed that eight gene segments of all the isolates had a close relationship with those of avian-origin H3N2 canine influenza viruses (CIVs) from South Korea and southern China. Genetic analysis indicated that these isolates had a PERQTR/...

For the first time, obesity appeared as a risk factor for developing severe 2009 pandemic influenza infection. Given the increase in obesity, there is a need to understand the mechanisms underlying poor outcomes in this population. In these studies, we examined the severity of pandemic influenza virus in obese mice and evaluated antiviral effectiveness. We found that genetically and diet-induce...

Avian influenza virus (H5N1) can be transmitted to humans, resulting in a severe or fatal disease. The aim of this study was to evaluate the immune cross-reactivity between human and avian influenza (H5N1) strains in healthy donors vaccinated for seasonal influenza A (H1N1)/(H3N2). A small frequency of CD4 T cells specific for subtype H5N1 was detected in several persons at baseline, and season...

Age-stratified sera collected in 2004, 2008 and 2010 in England were evaluated for antibody to swine influenza A(H3N2) and A(H1N1) viruses from the United States or Europe as a measure of population susceptibility to the emergence of novel viruses. Children under 11 years of age had little or no measurable antibody to recent swine H3N2 viruses despite their high levels of antibody to recent H3N...

OBJECTIVES A series of 3(benzylideneamino)-2-phenyl quinazoline-4(3H)-ones was synthesized by reaction of 3-amino-2-phenyl-3H-quinazoline-4-one with various carbonyl compounds. MATERIALS AND METHODS Chemical structures of the synthesized compounds were confirmed by IR, 1H-NMR and mass spectral analysis. Title compounds were investigated for cytotoxicity and antiviral activity against herpes s...

Between 1979 and 1989, families enrolled in the Houston Family Study were prospectively monitored for influenza virus infections. Reinfection with the H3N2 subtype occurred in a number of family members, and 6 pairs of isolates (interval between collection of first and second isolate, 2-5 years) were available for molecular analysis. Changes in the hemagglutinin genes of pairs of viruses isolat...