Tropical Medicine Commons^™

Targeted Maternal Chagas Disease Screening Among Individuals Born In A Chagas-Endemic Country., Alvaro Proaño, Neil C Shah, Sneider A Gutierrez Guarnizo, Monica Miranda-Schaeubinger, Michael Z Levy, Robert H Gilman, Dustin D Flannery

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

Chagas disease is a neglected tropical disease caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi that affects 6 million people worldwide. In the United States, Chagas is estimated to affect 43 000 women of reproductive age. Pregnant persons with Chagas are at risk for congenital transmission to the newborn, which accounts for nearly a quarter of all new cases. In 2022, a US multidisciplinary expert working group4 developed recommendations for increased clinician-directed screening for Chagas. They concluded that women of reproductive age who were born in endemic countries should be tested due to vertical transmission risk. In 2024, Clark and Bern outlined …

Randomized, Observer-Blind, Controlled Phase 1 Study Of The Safety And Immunogenicity Of The Na-Gst-1/Alhydrogel Hookworm Vaccine With Or Without A Cpg Odn Adjuvant In Hookworm-Naïve Adults, David J Diemert, Maria Zumer, Mark Bova, Christina Gibbs-Tewary, Elissa M Malkin, Doreen Campbell, Lara Hoeweler, Guangzhao Li, Maria Elena Bottazzi, Peter J Hotez, Jeffrey M Bethony

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Recombinant Necator americanus Glutathione-S-Transferase-1 (Na-GST-1) formulated on Alhydrogel (Na-GST-1/Alhydrogel) is being developed to prevent anemia and other complications of N. americanus infection. Antibodies induced by vaccination with recombinant Na-GST-1 are hypothesized to interfere with the blood digestion pathway of adult hookworms in the host. Phase 1 trials have demonstrated the safety of Na-GST-1 formulated on Alhydrogel, but further optimization of the vaccine adjuvant formulation may improve humoral immune responses, thereby increasing the likelihood of vaccine efficacy.

METHODS: A randomized, observer-blind, dose escalation Phase 1 trial was conducted in 24 healthy, hookworm-naïve adults. In each cohort of 12 participants, 4 …

Immunopeptidomic Mhc-I Profiling And Immunogenicity Testing Identifies Tcj2 As A New Chagas Disease Mrna Vaccine Candidate, Leroy Versteeg, Rakesh Adhikari, Gonteria Robinson, Jungsoon Lee, Junfei Wei, Nelufa Islam, Brian Keegan, William K Russell, Cristina Poveda, Maria Jose Villar, Kathryn Jones, Maria Elena Bottazzi, Peter Hotez, Edwin Tijhaar, Jeroen Pollet

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Trypanosoma cruzi is a protozoan parasite that causes Chagas disease. Globally 6 to 7 million people are infected by this parasite of which 20-30% will progress to develop Chronic Chagasic Cardiomyopathy (CCC). Despite its high disease burden, no clinically approved vaccine exists for the prevention or treatment of CCC. Developing vaccines that can stimulate T. cruzi-specific CD8+ cytotoxic T cells and eliminate infected cells requires targeting parasitic antigens presented on major histocompatibility complex-I (MHC-I) molecules. We utilized mass spectrometry-based immunopeptidomics to investigate which parasitic peptides are displayed on MHC-I of T. cruzi infected cells. Through duplicate experiments, we identified an …

Therapeutic Effect Of Recombinant Echinococcus Granulosus Antigen B Subunit 2 Protein On Sepsis In A Mouse Model, Ya-Yun Qian, Fei-Fei Huang, Si-Yu Chen, Wei-Xiao Zhang, Yin Wang, Peng-Fei Du, Gen Li, Wen-Bo Ding, Lei Qian, Bin Zhan, Liang Chu, Dong-Hui Jiang, Xiao-Di Yang, Rui Zhou

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Sepsis is a potentially fatal systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) that threatens millions of lives worldwide. Echinococcus granulosus antigen B (EgAgB) is a protein released by the larvae of the tapeworm. This protein has been shown to play an important role in modulating host immune response. In this study we expressed EgAgB as soluble recombinant protein in E. coli (rEgAgB) and explored its protective effect on sepsis.

