A novel swine-origin influenza A virus was identified as the cause of outbreaks of febrile respiratory infection ranging from self-limited to severe illness. It is likely that the number of confirmed cases underestimates the number of cases that have occurred.

Influenza A virus reservoirs in animals have provided novel genetic elements leading to the emergence of global pandemics in humans. Most influenza A viruses circulate in waterfowl, but those that infect mammalian hosts are thought to pose the greatest risk for zoonotic spread to humans and the generation of pandemic or panzootic viruses. We have identified an influenza A virus from little yellow-shouldered bats captured at two locations in Guatemala. It is significantly divergent from known influenza A viruses. The HA of the bat virus was estimated to have diverged at roughly the same time as the known subtypes of HA and was designated as H17. The neuraminidase (NA) gene is highly divergent from all known influenza NAs, and the internal genes from the bat virus diverged from those of known influenza A viruses before the estimated divergence of the known influenza A internal gene lineages. Attempts to propagate this virus in cell cultures and chicken embryos were unsuccessful, suggesting distinct requirements compared with known influenza viruses. Despite its divergence from known influenza A viruses, the bat virus is compatible for genetic exchange with human influenza viruses in human cells, suggesting the potential capability for reassortment and contributions to new pandemic or panzootic influenza A viruses.

Influenza is a major contributor to childhood pneumonia both through high influenza infection incidence and high pneumonia prevalence among infected children. Its contribution to early childhood pneumonia appears under-appreciated in high pneumonia-endemic tropical settings. Influenza vaccine trials against childhood pneumonia are warranted.

Annual immunization with a trivalent inactivated vaccine (TIV) is considered efficacious for prevention of seasonal influenza in older adults. However, significant controversy exists in the current literature regarding the clinical effectiveness of TIV immunization in this highly heterogeneous population. Frailty is an important geriatric syndrome characterized by decreased physiologic reserve and increased vulnerability to stressors. Using a validated set of frailty criteria, we conducted a prospective observational study to evaluate TIV-induced strain-specific hemagglutination inhibition (HI) antibody titers and post-vaccination rates of influenza-like illness (ILI) and infection in frail and nonfrail older adults. The results indicate that frailty was associated with significant impairment in TIV-induced strain-specific HI titers and increased rates of ILI and laboratory-confirmed influenza infection. These findings suggest that assessing frailty status in the elderly may identify those who are less likely to respond to TIV immunization and be at higher risk for seasonal influenza and its complications.

Diagnostic tests for detecting emerging influenza virus strains with pandemic potential are critical for directing global influenza prevention and control activities. In 2008, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention received US Food and Drug Administration approval for a highly sensitive influenza polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay. Devices were deployed to public health laboratories in the United States and globally. Within 2 weeks of the first recognition of 2009 pandemic influenza H1N1, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention developed and began distributing a new approved pandemic influenza H1N1 PCR assay, which used the previously deployed device platform to meet a >8-fold increase in specimen submissions. Rapid antigen tests were widely used by clinicians at the point of care; however, test sensitivity was low (40%-69%). Many clinical laboratories developed their own pandemic influenza H1N1 PCR assays to meet clinician demand. Future planning efforts should identify ways to improve availability of reliable testing to manage patient care and approaches for optimal use of molecular testing for detecting and controlling emerging influenza virus strains.

A prospective investigation was carried out among pediatric outpatients and inpatients with acute non-dysenteric diarrhea between August, 2008 and July, 2009 in Shanghai, Hangzhou, Chongqing, and Tianjin, China. One step real-time RT-PCR was used for detection of norovirus (NoV) genogroups I and II (GI, GII). The NoV genotypes were classified based on partial capsid sequences. Rotavirus (RV) was detected in parallel. Among 4,123 fecal samples from outpatients, 1,067 (25.9%) were NoV-positive, of which 1,051 (98.5%) belonged to GII and 1,309 (31.7%) were RV-positive. In the inpatient group (n = 317), 25.6% were NoV-positive and 41.6% were RV-positive. Four hundred and fifty-one out of 1,067 NoV-positive strains were sequenced and genotyped and 6 typed strains were GI (3 GI.3, 2 GI.5, 1 GI.4) and 445 typed strains were GII. GII strains clustered into nine genotypes including GII.4 2006b (69.2%), the only GII.4 variant identified in this study, followed by GII.3 (23.8%), GII.6 (3.6%), GII.12 (1.3%), GII.2 (0.9%), GII.13 (0.4%), GII.14 (0.2%), GII.7 (0.2%), and GII.16 (0.2%). A peak of NoV infections was observed during the cold season in Tianjin, while NoV activity was higher between late summer and autumn and lower during winter in Shanghai, Hangzhou, and Chongqing. NoV is a common causative agent of childhood diarrhea in China and the seasons of NoV-associated diarrhea varies between regions. The results show that NoV GII.4 2006b was the predominant strain circulating in China between 2008 and 2009.

Influenza infection following allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT) can result in severe complications. The effectiveness of the annual vaccine depends on age, immune competence and the antigenic potential of the 3 strains included (1). . We hypothesized that a second vaccine dose, the standard of care for vaccine-naïve children, might improve post-HCT immune responses. Patients >60 days post-HCT were randomized to receive either 1 (n=33) or 2 (n=32) influenza vaccine doses separated by one month. The primary endpoint was whether two vaccinations induced superior immunity, however, we found no difference. Secondary endpoints were to identify variables associated with responses. Both hemagglutination inhibition (HAI) (p<0.005) and ELISpot responses (p=0.03) were greater for patients vaccinated ≥1 year post transplant. UCB recipients showed less IFN-γ responses (p=<0.001). Interestingly, there was a positive correlation between the total number of CD19+ cells prior to vaccination and seroconversion (p=0.01) and an inverse correlation for IFN-γ responses (p=0.05). Variables not associated with vaccine responses included: pre-vaccine CD4+ cell counts (total, naïve or memory), steroid usage at vaccination, age, or conditioning intensity. Time from transplantation to vaccination and absolute CD19+ cell counts were the strongest predictors of vaccine responses. Methods to improve influenza vaccine responses after allo-HCT are needed.

Telomere length is positively associated with a robust lymphocyte response, and telomere attrition may contribute to the age-associated decline of adaptive immunity.