Shiga-like toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) infection causes diarrhea, which is often bloody and which can result in potentially life-threatening hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS). Urtoxazumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody directed against the Shiga-like toxin 2 (Stx2) produced by STEC, has been developed as a promising agent for the prevention of HUS. Single randomized, intravenous, double-blind, placebo-controlled doses of urtoxazumab were administered to assess its safety and pharmacokinetics in healthy adults (0.1 to 3.0 mg/kg of body weight) and STEC-infected pediatric patients (1.0 and 3.0 mg/kg). No dose-related safety trends were noted, nor were antiurtoxazumab antibodies detected. The disposition of urtoxazumab showed a biexponential decline, regardless of the dose. In healthy adults, the mean terminal elimination half-life was consistent across the dose groups and ranged from 24.6 days (3.0-mg/kg dose group) to 28.9 days (0.3-mg/kg dose group). The mean maximum serum drug concentration (C max ) ranged from 2.6 g/ml at 0.1 mg/kg to 71.7 g/ml at 3.0 mg/kg. The disposition of urtoxazumab following the administration of doses of 1.0 and 3.0 mg/kg in pediatric patients showed mean C max s of 19.6 and 56.1 g/ml, respectively. Urtoxazumab was well tolerated, appears to be safe at doses of up to 3.0 mg/kg, and is a potential candidate for the prevention of HUS in pediatric patients.

Results suggest that young STEC-positive children with bloody diarrhea and exhibiting neutrophilic leukocytosis in the early course of their diarrhea are at risk for HUS progression. The observation of measurable concentrations of Stx-2 levels in the early post-bloody-diarrhea period and rapid dissipation at the time of HUS onset requires further evaluation.

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This study demonstrated the safety and immunogenicity of a pediatric formulation of hepatitis A vaccine in children ages 12 months to 15 years in healthy children ages 12 to 47 months.

After a 2014 outbreak of severe respiratory illness caused by enterovirus D68 in the United States, sporadic cases of acute flaccid myelitis have been reported worldwide. We describe a cluster of acute flaccid myelitis cases in Argentina in 2016, adding data to the evidence of association between enterovirus D68 and this polio-like illness.

Currently available data demonstrate that Avaxim 80U Pediatric confers to most vaccinees a high level of seroprotection against hepatitis A infection for at least 20-30 years.

We examined long-term anti-hepatitis A virus antibody persistence in Argentinean children 10 years after the initial study in which they received 2 doses of inactivated hepatitis A vaccine (Avaxim 80U). Of the 111 children, 48 from the initial trial were enrolled. Of 48, 47 (97.9%) participants had serum anti-hepatitis A virus antibody titers > or =20 mIU/mL, with the geometric mean concentration of 390.91 (+/-370.14) mIU/mL; (95% confidence interval, 282.2-499.5 mIU/mL), range, 36 to 1860.