scholarly journals Antiviral Susceptibility of Variant Influenza A(H3N2)v Viruses Isolated in the United States from 2011 to 2013

2014 ◽  
Vol 58 (4) ◽  
pp. 2045-2051 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Sleeman ◽  
V. P. Mishin ◽  
Z. Guo ◽  
R. J. Garten ◽  
A. Balish ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Influenza A ◽  
Untreated Patient ◽  
Continuous Monitoring ◽  
The United States ◽  
Antiviral Drugs ◽  
Influenza Viruses ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Public Health Concern ◽  
M Gene

ABSTRACTSince 2011, outbreaks caused by influenza A(H3N2) variant [A(H3N2)v] viruses have become a public health concern in the United States. The A(H3N2)v viruses share the A(H1N1)pdm09 M gene containing the marker of M2 blocker resistance, S31N, but do not contain any known molecular markers associated with resistance to neuraminidase (NA) inhibitors (NAIs). Using a fluorescent NA inhibition (NI) assay, the susceptibilities of recovered A(H3N2)v viruses (n= 168) to FDA-approved (oseltamivir and zanamivir) and other (peramivir, laninamivir, and A-315675) NAIs were assessed. All A(H3N2)v viruses tested, with the exception of a single virus strain, A/Ohio/88/2012, isolated from an untreated patient, were susceptible to the NAIs tested. The A/Ohio/88/2012 virus contained two rare substitutions, S245N and S247P, in the NA and demonstrated reduced inhibition by oseltamivir (31-fold) and zanamivir (66-fold) in the NI assay. Using recombinant NA (recNA) proteins, S247P was shown to be responsible for the observed altered NAI susceptibility, in addition to an approximately 60% reduction in NA enzymatic activity. The S247P substitution has not been previously reported as a molecular marker of reduced susceptibility to the NAIs. Using cell culture assays, the investigational antiviral drugs nitazoxanide, favipiravir, and fludase were shown to inhibit the replication of A(H3N2)v viruses, including the virus with the S247P substitution in the NA. This report demonstrates the importance of continuous monitoring of susceptibility of zoonotic influenza viruses to available and investigational antiviral drugs.

Tensile Properties of the Swine Cardinal Ligament

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frances M. Davis ◽  
Ting Tan ◽  
Suzanne Nicewonder ◽  
Raffaella De Vita
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
United States ◽  
Pelvic Floor Disorders ◽  
The United States ◽  
Pelvic Organ ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Adult Women ◽  
Public Health Concern ◽  
Connective Tissues ◽  
Pelvic Organs

Pelvic floor disorders such as urinary incontinence, fecal incontinence, and pelvic organ prolapse represent a major public health concern in the United States affecting one third of adult women [1]. These disorders are determined by structural and mechanical alterations of the pelvic organs, their supporting muscles and connective tissues that occur mainly during pregnancy, vaginal delivery, and aging [1].

scholarly journals Structural and Molecular Characterization of the Hemagglutinin from the Fifth-Epidemic-Wave A(H7N9) Influenza Viruses

2018 ◽  
Vol 92 (16) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hua Yang ◽  
Paul J. Carney ◽  
Jessie C. Chang ◽  
Zhu Guo ◽  
James Stevens
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Avian Influenza ◽  
Influenza A ◽  
Human Infection ◽  
Influenza Viruses ◽  
Surface Proteins ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Public Health Concern ◽  
H7n9 Influenza ◽  
Epidemic Wave

ABSTRACTThe avian influenza A(H7N9) virus continues to cause human infections in China and is a major ongoing public health concern. Five epidemic waves of A(H7N9) infection have occurred since 2013, and the recent fifth epidemic wave saw the emergence of two distinct lineages with elevated numbers of human infection cases and broader geographic distribution of viral diseases compared to the first four epidemic waves. Moreover, highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A(H7N9) viruses were also isolated during the fifth epidemic wave. Here, we present a detailed structural and biochemical analysis of the surface hemagglutinin (HA) antigen from viruses isolated during this recent epidemic wave. Results highlight that, compared to the 2013 virus HAs, the fifth-wave virus HAs remained a weak binder to human glycan receptor analogs. We also studied three mutations, V177K-K184T-G219S, that were recently reported to switch a 2013 A(H7N9) HA to human-type receptor specificity. Our results indicate that these mutations could also switch the H7 HA receptor preference to a predominantly human binding specificity for both fifth-wave H7 HAs analyzed in this study.IMPORTANCEThe A(H7N9) viruses circulating in China are of great public health concern. Here, we report a molecular and structural study of the major surface proteins from several recent A(H7N9) influenza viruses. Our results improve the understanding of these evolving viruses and provide important information on their receptor preference that is central to ongoing pandemic risk assessment.

