Risks of alopecia areata in long COVID: Binational population-based cohort studies from South Korea and Japan.

Previous studies have proposed alopecia areata (AA) as a potential outcome of COVID-19 infection among autoimmune diseases, yet the findings might be inconclusive and difficult to generalize due to limited sample sizes and evidence levels. Thus, we aimed to investigate in detail the long-term risk of AA following SARS-CoV-2 infection based on large, binational, general population-based cohort studies. Our study investigated the long-term AA risk after SARS-CoV-2 infection by analyzing bi-national, claim-based cohorts in South Korea and Japan: a Korean nationwide cohort (K-COV-N cohort; discovery cohort; total n = 10 027 506) and a Japanese claims-based cohort (JMDC cohort; validation cohort; total n = 12 218 680). AA was identified based on the international classification of diseases 10th revision code (L63) requiring at least three claims within 1 year. After exposure-driven propensity score matching, SARS-CoV-2 infection was associated with an increased risk of incident AA (aHR, 1.66; 95% CI, 1.38-1.99). This increased risk was observed and persisted for up to 6 months. A similar pattern was observed in the validation cohort. As modifiable factors, severe COVID-19 increased the risk of AA, whereas receiving two or more doses of the COVID-19 vaccine before infection decreased the risk of AA. Through a bi-national cohort study in South Korea and Japan, SARS-CoV-2 infection was associated with an elevated risk for incident AA in the aspect of long COVID.

A retrospective cohort study on early antibiotic use in vaccinated and unvaccinated COVID-19 patients.

The bacteriophage behavior of SARS-CoV-2 during the acute and post-COVID-19 phases appears to be an important factor in the development of the disease. The early use of antibiotics seems to be crucial to inhibit disease progression-to prevent viral replication in the gut microbiome, and control toxicological production from the human microbiome. To study the impact of specific antibiotics on recovery from COVID-19 and long COVID (LC) taking into account: vaccination status, comorbidities, SARS-CoV-2 wave, time of initiation of antibiotic therapy and concomitant use of corticosteroids and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). A total of 211 COVID-19 patients were included in the study: of which 59 were vaccinated with mRNA vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 while 152 were unvaccinated. Patients were enrolled in three waves: from September 2020 to October 2022, corresponding to the emergence of the pre-Delta, Delta, and Omicron variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The three criteria for enrolling patients were: oropharyngeal swab positivity or fecal findings; moderate symptoms with antibiotic intake; and measurement of blood oxygen saturation during the period of illness. The use of antibiotic combinations, such as amoxicillin with clavulanic acid (875 + 125 mg tablets, every 12 h) plus rifaximin (400 mg tablets every 12 h), as first choice, as suggested from the previous data, or azithromycin (500 mg tablets every 24 h), plus rifaximin as above, allows healthcare professionals to focus on the gut microbiome and its implications in COVID-19 disease during patient care. The primary outcome measured in this study was the estimated average treatment effect, which quantified the difference in mean recovery between patients receiving antibiotics and those not receiving antibiotics at 3 and 9 days after the start of treatment. In the analysis, both vaccinated and unvaccinated groups had a median illness duration of 7 days (interquartile range [IQR] 6-9 days for each; recovery crude hazard ratio [HR] = 0.94, p = 0.700). The median illness duration for the pre-Delta and Delta waves was 8 days (IQR 7-10 days), while it was shorter, 6.5 days, for Omicron (IQR 6-8 days; recovery crude HR = 1.71, p < 0.001). These results were confirmed by multivariate analysis. Patients with comorbidities had a significantly longer disease duration: median 8 days (IQR 7-10 days) compared to 7 days (IQR 6-8 days) for those without comorbidities (crude HR = 0.75, p = 0.038), but this result was not confirmed in multivariate analysis as statistical significance was lost. Early initiation of antibiotic therapy resulted in a significantly shorter recovery time (crude HR = 4.74, p < 0.001). Concomitant use of NSAIDs did not reduce disease duration and in multivariate analysis prolonged the disease (p = 0.041). A subgroup of 42 patients receiving corticosteroids for a median of 3 days (IQR 3-6 days) had a longer recovery time (median 9 days, IQR 8-10 days) compared to others (median 7 days, IQR 6-8 days; crude HR = 0.542, p < 0.001), as confirmed also by the adjusted HR. In this study, a statistically significant reduction in recovery time was observed among patients who received early antibiotic treatment. Early initiation of antibiotics played a crucial role in maintaining higher levels of blood oxygen saturation. In addition, it is worth noting that a significant number of patients who received antibiotics in the first 3 days and for a duration of 7 days, during the acute phase did not develop LC.

Superior neutralizing response after first versus second SARS-CoV-2 infection in fully vaccinated individuals.

