The epidemic of Ebola haemorrhagic fever in Sudan and Zaire, 1976: Introductory note

Introduction about the epidemic of ebola that occurred in 1976 in Sudan and Zaire

In vitro susceptibilities of Coxiella burnetii, Rickettsia rickettsii, and Rickettsia conorii to the fluoroquinolone sparfloxacin.

In vitro susceptibilities of Rickettsia rickettsii, Rickettsia conorii, and Coxiella burnetii to the new fluoroquinolone sparfloxacin (AT-4140; RP 64206) were determined. Plaque and dye uptake assays were used to measure the MICs against R. rickettsii and R. conorii. The susceptibilities of C. burnetii Nine Mile and Q 212 were determined in two acute-infection models and in two chronic-infection models. The MICs were 0.125 to 0.25 microgram/ml for R. rickettsii and 0.25 to 0.5 microgram/ml for R. conorii. Sparfloxacin (1 microgram/ml) cured cells recently infected with C. burnetii Nine Mile and Q 212 within 4 to 9 days and cured multiplying, persistently infected cells within 10 days. As previously described with other fluoroquinolones (D. Raoult, M. Drancourt, and G. Vestris, Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 34:1512-1514, 1990), sparfloxacin failed to cure cells persistently infected with C. burnetii and blocked from dividing with cycloheximide. As determined by the dye uptake assay, no cellular toxicity was noted with sparfloxacin at up to 128 micrograms/ml. These results are consistent with those previously obtained with fluoroquinolones (D. Raoult, M. Yeaman, and O. Baca, Rev. Infect. Dis. 11[Suppl. 5]:S986, 1989), although sparfloxacin may be slightly more active.

A century of progress in combating yellow fever.

Yellow fever was responsible for several epidemics among the settlers in tropical areas of the Americas and Africa during the 17th to the 19th centuries. Scientific research into its cause and epidemiology was started at the beginning of the present century and progressed well ahead of other viral disease research. However, epidemics still occur and the worst one ever recorded was in Ethiopia in 1960-62. Epidemiological research has recently provided new findings on the ecology of the virus and the risk of epidemics. Recent breakthroughs in the molecular study of the virus should provide new tools for further progress in treatment and control of the disease. Meanwhile, the risk of urbanization of the disease, deficiencies in treatment, limitations in vector control, and erratic policies in preventive immunization present real problems.

Immunizations in developing countries.

The WHO Expanded Programme on immunization has greatly improved the prevention of 6 major diseases of infants in developing countries, but a number of other immunizations are left aside. They concern diseases which are either specific to tropical countries or common to both developed and developing countries. Preventive immunization programmes against these diseases are often non-existent and countries rely on "fire-fighting" immunization campaigns whenever an outbreak occurs. This deficiency is the result of logistic difficulties, most of which could be overcome. Recent progress in research will bring improved classical vaccines and new vaccines which are eagerly awaited. However, logistic problems in developing countries will have to be solved to make the best use of multiple antigens which will soon be at hand.

Evaluación de posibles metodos internaciónales de referencia para la prueba de inhibición de la hemaglutinación para la rubéola: informe de un estudio en colaboración / Evaluation of candidate international reference methods for rubella hemagglutination inhibition test: report of a collaborative study

Existen varios procedimientos en todo el mundo para efectuar la prueba de la inhibición de la hemaglutinación (IH) para detectar anticuerpos de la rubéola en sueros humanos. En este artículo se presenta un proyecto internacional de investigación patrocinado por la OMS para seleccionar uno de dichos procedimientos como método internacional de referencia

Evaluación de posibles métodos internacionales de referencia para la prueba de inhibición de la hemaglutinación para la rubéola: informe de un estudio en colaboración / Evaluation of candidate international reference methods for the rubella hemagglutination inhibition test: report of a collaborative study

Existen varios procedimientos en todo el mundo para efectuar la prueba de la inhibición de la hemaglutinación (IH) para detectar anticuerpos de la rubéola en sueros humanos. En este artículo se presenta un proyecto internacional patrocinado por la OMS para seleccionar uno de dichos procedimientos como método internacional de referencia (AU)

Ontogeny of yellow fever 17D vaccine: RNA oligonucleotide fingerprint and monoclonal antibody analyses of vaccines produced world-wide.

Yellow fever 17D vaccines are currently manufactured with approval of the World Health Organization (WHO) in 11 countries. These vaccines have proven highly efficacious and safe. Nevertheless, they have not been fully characterized genetically, a problem for future standardization and modernization of vaccine manufacture now being proposed by WHO. Vaccines in use are derived from two distinct substrains (17D-204 and 17DD) which represent independently maintained passage series from original 17D. In this study, all 17D vaccines produced world-wide were characterized by RNA oligonucleotide fingerprinting. Forty-two large oligonucleotides were compared, and differences from an arbitrarily selected reference strain (produced by Connaught Laboratories in the U.S.A.) were determined. With one exception (vaccine produced in South Africa), fingerprints of vaccines derived from substrain 17D-204 were identical. The South African primary seed differed in position of one oligonucleotide, reflecting a charge shift due to a single base change. This difference occurred within one egg passage; a further change in the South African vaccine occurred within one or two passages from primary seed. No antigenic differences between 17D-204-derived vaccines (including South Africa) were demonstrated by neutralization tests using monoclonal antibody. Vaccines derived from the 17DD substrain consistently differed from 17D-204 vaccines in the absence of one oligonucleotide (No. 37). This change probably occurred during 40 additional egg passages in development of the 17DD vaccines. A clear antigenic difference was shown between 17D-204 and 17DD substrain vaccines using monoclonal antibody. 17DD vaccines showed minor genotypic differences, suggesting a higher degree of genetic instability than 17D-204 vaccines. No oligonucleotide fingerprint differences were found between avian leukosis virus (ALV)-free and ALV-contaminated vaccines. No definite genomic correlate of neurovirulence was defined by fingerprinting strains with a history of encephalitic complications in man or of failure to pass monkey neurovirulence tests. Parent Asibi virus showed several oligonucleotide differences and was serologically distinct from 17D vaccine.