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Experimental vaccine may protect against HIV infection

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Scientists have developed a novel vaccine candidate that may prevent HIV infection by stimulating an immune response against sugars that form a protective shield around the virus.
Scientists have developed a novel vaccine candidate that may prevent HIV infection by stimulating an immune response against sugars that form a protective shield around the virus.

“An obstacle to creating an effective HIV vaccine is the difficulty of getting the immune system to generate antibodies against the sugar shield of multiple HIV strains,” said Lai-Xi Wang, a professor at University of Maryland in the US. “Our method addresses this problem by designing a vaccine component that mimics a protein-sugar part of this shield,” said Wang.

Researchers designed a vaccine candidate using an HIV protein fragment linked to a sugar group. When injected into rabbits, the vaccine candidate stimulated an antibody response against the sugar shield in four different HIV strains. The protein fragment of the vaccine candidate comes from gp120, a protein that covers HIV like a protective envelope.

A sugar shield covers the gp120 envelope, bolstering HIV’s defenses. The rare HIV-infected individuals who can keep the virus at bay without medication typically have antibodies that attack gp120. Researchers have tried to create an HIV vaccine targeting gp120, but had little success as the sugar shield on HIV resembles sugars found in the human body and therefore does not stimulate a strong immune response.

More than 60 strains of HIV exist and the virus mutates frequently. As a result, antibodies against gp120 from one HIV strain will not protect against other strains. To overcome these challenges, researchers focused on a small fragment of gp120 protein that is common among HIV strains. They used a synthetic chemistry to combine the gp120 fragment with a sugar molecule, also shared among HIV strains, to mimic the sugar shield on the HIV envelope.
Researchers then injected the protein-sugar vaccine candidate into rabbits and found that the rabbits’ immune systems produced antibodies that were physically bound to gp120 found in four dominant strains of HIV in circulation. “This result was significant because producing antibodies that directly target the defensive sugar shield is an important step in developing immunity against the target and therefore the first step in developing a truly effective vaccine,” Wang said.

“But the ability of the vaccine candidate to raise substantial antibodies against the sugar shield in only two months is encouraging. Other studies took up to four years to achieve similar results. This means that our molecule is a relatively strong inducer of the immune response,” he added.

Source: http://www.hindustantimes.com/health/experimental-vaccine-may-protect-against-hiv-infection/story-YF4nSGuvIivxziTsH3mYTO.html

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Nipah virus outbreak in Kerala: All you need to know about the infection

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As the death toll in the virus-induced fever in north Kerala rises to nine, the National Virology Institute in Pune has confirmed that the deceased were infected with Nipah virus (NiV). This is the first time the virus, which has high fatality rate and spreads mainly through bats, pigs and other animals, has been detected in the state.

The Union Health Ministry has rushed a team of experts to assist the state that is struggling to cope with the outbreak. Here’s all you need to know about the virus:

THE VIRUS

Nipah virus (NiV) infection is a newly-emerging zoonosis (a disease which can be transmitted to humans from animals) that causes severe disease in both animals and humans. The natural host of the virus are fruit bats of the Pteropodidae Family, Pteropus genus.

FIRST OUTBREAK

NiV was first identified during an outbreak of disease that took place in Kampung Sungai Nipah, Malaysia in 1998. On this occasion, pigs were the intermediate hosts. However, in subsequent NiV outbreaks, there were no intermediate hosts. In Bangladesh in 2004, humans became infected with NiV as a result of consuming date palm sap that had been contaminated by infected fruit bats.

OUTBREAKS IN INDIA 

Human-to-human transmission has also been documented, including in a hospital setting. India confirmed its first Nipah outbreak in Siliguri, West Bengal, in 2001, with 66 cases and 45 deaths. A second outbreak in Nadia district in 2007 led to the deaths of all the five persons infected. The death rate in India is a high 70%, with 50 of the 71 people infected dying during the two outbreaks in West Bengal.

This is the first Nipah outbreak in Kerala.