scholarly journals PHP12 Shortages of Systemic Antibiotics in the United States: A Public Health Concern

2012 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. A15
Author(s):  
B. Balkhi ◽  
L. Araujo-Lama ◽  
D. Nguyen ◽  
P. Le ◽  
E. Seoane-Vazquez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
United States ◽  
The United States ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Public Health Concern ◽  
Systemic Antibiotics

scholarly journals The enigma of the apparent disappearance of Eurasian highly pathogenic H5 clade 2.3.4.4 influenza A viruses in North American waterfowl

2016 ◽  
Vol 113 (32) ◽  
pp. 9033-9038 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott Krauss ◽  
David E. Stallknecht ◽  
Richard D. Slemons ◽  
Andrew S. Bowman ◽  
Rebecca L. Poulson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
North America ◽  
North American ◽  
Influenza A ◽  
Wild Bird ◽  
Animal Health ◽  
The United States ◽  
Influenza Viruses ◽  
Influenza A Viruses ◽  
Highly Pathogenic

One of the major unresolved questions in influenza A virus (IAV) ecology is exemplified by the apparent disappearance of highly pathogenic (HP) H5N1, H5N2, and H5N8 (H5Nx) viruses containing the Eurasian hemagglutinin 2.3.4.4 clade from wild bird populations in North America. The introduction of Eurasian lineage HP H5 clade 2.3.4.4 H5N8 IAV and subsequent reassortment with low-pathogenic H?N2 and H?N1 North American wild bird-origin IAVs in late 2014 resulted in widespread HP H5Nx IAV infections and outbreaks in poultry and wild birds across two-thirds of North America starting in November 2014 and continuing through June 2015. Although the stamping out strategies adopted by the poultry industry and animal health authorities in Canada and the United States—which included culling, quarantining, increased biosecurity, and abstention from vaccine use—were successful in eradicating the HP H5Nx viruses from poultry, these activities do not explain the apparent disappearance of these viruses from migratory waterfowl. Here we examine current and historical aquatic bird IAV surveillance and outbreaks of HP H5Nx in poultry in the United States and Canada, providing additional evidence of unresolved mechanisms that restrict the emergence and perpetuation of HP avian influenza viruses in these natural reservoirs.

scholarly journals Pathogenesis and Transmission of Genetically Diverse Swine-Origin H3N2 Variant Influenza A Viruses from Multiple Lineages Isolated in the United States, 2011–2016

2018 ◽  
Vol 92 (16) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiangjie Sun ◽  
Joanna A. Pulit-Penaloza ◽  
Jessica A. Belser ◽  
Claudia Pappas ◽  
Melissa B. Pearce ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Respiratory Tract ◽  
Influenza A ◽  
Seasonal Influenza ◽  
The United States ◽  
Influenza Viruses ◽  
Upper Respiratory Tract ◽  
Pandemic Preparedness