METHODS: The sepsis model was established by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) procedure in BALB/c mice. The therapeutic effect of rEgAgB on sepsis was performed by interperitoneally injecting 5 µg rEgAgB in …

Complete Genome Sequence Of Borrelia Miyamotoi Strain Mn18-0001, An Am-East-2 Strain Type Isolate Derived From An Ixodes Scapularis Tick (Minnesota), Alexander R Kneubehl, Lynn M Osikowicz, Christina M Parise, Taylor J Van Gundy, Adam J Replogle, Job E Lopez, Rebecca J Eisen, Andrias Hojgaard

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

We report the genomic sequence of the hard tick relapsing fever spirochete Borrelia miyamotoi strain MN18-0001. B. miyamotoi causes human illness and is geographically widespread in Ixodes spp. (Acari: Ixodidae) ticks. This is a chromosome- and plasmid-resolved genome assembly of an Am-East-2 strain type isolate from the midwestern United States.

A Comparison Of The Diagnostic Capability Of Kato-Katz And Real-Time Pcr For The Assessment Of Treatment Efficacy Of Ivermectin And Albendazole Combination Against T Trichiura Infections, Gabriela Matamoros, Ana Sanchez, Ruben Cimino, Alejandro Krolewiecki, Rojelio Mejia

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Trichuris trichiura is humans' second most prevalent soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infection after Ascaris lumbricoides, affecting approximately 460 million people worldwide. Despite its sub-optimal sensitivity, especially in low prevalence and infection intensity settings, the modified Kato-Katz (K-K) is still recommended as a diagnostic method by the World Health organization (WHO) guidelines.

METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Within a randomized clinical trial (RCT) comprising four treatment arms with two different anthelmintics, the present study reports an important secondary research objective to determine the diagnostic agreement between K-K and real-time PCR evaluating treatment efficacy against T. trichiura. The parasitological results were analyzed, including cure rates …

Mitochondrial Genome Analysis Across Different Populations Reveals The Intraspecific Variation And Phylogeography Of The Caucasian Soft Tick Relapsing Fever Vector, Ornithodoros (Pavlovskyella) Verrucosus (Ixodida: Argasidae), Serhii Filatov, Alexander R Kneubehl, Aparna Krishnavajhala, Giorgi Melashvili, Ana Tsitsishvili, Küşver Mamedova, Perot Saelao, Adalberto Á Pérez De León, Job E Lopez

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Territories in southern parts of Eastern Europe and in the Caucasus are endemic for tick-borne relapsing fever (TBRF), caused by Borrelia caucasica. This spirochete is transmitted exclusively by the bites of Ornithodoros verrucosus; however, the distribution and genetic diversity of the tick vector have not been explored. To address this, we performed a phylogeographic study of O. verrucosus specimens collected across a large geographic distribution. We sequenced and analyzed complete mitochondrial genomes of 54 individual O. verrucosus ticks representing 23 geographically diverse populations from Ukraine, Georgia, and Azerbaijan. We detected 47 unique haplotypes, with every collection site exhibiting distinct polymorphisms. …

Tick-Borne Diseases And Pregnancy: A Narrative Review Evaluating Pregnancy Complications Caused By Tick-Borne Diseases, Michael W Curtis, Job E Lopez

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Ticks are vectors of public health concern because the pathogens they transmit can cause detrimental diseases in humans. Lyme disease, tick-borne relapsing fever, human granulocytic anaplasmosis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, tick-borne encephalitis, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, and babesiosis are some of the most common diseases caused by the pathogens transmitted by ticks. The overlap between human activities and tick habitats is growing, contributing to an increase in tick-borne disease cases. Unfortunately, pregnancy as a risk factor for tick-borne diseases is largely ignored. In this narrative review we use case reports, epidemiological studies, and animal studies to evaluate the maternal, pregnancy, and …

Low Prevalence Of Soil Transmitted Helminth Infection In Ugandan Children Hospitalized With Severe Malaria, Drew Capone, Nuzrath Jahan, Ruth Namazzi, Robert Opoka, Chandy John

Paediatrics and Child Health, East Africa

Co-infection by intestinal helminths and Plasmodium spp. may be common in endemic communities. Several studies have identified a relationship between helminth infection, Plasmodium spp. infection and malaria severity. However, the relationship is not well defined, and results are inconclusive. We analyzed stool samples from a cohort of children with severe malaria enrolled in two hospitals in Uganda from 2014-2017 and asymptomatic community children from the same household or neighborhood and enrolled at the same time, all 6 months to 48 months of age. We investigated if intestinal helminth infection modified risk of severe malaria. We extracted nucleic acids from stool …

