ETIDIOH - NEW

  Abstract Influenza causes substantial morbidity and mortality worldwide. This randomized, open-label, phase 1 trial (ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT05397223, date of registration: May 31, 2022) compared the immunogenicity of an mRNA-based quadrivalent influenza hemagglutinin (HA) vaccine (mRNA-1010) with a licensed comparator (FLUAD) in adults aged 18-75 years . We evaluated humoral and cellular immune responses using hemagglutination inhibition assays , flow cytometry-based memory B cell (MBC) profiling, and intracellular cytokine staining for T-cell characterization. Both vaccines elicited durable hemagglutination inhibition titers and increased HA-specific MBC responses across four vaccine strains. Compared with FLUAD, mRNA-1010 induced higher frequencies of classical and activated MBCs specific to the H3 HA included in the vaccine, while inducing similar MBC responses to the other strains. mRNA-1010 and FLUAD generated strong HA-specific CD4+ T-cell responses; a trend toward higher C...

  Abstract Marburg virus (MARV) is the primary cause of Marburg virus disease (MVD), a severe hemorrhagic fever with a high case-fatality rate. The first reported MVD outbreak in Tanzania occurred in 2023 , followed by a second outbreak in 2025 , both within the Kagera region . During those MVD outbreaks, 174 suspected cases were identified; of those, 10 were laboratory confirmed. After complete genome assembly and bioinformatic analyses, we found the MARV strains of the 2023 and 2025 outbreaks to be closely related and clustered with MARV strains that caused outbreaks in Rwanda (2024) and Uganda (2014). The sequences from both MVD outbreaks in Tanzania showed >99.71% nucleotide identity, suggesting a possible single spillover event followed by limited human-to-human virus transmission . Further ecologic studies are essential to identify potential spillover events, but our findings indicate that closely related MARV strains circulate in Kagera, Tanzania, posing a risk for future...

  Abstract This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of heart failure (HF) among adults aged ≥ 40 years using health checkup and medical claim data in Fukushima from 2015 to 2021 . Joinpoint regression and age-period-cohort analyses were conducted to estimate temporal trends. Age-standardized prevalence and hospital admission rates for HF were 37.0 and 7.4/1000 and 25.9 and 5.3/1000 for men and women, respectively. The prevalence was significantly higher in the coastal area and evacuation zone designated after the 2011 disaster compared to the prefecture overall. In men, the prevalence increased continuously, with an average annual percentage change (AAPC) ranging from 0.72% (evacuation zone) to 1.15% (mountainous area) (P < 0.05). In total residents, the AAPC was significant only in the mountainous areas (0.78%, P = 0.021). Age-period-cohort analysis showed a net drift of 2.50% (95% CI 1.88–3.13%) in men and 0.76% (95% CI − 0.17–1.70%) in women. Cohort rate ratios increase...

  Highlights •  Human influenza A virus N2 neuraminidases were analyzed by antigenic cartography •  N2 antigenic evolution was discordant with antigenic evolution of H3 hemagglutinin •  Important epitopes were identified at the NA active site but also elsewhere in NA •  Changes in charge, volume, and hydropathy of epitope residues caused antigenic drift Summary Human influenza A viruses escape antibody-mediated immunity through changes in the hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) glycoproteins . HA antigenic evolution has been studied extensively, with more recent interest in NA due to its importance in influenza vaccine efficacy. Here, the antigenic properties of the NA of more than 300 A( H3N2 ) and A( H2N2 ) viruses isolated since 1957 were quantified with a NA inhibition enzyme-linked lectin assay and visualized using antigenic cartography , with follow-up molecular studies using recombinant viruses. The antigenic evolution of N2 NA was more gradual than...