ABSTRACTWhile several swine-origin influenza A H3N2 variant (H3N2v) viruses isolated from humans prior to 2011 have been previously characterized for their virulence and transmissibility in ferrets, the recent genetic and antigenic divergence of H3N2v viruses warrants an updated assessment of their pandemic potential. Here, four contemporary H3N2v viruses isolated during 2011 to 2016 were evaluated for their replicative ability in bothin vitroandin vivoin mammalian models as well as their transmissibility among ferrets. We found that all four H3N2v viruses possessed similar or enhanced replication capacities in a human bronchial epithelium cell line (Calu-3) compared to a human seasonal influenza virus, suggestive of strong fitness in human respiratory tract cells. The majority of H3N2v viruses examined in our study were mildly virulent in mice and capable of replicating in mouse lungs with different degrees of efficiency. In ferrets, all four H3N2v viruses caused moderate morbidity and exhibited comparable titers in the upper respiratory tract, but only 2 of the 4 viruses replicated in the lower respiratory tract in this model. Furthermore, despite efficient transmission among cohoused ferrets, recently isolated H3N2v viruses displayed considerable variance in their ability to transmit by respiratory droplets. The lack of a full understanding of the molecular correlates of virulence and transmission underscores the need for close genotypic and phenotypic monitoring of H3N2v viruses and the importance of continued surveillance to improve pandemic preparedness.IMPORTANCESwine-origin influenza viruses of the H3N2 subtype, with the hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) derived from historic human seasonal influenza viruses, continue to cross species barriers and cause human infections, posing an indelible threat to public health. To help us better understand the potential risk associated with swine-origin H3N2v viruses that emerged in the United States during the 2011-2016 influenza seasons, we use bothin vitroandin vivomodels to characterize the abilities of these viruses to replicate, cause disease, and transmit in mammalian hosts. The efficient respiratory droplet transmission exhibited by some of the H3N2v viruses in the ferret model combined with the existing evidence of low immunity against such viruses in young children and older adults highlight their pandemic potential. Extensive surveillance and risk assessment of H3N2v viruses should continue to be an essential component of our pandemic preparedness strategy.

scholarly journals Childhood and Adolescent Obesity in the United States: A Public Health Concern

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. 2333794X1989130 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adekunle Sanyaolu ◽  
Chuku Okorie ◽  
Xiaohua Qi ◽  
Jennifer Locke ◽  
Saif Rehman
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
United States ◽  
Risk Factors ◽  
Secondary Prevention ◽  
Psychological Factors ◽  
The United States ◽  
Adolescent Obesity ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Public Health Concern ◽  
Childhood And Adolescent Obesity

Childhood and adolescent obesity have reached epidemic levels in the United States. Currently, about 17% of US children are presenting with obesity. Obesity can affect all aspects of the children including their psychological as well as cardiovascular health; also, their overall physical health is affected. The association between obesity and other conditions makes it a public health concern for children and adolescents. Due to the increase in the prevalence of obesity among children, a variety of research studies have been conducted to discover what associations and risk factors increase the probability that a child will present with obesity. While a complete picture of all the risk factors associated with obesity remains elusive, the combination of diet, exercise, physiological factors, and psychological factors is important in the control and prevention of childhood obesity; thus, all researchers agree that prevention is the key strategy for controlling the current problem. Primary prevention methods are aimed at educating the child and family, as well as encouraging appropriate diet and exercise from a young age through adulthood, while secondary prevention is targeted at lessening the effect of childhood obesity to prevent the child from continuing the unhealthy habits and obesity into adulthood. A combination of both primary and secondary prevention is necessary to achieve the best results. This review article highlights the health implications including physiological and psychological factors comorbidities, as well as the epidemiology, risk factors, prevention, and control of childhood and adolescent obesity in the United States.

scholarly journals Amino Acids in Hemagglutinin Antigenic Site B Determine Antigenic and Receptor Binding Differences between A(H3N2)v and Ancestral Seasonal H3N2 Influenza Viruses

2016 ◽  
Vol 91 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaoquan Wang ◽  
Natalia A. Ilyushina ◽  
Vladimir Y. Lugovtsev ◽  
Nicolai V. Bovin ◽  
Laura K. Couzens ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Amino Acids ◽  
Amino Acid ◽  
Influenza A ◽  
Antigenic Site ◽  
The United States ◽  
Influenza Viruses ◽  
Antigenic Difference ◽  
Antigenic Phenotype ◽  
Human Infections