Phenotypic Diversity Of Type Iii Secretion System Activity In Enteropathogenic Escherichia Coli Clinical Isolates, Carmen A Contreras, Tracy H Hazen, Carmen Guadarrama, Ramón Cervantes-Rivera, Theresa J Ochoa, Pablo Vinuesa, David A Rasko, Jose L Puente

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction. Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) strains pose a significant threat as a leading cause of severe childhood diarrhoea in developing nations. EPEC pathogenicity relies on the type III secretion system (T3SS) encoded by the locus of enterocyte effacement (LEE), facilitating the secretion and translocation of bacterial effector proteins.

Gap Statement. While the regulatory roles of PerC (plasmid-encoded regulator) and GrlA (global regulator of LEE-activator) in ler expression and LEE gene activation are well-documented in the EPEC prototype strain E2348/69, understanding the variability in LEE gene expression control mechanisms among clinical EPEC isolates remains an area requiring further investigation.

Aim. This …

Molecular Testing Of Environmental Samples As A Potential Source To Estimate Parasite Infection, Rojelio Mejia, Barton Slatko, Cristina Almazan, Ruben Cimino, Alejandro Krolewiecki, Natalia Montellano Duran, Jacob Edwin Valera Aspetty, Paola Andrea Vargas, Chiara Cássia Oliveira Amorim, Stefan Michael Geiger, Ricardo Toshio Fujiwara, Juan David Ramirez, Luz Marina Llangarí-Arizo, Irene Guadalupe, Liliana E Villanueva-Lizama, Julio Vladimir Cruz-Chan, María Leticia Ojeda, Eva Mereles Aranda, Sandra Ocampos Benedetti, Maritza Dalí Camones Rivera, Eddyson Montalvo Sabino, Carlos Pineda, Eric J Wetzel, Philip J Cooper

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

We discuss the potential usefulness of molecular testing of soil, dust, and water samples to detect medically important parasites, and where such testing could be used to supplement stool sampling in humans. A wide variety of parasites including protozoa and helminths, many of which are zoonotic, have an important infection reservoir in the environment. In some cases, this environmental period is essential for further parasite development. We describe the progress in implementing methods for the molecular detection of these parasites in soil across eight collaborating centers in Latin America and represent a variety of potential applications in improving our understanding …

Optimization Of Cellular Transduction By The Hiv-Based Pseudovirus Platform With Pan-Coronavirus Spike Proteins, Syamala Rani Thimmiraju, Maria Jose Villar, Jason T Kimata, Ulrich Strych, Maria Elena Bottazzi, Peter J Hotez, Jeroen Pollet

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Over the past three years, new SARS-CoV-2 variants have continuously emerged, evolving to a point where an immune response against the original vaccine no longer provided optimal protection against these new strains. During this time, high-throughput neutralization assays based on pseudoviruses have become a valuable tool for assessing the efficacy of new vaccines, screening updated vaccine candidates against emerging variants, and testing the efficacy of new therapeutics such as monoclonal antibodies. Lentiviral vectors derived from HIV-1 are popular for developing pseudo and chimeric viruses due to their ease of use, stability, and long-term transgene expression. However, the HIV-based platform has …

Parasitic Contamination Of Soil In The Southern United States, Christine Crudo Blackburn, Sally Mingshuang Yan, David Mccormick, Lauren Nicholas Herrera, Roumen Borilov Iordanov, Mark Daniel Bailey, Maria Elena Bottazzi, Peter J Hotez, Rojelio Mejia

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Parasites are generally associated with lower income countries in tropical and subtropical areas. Still, they are also prevalent in low-income communities in the southern United States. Studies characterizing the epidemiology of parasites in the United States are limited, resulting in little comprehensive understanding of the problem. This study investigated the environmental contamination of parasites in the southern United States by determining each parasite's contamination rate and burden in five low-income communities. A total of 499 soil samples of approximately 50 g were collected from public parks and private residences in Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Texas. A technique using …

