Are we serologically prepared against an avian #influenza #pandemic and could seasonal flu #vaccines help us?
ABSTRACT The current situation with H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAI) is causing a worldwide concern due to multiple outbreaks in wild birds, poultry, and mammals. Moreover, multiple zoonotic infections in humans have been reported. Importantly, HPAI H5N1 viruses with genetic markers of adaptation to mammals have been detected. Together with HPAI H5N1, avian influenza viruses H7N9 (high and low pathogenic) stand out due to their high mortality rates in humans . This raises the question of how prepared we are serologically and whether seasonal vaccines are capable of inducing protective immunity against these influenza subtypes. An observational study was conducted in which sera from people born between years 1925–1967, 1968–1977, and 1978–1997 were collected before or after 28 days or 6 months post-vaccination with an inactivated seasonal influenza vaccine. Then, hemagglutination inhibition, viral neutralization, and immunoassays were performed to assess the basal pro...