TRANSMISSION

The viruses jump the species barrier and infect a secondary animal host, transmission takes place through direct contact with infected bats, pigs, or from other NiV-infected people and people have been also cautioned that they should not consume fruits that have fallen on to the ground.

SYMPTOMS

NiV infection in humans has a range of clinical presentations, from asymptomatic infection to acute respiratory syndrome and fatal encephalitis. NiV is also capable of causing disease in pigs and other domestic animals. Nipah virus primarily causes an encephalitic syndrome with a high mortality rate. The characteristic MRI abnormalities are multiple, small (less than 5 mm), asymmetric focal lesions in the subcortical and deep white matter without surrounding edema.

TREATMENT

There is no vaccine for either humans or animals. The primary treatment for human cases is intensive supportive care

PRECAUTIONS

Nipah virus infection can be prevented by avoiding exposure to sick pigs and bats in endemic areas and not drinking raw date palm sap and not consuming fruits that have fallen from trees

(Source: WHO)
URL: https://www.hindustantimes.com/health/nipah-virus-outbreak-in-kerala-kills-10-all-you-need-to-know-about-the-disease/story-Ql9VFHknRdmy73g9QfLUhK.html

(Picture for representation)

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World Hepatitis Day: Facts most people don’t know

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While the liver can combat hepatitis infection on its own in many cases, others become chronic infections that leave behind long-term health implications. 

Here are certain facts about the ailment that many people don’t know about: 

Symptoms can take weeks or months to emerge
Hepatitis is often hard to detect as it manifests with mild flu-like symptoms – fatigue, fever, and body aches – which are mostly neglected by individuals. Other grave symptoms such as skin rashes, weight loss, and yellowing of skin, urine, and eyes (popularly termed as jaundice) may take weeks or months to emerge. 

n some cases, symptoms could develop after years or not show any signs at all, especially in Hepatitis C. In the case of Hepatitis C and B, many infected people aren’t aware about their health status as the ailment is often asymptomatic. 

No jaundice doesn’t mean no hepatitis

Hepatitis B and C cause cirrhosis and liver cancer, while A and E do not. If Hepattis A or E patients have a strong immune system, the ailment can be resolved without major medical treatment. The disease only becomes apparent if the liver is affected, after which the symptoms show up. The absence of yellow skin or jaundice does not mean there’s no Hepatitis. Currently, vaccines are available only for Hepatitis A and B. 

Vaccinations may not always protect babies born to infected mothers
Hepatitis B can be transmitted through blood, semen, and other body fluids, while hepatitis C only occurs through infected blood. Hepatitis B can be passed on from mother to child during birth, but not Hepatitis C. If a pregnant woman is infected, early vaccination could prevent the virus’s transmission to the new-born. Infants of infected mothers can be vaccinated immediately, thereby receiving antibodies to counter the infection. However, in 10% of the cases, the transmission may still occur if virus levels in the mother’s blood are already high. Therefore, infected pregnant mothers should be vaccinated early to prevent transmission to the new-born. 

Contaminated water can spread Hepatitis A and E 
All hepatitis viruses don’t spread through the direct exchange of body fluids. Contaminated food or water can spread Hepatitis A and E. Drinking safe potable water while ensuring proper sanitation and hygienic conditions can help prevent types A and E. South-east Asia holds the highest Hepatitis incidence, with transmission through the fecal-oral route, mainly through contaminated water. 

Delayed treatment can lead to liver cancer
In all cases, proper care and regular check-ups remain essential. Delayed treatment can result in liver inflammation from chronic hepatitis, damaging the cells and leading to liver cancer. Although specific medicines can help control hepatitis, lifestyle changes like avoiding or curbing alcohol consumption are crucial for controlling the progression. In Hepatitis B and C, alcohol can worsen liver scarring and hasten the progression. 

Source https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/magazines/panache/world-hepatitis-day-facts-most-people-dont-know/articleshow/65164639.cms

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