Molecular Detection Of Intestinal Parasites In A Rural Community Of Colombia: A One Health Approach To Explore Potential Environmental-Zoonotic Transmission, Sergio Castañeda, Claudia Patricia Acosta, Luis Reinel Vasquez-A, Luz H Patiño, Rojelio Mejía, Juan David Ramírez

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Aims: Protozoan and helminth parasitic infections pose significant public health challenges, especially in developing countries with rural populations marked by suboptimal hygiene practices and socio-economic constraints. The parasites are the etiological agents of these infections and have a notably elevated global prevalence. Therefore, this study focuses on estimating the frequency and transmission dynamics of several parasitic species, including Blastocystis, Giardia, Cryptosporidium spp., Entamoeba histolytica, Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura, Taenia spp. and hookworms, within a rural community in southwest Colombia with a particular emphasis on the One Health framework, considering environmental and zoonotic transmission potentials.

Methods and results: This study involved …

Detection Of Soil-Transmitted Helminths And Schistosoma Spp By Nucleic Acid Amplification Test: Results Of The First 5 Years Of The Only International External Quality Assessment Scheme, Annemiek H J Schutte, Rob Koelewijn, Sitara S R Ajjampur, Bruno Levecke, James S Mccarthy, Rojelio Mejia, Steven A Williams, Jaco J Verweij, Lisette Van Lieshout, Jaap J Van Hellemond

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Infections with soil-transmitted helminths (STH) and schistosomiasis (SCH) result in a significant global health burden, particularly in rural communities in low and middle-income countries. While microscopy remains the primary diagnostic method for STH and SCH in resource-limited settings, nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) are gaining prominence as tools for evaluation of public health control programs in endemic countries, and individual diagnosis in high-income countries. Despite the high sensitivity and specificity of NAATs, previous research has highlighted inter-laboratory variations, both in technical and clinical performance, justifying the need for continuous proficiency testing.

METHODOLOGY: Results from 5 rounds over a 5-year …

Treatments And The Perspectives Of Developing A Vaccine For Chagas Disease, Priscila Silva Grijó Farani, Kathryn Marie Jones, Cristina Poveda

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Chagas disease (CD) treatment and vaccine development are critical due to the significant health burden caused by the disease, especially in Latin America. Current treatments include benznidazole and nifurtimox, which are most effective in the acute phase of the disease but less so in the chronic phase, often with significant side effects. Here, using the available literature, we summarize the progress in vaccine development and new treatments that promise to reduce CD incidence and improve the quality of life for those at risk, particularly in endemic regions. New treatment options, such as posaconazole and fexinidazole, are being explored to improve …

Vaccine Value Profile For Hookworm, Karl Philipp Puchner, Maria Elena Bottazzi, Victoria Periago, Martin Grobusch, Rick Maizels, James Mccarthy, Bruce Lee, Erika Gaspari, David Diemert, Peter Hotez

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Hookworm, a parasitic infection, retains a considerable burden of disease, affecting the most underprivileged segments of the general population in endemic countries and remains one of the leading causes of mild to severe anemia in Low and Middle Income Countries (LMICs), particularly in pregnancy and children under 5. Despite repeated large scale Preventive Chemotherapy (PC) interventions since more than 3 decades, there is broad consensus among scholars that elimination targets set in the newly launched NTD roadmap will require additional tools and interventions. Development of a vaccine could constitute a promising expansion of the existing arsenal against hookworm. Therefore, we …

A Trivalent Protein-Based Pan-Betacoronavirus Vaccine Elicits Cross-Neutralizing Antibodies Against A Panel Of Coronavirus Pseudoviruses, Syamala Rani Thimmiraju, Rakesh Adhikari, Jeanna R Redd, Maria Jose Villar, Jungsoon Lee, Zhuyun Liu, Yi-Lin Chen, Suman Sharma, Amandeep Kaur, Nestor L Uzcategui, Shannon E Ronca, Wen-Hsiang Chen, Jason T Kimata, Bin Zhan, Ulrich Strych, Maria Elena Bottazzi, Peter J Hotez, Jeroen Pollet

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The development of broad-spectrum coronavirus vaccines is essential to prepare for future respiratory virus pandemics. We demonstrated broad neutralization by a trivalent subunit vaccine, formulating the receptor-binding domains of SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, and SARS-CoV-2 XBB.1.5 with Alum and CpG55.2. Vaccinated mice produced cross-neutralizing antibodies against all three human Betacoronaviruses and others currently exclusive to bats, indicating the epitope preservation of the individual antigens during co-formulation and the potential for epitope broadening.

