auspice

nextstrain.org

Best practices for estimating and reporting epidemiological delay distributions of infectious diseases

Epidemiological delays are key quantities that inform public health policy and clinical practice. They are used as inputs for mathematical and statistical models, which in turn can guide control strat...

journals.plos.org

Events | GSIDD

gsidd.org

Safety and Preliminary Efficacy of Dengue Monoclonal Antibody in Adult Patients: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Importance  Dengue outbreaks are increasing in frequency and intensity. In the absence of any specific treatment, a pan-serotype recombinant monoclonal antibody (Dengue-mAb) was tested in adult patients with dengue as a therapeutic option.Objective  To assess the safety and effect of a single dose of Dengue-mAb on dengue viremia at different dose levels among patients with dengue.Design, Setting, and Participants  A phase 2, single-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted from September 19, 2021, to May 13, 2023, at 12 hospitals in India. Study participants were aged 18 to 60 years with dengue and a history of fever onset within 48 hours. Key exclusion criteria were severe dengue, hemoglobin less than 10 g/dL, absolute neutrophil count less than 500/mm3, total leukocyte count less than 1500/mm3, platelet count less than 50 000/mm3, and any other clinically significant disorders. Data were analyzed from January 11, 2024, to March 26, 2024.Interventions  Participants were randomly allocated 1:1:1:1:1 using an interactive web response system to receive 1 of 4 dose levels of Dengue-mAb (3, 5, 7, or 9 mg/kg) or placebo by slow intravenous infusion.Main Outcomes and Measures  Primary outcomes were reduction in viremia at 24 hours and causally related serious adverse events (SAEs). Secondary outcomes were RNAemia, fever, and hematologic and pharmacokinetic parameters.Findings  A total of 250 participants were randomized, with 50 participants in each group. The overall median age was 30 years (IQR, 24-37 years), and 180 participants (72.3%) were male. There were no causally related SAEs. The adjusted mean (SE) viral log reduction at 24 hours was significantly higher with Dengue-mAb—from 1.93 (0.23) with 3 mg/kg (P = .04) to 2.35 (0.27) with 9 mg/kg (P = .003)—compared with placebo (1.29 [0.22]), using a mixed model for repeated measures. Participants with detectable viremia (n = 32) at baseline were negative for dengue virus by 8 hours when treated with a 5- to 9-mg/kg dose of Dengue-mAb compared with 72 hours with placebo. Median time to fever clearance was 3.5 (95% CI, 1.0-24.0) hours (hazard ratio [HR], 2.6 [95% CI, 1.0-6.4]) with Dengue-mAb 5 mg/kg (n = 14) and 2.0 (95% CI, 0.5-6.0) hours (HR, 2.8 [95% CI, 1.2-6.8]) with Dengue-mAb 7 mg/kg (n = 14), compared with 26.8 (95% CI, 1.0-50.5) hours with placebo (n = 12). At 24 hours, between 13 of 14 participants (92.9%; 95% CI, 66.1%-99.8%) with Dengue-mAb (3 mg/kg), 14 of 14 participants (100.0%; 95% CI, 76.8%-100.0%) with Dengue-mAb (5 mg/kg and 7 mg/kg), and 16 of 17 participants (94.1%; 95% CI 71.3%-99.9%) with Dengue-mAb (9 mg/kg); and 7 of 12 participants (58.3%; 95% CI, 27.7%-84.8%) with placebo had fever clearance.Conclusions and Relevance  In this randomized clinical trial, Dengue-mAb was safe and well tolerated. Dengue-mAb rapidly reduced dengue viremia and fever at doses of 5 mg/kg and 7 mg/kg, making this the first therapeutic against wild-type dengue virus to show preliminary efficacy in humans.Trial Registration  Clinical Trial Registry-India Identifier: CTRI/2021/07/035290

jamanetwork.com

The hidden map of measles risk: why zooming in changed everything

County vaccination figures looked reassuring right up until the largest US measles outbreak in 30 years began. This is the story of building a 50,000-school dataset to find out why the averages were lying, and what surveillance looks like once you finally zoom in.

go.nature.com

How bursty infectiousness shapes epidemic dynamics

An epidemic’s expected course is determined by the magnitude and timing of a typical person’s infectiousness — captured, in turn, by the basic reproduction number and the generation-time distribution....

medrxiv.org

Risk-targeted interventions for measles control- Lessons from an emergency response project in the Katanga Region, Democratic Republic of the Congo (2021-2023)

The Urgepi project is a measles emergency initiative implemented by Medecins Sans Frontieres Operational Centre Paris (MSF-OCP) in the Katanga region of the Democratic Republic of Congo, a setting cha...

medrxiv.org

Making inferences with incomplete epidemiological data: a proof-of-concept estimating measles vaccine coverage across Canada

Background & aims of study Current measles outbreaks around the world have highlighted the evolving immunity landscape of some vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs). In Canada, there have been approxima...

medrxiv.org

Trump’s Plan for Science: More Money for A.I., Less for Universities (Gift Article)

Michael Kratsios, President Trump’s science adviser, proposed overhauling how the government funds research. Democrats said Mr. Trump’s actions had weakened science.

nytimes.com

How understanding the diversity of perspectives and systems in governments can increase the impact of scientific research - Communications Health

Communications Health - How understanding the diversity of perspectives and systems in governments can increase the impact of scientific research

nature.com

Flood of comments on White House grantmaking overhaul is largely negative, analysis shows

An analysis of public comments on a White House proposal to change the way federal contracts and grants are doled out shows widespread opposition

statnews.com

Inside the new political screening that’s stalling NIH grants

Mandatory reviews by top health officials and checks for 235 disfavoured terms have left hundreds of vetted grant applications in administrative limbo.

nature.com

Same household, different choices: variation in health behaviors related to respiratory viruses in Illinois

While SARS-CoV-2 and influenza continue to place a significant burden on population health, within-household differences in decisions towards vaccination and seeking care across these two pathogens, a...

medrxiv.org

Ebola, Covid-19 And The Elusive Quest For Global Health Equity

Published during this pandemic, Paul Farmer’s new book, “Fevers, Feuds, And Diamonds,” is important, as it presents a critical dissection of the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, and the lessons we can l...

forbes.com

Incorporating vaccine effects into epidemiological models: common pitfalls and solutions

Incorporating vaccination into mathematical models appears deceptively simple: models integrate vaccine-derived protections, such as reduced susceptibility to infection, using parameters informed by e...

arxiv.org

Report - Estimation of the size of the outbreak of Ebola disease caused by Bundibugyo virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Report - Estimation of the size of the outbreak of Ebola disease caused by Bundibugyo virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

imperial.ac.uk

Epidemic of Ebola Disease caused by Bundibugyo virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda determined a public health emergency of international concern

Pursuant to paragraph 2 of Article 12 - Determination of a public health emergency of international concern, including a pandemic emergency of the International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR), the Di...

who.int

Frontiers | Visualizing epidemiological models for policy: design principles for effective communication

Communicating scientific ideas to policy actors is a longstanding challenge, especially in epidemiological modeling where evidence is inherently uncertain. C...

frontiersin.org

Why Hantavirus Will Not Be The Next Pandemic

An ecologist explains why the hantavirus cruise ship outbreak, while serious, will not become the next pandemic. The biology of Andes virus limits large-scale spread.

forbes.com