encephalitis inactivated vaccine

A subunit vaccine protects A129 mice from death and joint swelling against lethal Chikungunya virus challenge.

Li Jiangfan J, Fang Ting T, Song Liyuan L, Qiang Li L et al.

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is primarily transmitted to humans through bites of infected Aedes mosquitoes, causing febrile illness as well as acute or chronic arthritis. With increasing reports in previously non-endemic regions, it poses an emerging threat to public health and a growing risk to travelers. Despite the recent approval of live-attenuated and virus-like particle-based vaccines, a safe, efficacious, and cost-effective vaccine remains urgently needed. The envelope glycoproteins E1 and E2, which play crucial roles in viral attachment and entry, are the major immunodominant structural proteins and can effectively elicit protective antibodies. We engineered mammalian cells to produce the ectodomains of the E1 and E2 glycoproteins and evaluated the protective efficacy of the resulting vaccine formulations in vivo. A two-dose vaccination regimen elicited high levels of antibodies and provided full protection against lethal challenge in A129 mice, preventing both death and joint swelling. These findings demonstrate the potential of this vaccine candidate against CHIKV and warrant its further development.

[Strategies to address vaccine hesitancy in Brazil: evidence synthesis].

Marques Ana Paula da Costa APDC, Gubert Vanessa Terezinha VT, Dias Adriano da Costa ADC, Gasparoto Antonio Luiz Dal Bello ALDB et al.

[Nightmare or wonder : a bat on the ceiling].

Ménard Agathe A, Erard Véronique V

Rabies is an invariably fatal zoonosis in humans caused by a neurotropic virus of Lyssavirus genus. Three genotypes are endemic in Europe. Genotype 1 or RABV (Rabies lyssavirus) is the agent of classical rabies, for which dogs and certain wild carnivores serve as reservoirs; genotypes 5 and 6, respectively EBLV-1 and EBLV-2 (European bat lyssavirus type 1 and 2), have bats as reservoirs. In Switzerland, classical rabies (RABV) has been eradicated since 1999, a status shared by the majority of European Union countries. Cases of human rabies encephalitis transmitted by bats in Europe are associated with EBLV-1 and EBLV-2 but are exceptional. This article aims to present the epidemiology, pathogenesis and prevention of rabies in Switzerland.

[What should you request to the laboratory for a patient bitten by a tick ?]

Lienhard Reto R, Ackermann-Gäumann Rahel R, Croxatto Antony A

Ticks are a growing concern for the public, owing to their abundance and a longer activity season. In Switzerland, more than 99% of ticks removed from humans are of the species Ixodes ricinus. This article reviews the tick-borne diseases documented in the country : Lyme borreliosis, tick-borne encephalitis, tularaemia, neoehrlichiosis, anaplasmosis, babesiosis, Borrelia miyamotoi relapsing fever, and rickettsiosis. Carriage of a microorganism by a tick does not imply infection, just as isolated seropositivity does not imply disease. Testing should be guided by pretest probability and disease stage, using validated assays only. Here, the laboratory is a key partner : it guides test selection and the interpretation of results, helping to avoid both under and overdiagnosis.