Response To: “Quantifying The Effect Of Vaccination On Transmission In Modelling Studies”, Sarah M Bartsch, Kelly J O'Shea, Ulrich Strych, Maria Elena Bottazzi, Bruce Y Lee

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

No abstract provided.

Concepts In Animal Parasitology, Scott L. Gardner, Sue Ann Gardner

Zea E-Books Collection

Note that this version of the textbook has been superceded by the one updated in 2026, available at the UNL Pressbooks site.

The hard copy version that is for sale at lulu.com is the old version.

"This is a textbook covering concepts in animal parasitology. It is meant to be used by students, teachers, professors, researchers, and members of the public who are interested in learning about animal parasite biology, systematics, taxonomy, zoogeography, and ecology. The primary intended audience is upper-level undergraduate or graduate university students who have knowledge of basic biology and, particularly, basic animal biology. (863 pages, …

Seroprevalence Of Anti-Sars-Cov-2 Igg Antibodies In Healthcare Personnel In El Salvador Prior To Vaccination Campaigns, José Elías Aguilar Ramírez, Adrianna Maliga, Allison Stewart, Allison Lino, José Eduardo Oliva, Xochitl Sandoval, Emily Zielinski-Gutierrez, Rafael Chacon-Fuentes, Parminder S Suchdev, Susana Zelaya, Mario Sánchez, Delmy Lisseth Recinos, Beatriz López, Ella Hawes, Julie Liu, Shannon E Ronca, Sarah M Gunter, Kristy O Murray, Rhina Domínguez

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

COVID-19, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, is a highly pathogenic emerging infectious disease. Healthcare personnel (HCP) are presumably at higher risk of acquiring emerging infections because of occupational exposure. The prevalence of COVID-19 in HCP is unknown, particularly in low- to middle-income countries like El Salvador. The goal of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies among HCP in El Salvador just prior to vaccine rollout in March 2021. We evaluated 2176 participants from a nationally representative sample of national healthcare institutions. We found 40.4% (n = 880) of the study participants were seropositive for anti-spike …

Water, Sanitation, And Hygiene Infrastructure And Resources In Schools In Belize During The Covid-19 Pandemic, 2021-2023, Anh N Ly, Kelsey Mcdavid, Christina Craig, Dian Maheia, Yolanda Gongora, Alexandra Medley, Francis Morey, Russell Manzanero, Gerhaldine Morazan, Allison Lino, Vickie Romero, Rosalva Blanco, Kanako Ishida, Matthew Lozier, Kristy O Murray

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Access to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) resources in schools is critical for disease prevention and control, especially during public health emergencies. In Belize, systematic, national data on WASH in schools are needed to inform public health decisions and interventions. From December 2021 to January 2022, a national survey was sent electronically to government and government-aided primary and secondary schools in Belize (N = 308) to gather information on WASH services. From the survey, 12 pilot schools were selected based on the highest self-reported need for WASH resources to participate in additional evaluation and intervention, which included environmental nudges, supplemental …

A Journey In Science: Molecular Vaccines For Global Child Health In Troubled Times Of Anti-Science, Peter J Hotez

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

My scientific life in translational medicine runs in two parallel, yet often converging paths. The first, is four-decade-long commitment to develop new vaccines for parasitic and neglected tropical diseases, as well as pandemic threats. This includes a vaccine for human hookworm infection that I began as an MD-PhD student in New York City in the 1980s, and a new low-cost COVID vaccine that reached almost 100 million people in low- and middle-income countries. Alongside this life in scientific research, is one in public engagement for vaccine and neglected disease diplomacy to ensure that people who live in extreme poverty can …

Geographic Distribution Of Human Infections With Zoonotic Ancylostoma Ceylanicum And Anthropophilic Hookworms In Ecuador: A Retrospective Analysis Of Archived Stool Samples, Dayana Aguilar-Rodríguez, Victor Seco-Hidalgo, Andrea Lopez, Natalia Romero-Sandoval, Manuel Calvopiña, Angel Guevara, Lucy Baldeón, Alejandro Rodríguez, Rojelio Mejia, Thomas B Nutman, William J Sears, Philip J Cooper