ABSTRACT Influenza A H3N2 variant [A(H3N2)v] viruses, which have caused human infections in the United States in recent years, originated from human seasonal H3N2 viruses that were introduced into North American swine in the mid-1990s, but they are antigenically distinct from both the ancestral and current circulating H3N2 strains. A reference A(H3N2)v virus, A/Minnesota/11/2010 (MN/10), and a seasonal H3N2 strain, A/Beijing/32/1992 (BJ/92), were chosen to determine the molecular basis for the antigenic difference between A(H3N2)v and the ancestral viruses. Viruses containing wild-type and mutant MN/10 or BJ/92 hemagglutinins (HAs) were constructed and probed for reactivity with ferret antisera against MN/10 and BJ/92 in hemagglutination inhibition assays. Among the amino acids that differ between the MN/10 and BJ/92 HAs, those in antigenic site A had little impact on the antigenic phenotype. Within antigenic site B, mutations at residues 156, 158, 189, and 193 of MN/10 HA to those in BJ/92 switched the MN/10 antigenic phenotype to that of BJ/92. Mutations at residues 156, 157, 158, 189, and 193 of BJ/92 HA to amino acids present in MN/10 were necessary for BJ/92 to become antigenically similar to MN/10. The HA amino acid substitutions responsible for switching the antigenic phenotype also impacted HA binding to sialyl receptors that are usually present in the human respiratory tract. Our study demonstrates that antigenic site B residues play a critical role in determining both the unique antigenic phenotype and receptor specificity of A(H3N2)v viruses, a finding that may facilitate future surveillance and risk assessment of novel influenza viruses. IMPORTANCE Influenza A H3N2 variant [A(H3N2)v] viruses have caused hundreds of human infections in multiple states in the United States since 2009. Most cases have been children who had contact with swine in agricultural fairs. These viruses originated from human seasonal H3N2 viruses that were introduced into the U.S. swine population in the mid-1990s, but they are different from both these ancestral viruses and current circulating human seasonal H3N2 strains in terms of their antigenic characteristics as measured by hemagglutination inhibition (HI) assay. In this study, we identified amino acids in antigenic site B of the surface glycoprotein hemagglutinin (HA) that explain the antigenic difference between A(H3N2)v and the ancestral H3N2 strains. These amino acid mutations also alter binding to minor human-type glycans, suggesting that host adaptation may contribute to the selection of antigenically distinct H3N2 variants which pose a threat to public health.

scholarly journals Assessing the Emergent Public Health Concern of All-Terrain Vehicle Injuries in Rural and Agricultural Environments: Initial Review of Available National Datasets in the United States

10.2196/15477 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. e15477
Author(s):  
Bryan Weichelt ◽  
Serap Gorucu ◽  
Charles Jennissen ◽  
Gerene Denning ◽  
Stephen Oesch
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
United States ◽  
Surveillance System ◽  
Reporting System ◽  
The United States ◽  
Data Sources ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Federally Funded ◽  
Public Health Concern ◽  
Injury Surveillance System

Background Injuries related to the operation of off-road vehicles (ORVs), including all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), continue to be a significant public health concern, especially in rural and agricultural environments. In the United States alone, ATVs have played a role in thousands of fatalities and millions of injuries in the recent decades. However, no known centralized federal surveillance system consistently captures these data. Traditional injury data sources include surveys, police reports, trauma registries, emergency department data, newspaper and online media reports, and state and federal agency databases. Objective The objectives of this study paper were to (1) identify published articles on ORV-related injuries and deaths that used large databases and determine the types of datasets that were used, (2) examine and describe several national US-based surveillance systems that capture ORV-related injuries and fatalities, and (3) promote and provide support for the establishment of a federally-funded agricultural injury surveillance system. Methods In this study, we examined several national United States–based injury datasets, including the web-based AgInjuryNews, the Fatality Analysis Reporting System, databases compiled by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, and the National Fatality Review Case Reporting System. Results Our review found that these data sources cannot provide a complete picture of the incidents or the circumstantial details needed to effectively inform ORV injury prevention efforts. This is particularly true with regard to ORV-related injuries in agricultural production. Conclusions We encourage the establishment of a federally funded national agricultural injury surveillance system. However, in lieu of this, use of multiple data sources will be necessary to provide a more complete picture of ORV- and other agriculture-related injuries and fatalities.

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