VITN: Blog Post #3 FDA Approves New Drug That Could Treat Smallpox

The FDA recently approved a drug that could potentially treat smallpox in humans. There currently exists only 2 stores of smallpox -- one in Russia and the other at the CDC in Atlanta, but after the 9/11 terrorist attack, researchers have worked to create tecovirimat (originally ST-246), an antiviral pill that has already been effective in treating monkeypox and rabbitpox in animals. Currently, tecovirimat is not administered to the public because smallpox was eradicated in 1980; however, this antiviral could be the next step against bioterrorism in the event that people should ever be infected with smallpox. For now, this vaccine is administered to people in the military, labs, and others who may potentially come into contact with the virus should bioterrorism ever occur. Fortunately, when tested in humans, tecovirimat only causes minor side effects such as headache, nausea, and abdominal pain.

I found this article relevant to the journal we read about on mousepox. If you would like to read this article, you can find it here: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/13/health/smallpox-drug-fda-bioterrorism.html?rref=collection%2Ftimestopic%2FViruses&action=click&contentCollection=health&region=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=3&pgtype=collection

-Jenny D

VITN Blog Post #2: A New Synthetic DNA Vaccine for Influenza A subtypes

With flu season approaching, it has been both challenging and necessary to improve vaccines that will protect people from multiple viral strains of the influenza virus and its subtypes. Influenza A has led to a particularly high number of pneumonia and influenza related deaths in recent years (2014-2018), and although there are vaccines available, many of these current vaccines are unable to induce immunity against multiple H3N2 viruses, an influenza A subtype. Recently, scientists from the Wistar Institute used H3N2 strains from 1968-present to create a cocktail of 4 DNA vaccines, labeled pH3HA, that protect against lethal influenza A infections. The goal of pH3HA is to limit the number of vaccines needed to induce immunity against the H3N2 viruses. By being injected with this synthetic cocktail vaccine made of common sequences of the Influenza A virus, it is the hope that only one vaccine will be needed to make one immune to multiple viral strains of the influenza A subtype. If you would like to read more about this, the link is here: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/09/180906141512.htm -Jenny D

VITN Blog #1: Can China, the World’s Biggest Pork Producer, Contain a Fatal Pig Virus?

African Swine Fever (ASF) is caused by ASF virus which is a highly contagious virus that causes hemorrhagic fever and has high mortality rates in pigs. While ASF virus does not directly harm humans, its ability to spread widely among pigs can be disastrous for the millions of people worldwide who rely on pigs for sustenance as well as economic security. The virus can be spread via a farm workers’ contaminated shoes, clothing, and equipment. Also, ticks have the ability to act as vectors for the disease. Currently there is no vaccine or treatment for infected animals. So far, there have been two major outbreaks in China with the second outbreak seeing over 9000 pigs killed as a result of ASF virus. Medical professionals believe that the increased consumption and increased number of pig imports to China has greatly contributed to the rise of ASF virus. The vast differences in size between pork producers in China has made it very difficult for scientists to track ASF’s path of infection. In hopes of gaining the cooperation of producers, the Chinese government has decided to immediately compensate pork producers for culled pigs in an effort to stop them from slaughtering sick pigs then sell their meat.

(Check out the full story here: http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/08/can-china-world-s-biggest-pork-producer-contain-fatal-pig-virus-scientists-fear-worst)

-Ezra Yoseph

VITN Blog #1: Congo Fever Deaths in Pakistan

Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever was reportedly seen in Khyber, Pakistan in two individuals by the name of Salman Khan and Khan Haider. Khan died on September 2. Salman was eventually transported to Islamabad’s Shifa International Hospital, after having been taken in by a couple other hospitals. He died at Shifa International. His illness was likely contracted from sacrificing several animals in the month of August or from being in contact with meat at a cattle market. The Peerokhel locality where both of these men were located is concerned of disease spread and has instituted certain precautions to help prevent this. Schools have been closed, personnel are checking temperatures of members of the community, gloves and masks are strongly recommended.

-Kyle F.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1430575 (from proMED-mail)

VITN Blog Post #1: Passengers on Quarantined Jet Appear to Have the Flu

With a high volume of people travelling around the world via plane, it is no surprise that airports have increased the rapid spread of infectious diseases. Interestingly enough, researchers from the University of Nottingham and the Finnish National Institute for Health and Welfare investigated the transfer of viruses in airports. Their findings have concluded that the plastic trays used at the airport security checkpoints carry more viruses than the airport’s public restrooms. In fact, these trays carry the highest risk of contracting rhinovirus and the influenza A virus. So, the next time you go to the airport, make sure you wash your hands after touching those plastic trays!

To read more, you can find the article here: https://www.mirror.co.uk/travel/news/airport-security-plastic-trays-carry-13197120

-Jenny D

Airport Security Annoyances Turn Deadly in a Viral Way

On my recent flight out to California, they ran out of bins when I was going through the airport security line. According to this recent study called Deposition of respiratory virus pathogens on frequently touched surfaces at airports, my lack of bin for my cell phone and shoes may have saved me from needing to take some sick time off - that's because airport security bins apparently have more viruses than public toilets! When tested over time, the bins had traces of deno, influenza A, rhino and human corona OC43 viruses. Given that thousands of travelers pass through any given major airport in a day, this comes as no surprise. It does force us to reconsider how we are preventing the spread of potentially deadly diseases across the world. The remarkable transportation systems we have created for ourselves in the last several decades allow both us and our pests to travel halfway around the globe in less than 24 hours. I remember traveling to China a little while after the SARS-CoV outbreak and seeing a health official scan all new arrivals with a temperature gun. It turns out that while these seem to be psychologically effective, they do little to actually prevent disease from getting into a country(npr). Especially if you were just infected before getting on the plane via the apparently disease ridden security bins, it’s unlikely that these thermometer guns would be able to pick up on that. Make sure to wash your hands, folks! There are so many diseases that are out there to get you!

https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/airport-security-trays-viruses-germs-public-toilets-study-helsinki-finland-a8523596.html

-Renata Starbird

VITN Blog Post #1

For HIV-infected individuals, RNA expression inhibitors may help reduce inflammation and restore immune function, reducing the risk of developing complications associated with inflammation and chronic immune activation. HIV-infected people are more likely to develop certain conditions such as cardiovascular atherosclerosis, cognitive dysfunction, cancers, renal disorders, and more due to chronic immune activation. Researchers discovered HIV-1 as a potential culprit in chronic immune activation and T-cell dysfunction by infecting macrophages with HIV-1 and subsequently observing these conditions even in the absence of infectious virus. This study will help shed light on the mechanism of chronic inflammation and immune activation in HIV-infected individuals, as well as reduce the number of disorders caused by these HIV-related complications.
Link: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/08/180827102648.htm
 - Avery Muniz, Viruses in the News