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Zoonotic human infections with Ancylostoma ceylanicum have recently been reported in the Americas. We used archived human stool samples to study the geographic distribution of human infections with A. ceylanicum and anthropophilic hookworms in different geoclimatic regions (coastal, Andean, and Amazon) of Ecuador. We analyzed retrospectively archived human stool samples from five studies previously screened for hookworm infection by microscopy, of which four included hookworm-positive samples only and one involved hookworm-negative samples to increase geographic distribution of sampling. Stools were analyzed using multi-parallel quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assays to detect Necator americanus, Ancylostoma duodenale, A. ceylanicum, Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris …

Immunogenicity Phase Ii Study Evaluating Booster Capacity Of Nonadjuvanted Aks-452 Sars-Cov-2 Rbd Fc Vaccine, David G Alleva, Eline A Feitsma, Yester F Janssen, Hendrikus H Boersma, Thomas M Lancaster, Thillainaygam Sathiyaseelan, Sylaja Murikipudi, Andrea R Delpero, Melanie M Scully, Ramya Ragupathy, Sravya Kotha, Jeffrey R Haworth, Nishit J Shah, Vidhya Rao, Shashikant Nagre, Shannon E Ronca, Freedom M Green, Stephen A Shaw, Ari Aminetzah, Schelto Kruijff, Maarten Brom, Gooitzen M Van Dam, Todd C Zion

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

AKS-452, a subunit vaccine comprising an Fc fusion of the ancestral wild-type (WT) SARS-CoV-2 virus spike protein receptor binding domain (SP/RBD), was evaluated without adjuvant in a single cohort, non-randomized, open-labelled phase II study (NCT05124483) at a single site in The Netherlands for safety and immunogenicity. A single 90 µg subcutaneous booster dose of AKS-452 was administered to 71 adults previously primed with a registered mRNA- or adenovirus-based vaccine and evaluated for 273 days. All AEs were mild and no SAEs were attributable to AKS-452. While all subjects showed pre-existing SP/RBD binding and ACE2-inhibitory IgG titers, 60-68% responded to AKS-452 …

The Potential Epidemiologic, Clinical, And Economic Value Of A Universal Coronavirus Vaccine: A Modelling Study, Sarah M Bartsch, Kelly J O'Shea, Danielle C John, Ulrich Strych, Maria Elena Bottazzi, Marie F Martinez, Allan Ciciriello, Kevin L Chin, Colleen Weatherwax, Kavya Velmurugan, Jessie Heneghan, Sheryl A Scannell, Peter J Hotez, Bruce Y Lee

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: With efforts underway to develop a universal coronavirus vaccine, otherwise known as a pan-coronavirus vaccine, this is the time to offer potential funders, researchers, and manufacturers guidance on the potential value of such a vaccine and how this value may change with differing vaccine and vaccination characteristics.

METHODS: Using a computational model representing the United States (U.S.) population, the spread of SARS-CoV-2 and the various clinical and economic outcomes of COVID-19 such as hospitalisations, deaths, quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) lost, productivity losses, direct medical costs, and total societal costs, we explored the impact of a universal vaccine under different …

Proteome Analysis For Inflammation Related To Acute And Convalescent Infection, Tara K Sigdel, Swastika Sur, Patrick Boada, Suzanne M Mcdermott, Cecilia S Lindestam Arlehamn, Kristy O Murray, Linda K Bockenstedt, Maggie Kerwin, Elaine F Reed, Eva Harris, Ken Stuart, Bjoern Peters, Ana Sesma, Ruth R Montgomery, Minnie M Sarwal

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Infectious diseases are a significant burden in global healthcare. Pathogens engage with different host defense mechanisms. However, it is currently unknown if there are disease-specific immune signatures and/or if different pathogens elicit common immune-associated molecular entities to common therapeutic interventions. We studied patients enrolled through the Human Immunology Project Consortium (HIPC), which focuses on immune responses to various infections. Blood samples were collected and analyzed from patients during infection and follow-up time points at the convalescent stage. The study included samples from patients with Lyme disease (LD), tuberculosis (TB), malaria (MLA), dengue virus (DENV), and West Nile virus (WNV), as …

Biophysical And Biochemical Characterization Of A Recombinant Lyme Disease Vaccine Antigen, Cspz-Ya, Yi-Lin Chen, Jungsoon Lee, Zhuyun Liu, Ulrich Strych, Maria Elena Bottazzi, Yi-Pin Lin, Wen-Hsiang Chen

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Lyme disease, caused by Lyme Borrelia spirochetes, is the most common vector-borne illness in the United States. Despite its global significance, with an estimated 14.5 % seroprevalence, there is currently no licensed vaccine. Previously, we demonstrated that CspZ-YA protein conferred protection against Lyme Borrelia infection, making it a promising vaccine candidate. However, such a protein was tagged with hexahistidine, and thus not preferred for vaccine development; furthermore, the formulation to stabilize the protein was understudied. In this work, we developed a two-step purification process for tag-free E. coli-expressed recombinant CspZ-YA. We further utilized various bioassays to analyze the protein and …

Intramuscular But Not Nebulized Administration Of A Mrna Vaccine Against Rhodococcus Equi Stimulated Humoral Immune Responses In Neonatal Foals, Rebecca M Legere, Cristina Poveda, Jeannine A Ott, Jocelyne M Bray, Emma G Villafone, Bibiana Petri Da Silveira, Susanne K Kahn, Cameron L Martin, Chiara Mancino, Francesca Taraballi, Michael F Criscitiello, Luc Berghman, Angela I Bordin, Jeroen Pollet, Noah D Cohen

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Objective: Design and evaluate immune responses of neonatal foals to a mRNA vaccine expressing the virulence-associated protein A (VapA) of Rhodococcus equi.

Animals: Cultured primary equine respiratory tract cells; Serum, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from 30 healthy Quarter Horse foals.

Methods: VapA expression was evaluated by western immunoblot in cultured equine bronchial cells transfected with 4 mRNA constructs encoding VapA. The mRNA construct with greatest expression was used to immunize foals at ages 2 and 21 days in 5 groups: (1) 300 μg nebulized mRNA (n = 6); (2) 600 μg nebulized mRNA (n …

Virology-The Path Forward, Angela L Rasmussen, Gigi K Gronvall, Anice C Lowen, Felicia Goodrum, James Alwine, Kristian G Andersen, Simon J Anthony, Joel Baines, Arinjay Banerjee, Andrew J Broadbent, Christopher B Brooke, Samuel K Campos, Patrizia Caposio, Arturo Casadevall, Gary C Chan, Anna R Cliffe, Donna Collins-Mcmillen, Nancy Connell, Blossom Damania, Matthew D Daugherty, Kari Debbink, Terence S Dermody, Daniel Dimaio, W Paul Duprex, Michael Emerman, Denise A Galloway, Robert F Garry, Stephen A Goldstein, Alexander L Greninger, Amy L Hartman, Brenda G Hogue, Stacy M Horner, Peter J Hotez, Jae U Jung, Jeremy P Kamil, Stephanie M Karst, Lou Laimins, Seema S Lakdawala, Igor Landais, Michael Letko, Brett Lindenbach, Shan-Lu Liu, Micah Luftig, Grant Mcfadden, Andrew Mehle, Juliet Morrison, Anne Moscona, Elke Mühlberger, Joshua Munger, Karl Münger, Eain Murphy, Christopher J Neufeldt, Janko Z Nikolich, Christine M O'Connor, Andrew Pekosz, Sallie R Permar, Julie K Pfeiffer, Saskia V Popescu, John G Purdy, Vincent R Racaniello, Charles M Rice, Jonathan A Runstadler, Martin J Sapp, Rona S Scott, Gregory A Smith, Erin M Sorrell, Emily Speranza, Daniel Streblow, Scott A Tibbetts, Zsolt Toth, Koenraad Van Doorslaer, Susan R Weiss, Elizabeth A White, Timothy M White, Christiane E Wobus, Michael Worobey, Satoko Yamaoka, Andrew Yurochko

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

In the United States (US), biosafety and biosecurity oversight of research on viruses is being reappraised. Safety in virology research is paramount and oversight frameworks should be reviewed periodically. Changes should be made with care, however, to avoid impeding science that is essential for rapidly reducing and responding to pandemic threats as well as addressing more common challenges caused by infectious diseases. Decades of research uniquely positioned the US to be able to respond to the COVID-19 crisis with astounding speed, delivering life-saving vaccines within a year of identifying the virus. We should embolden and empower this strength, which is …