Currently, the majority of the population has been vaccinated against COVID-19 and/or has experienced SARS-CoV-2 infection either before or after vaccination. The immunological response to repeated episodes of infections is not completely clear. We measured SARS-CoV-2 specific neutralization titers by a pseudovirus assay after BA.1 infection and RBD-specific immunoglobulin G (IgG), immunoglobulin A (IgA), and immunoglobulin M (IgM) in a cohort of COVID-19 uninfected and triple vaccinated individuals (breakthrough infection group, BTI) as compared with those previously infected by SARS-CoV-2 (reinfection group, REI) who underwent identical vaccination schedule. SARS-CoV-2 specific neutralizing response after BA.1 infection was significantly higher in the BTI group as compared with the REI. Furthermore, neutralization titers in REI were not significant different from convalescent non reinfected controls. RBD-specific IgG and IgA, but not IgM, were also significantly higher in BTI as compared with REI. Our results show that the first episode of SARS-CoV-2 infection induces a significant increase in neutralizing titers in triple vaccinated individuals and that previous SARS-CoV-2 infection compromise significantly the neutralization response induced by reinfection, even by divergent SARS-CoV-2 variants and at least up to 2 years postinfection, suggesting a fundamental limitation in inducing effective booster through the intranasal route in previously infected individuals.

Establishment and evaluation of a multiplex real-time RT-PCR for quantitative and differential detection of wild-type canine distemper virus from vaccine strains.

This study sought to establish a real-time reverse transcription (RT)-PCR method to differentially detect canine distemper virus (CDV) wild-type and vaccine strains. To this end, a pair of CDV universal primers and two specific minor groove binder (MGB) probes, harboring a T/C substitution in the hemagglutinin (H) gene, were designed. Using a recombinant plasmid expressing the H gene of the CDV wild-type or vaccine strain as standards, a sensitive and specific multiplex real-time RT-PCR was established for quantitative and differential detection of CDV wild-type and vaccine strains. The limit of detection for this multiplex assay was 22.5 copies/µL and 2.98 copies/µL of viral RNA for wild-type and vaccine strains, respectively. Importantly, the wild-type and vaccine MGB probes specifically hybridized different genotypes of wild-type CDV circulating in China as well as globally administered vaccine viruses, respectively, with no cross-reactivity observed with non-CDV viruses. Moreover, this method was successfully applied for the quantitative detection of CDV RNA in tissue samples of experimentally infected breeding foxes, raccoon dogs, and minks. Additionally, the multiplex real-time RT-PCR was able to detect the viral RNA in the whole blood samples as early as 3 days post-infection, 3 to 4 days prior to the onset of clinical signs in these CDV infection animals. Hence, the established multiplex real-time RT-PCR method is useful for differentiating wild-type CDV and vaccine strains in China, and for conducting canine distemper early diagnosis as well as dynamic mechanism of CDV replication studies in vivo.

Evolution of the Bacillus Calmette-Guérin scar Russia and Moreau strains in newborns: A brazilian cohort.

Background: In Brazil, in 1925, the Moreau strain was introduced, and since its implementation, it has been the routine vaccine for health services. Since 2013, many countries, including Brazil, have been experiencing problems with the production of vaccines. As of January 2018, the country started to use the BCG vaccine with Russia strain, developed by the Serum Institute India. Objective: To describe the evolution of the vaccine scar in neonates vaccinated by BCG-Russia compared to BCG-Moreau. Methods: This was a cohort study was conducted in Salvador city, northeast Brazil. The study population consisted of newborns from the reference maternity hospital, who were vaccinated with BCG-ID strains Moreau or Russia, followed up to assess vaccine lesion evolution. Results: It was observed that regardless of the vaccine strains, the evolution of the lesion was the same: wheal, reddish macula, induration, pustule, ulcer, and scar. The proportion of vaccine scar in the group vaccinated with BCG Russia was lower than that of BCG Moreau, 62.5 % and 90.9 %, respectively, with a statistically significant difference. Conclusion: The evolution of the scar by BCG-Russia was similar to the Moreau scar, however different proportions were observed in different stages of lesion between the groups.

Characterization of immune response against monkeypox virus in cohorts of infected patients, historic and newly vaccinated subjects.

Monkeypox virus (MPXV) is a zoonotic disease endemic in the rainforest countries of Central and West Africa. Understanding the immune response in zoonosis is fundamental to prevent and contrast viral spreading. MPXV is a close relative of Variola (smallpox) virus and vaccination with vaccinia virus gives approximatively 85% of protection against MPXV. With the emergence of the recent MPXV outbreak, JYNNEOS vaccine has been proposed to individuals at high-risk of exposure. Comparative data on MPXV immune response in vaccinated or infected subjects are still limited. Here we set-up an immunofluorescence method for the evaluation of humoral response elicited by natural infection and healthy vaccinated subjects, including historically smallpox-vaccinated individuals and newly vaccinated subjects. Neutralization assay was also included, and in vaccinated subjects, cell-mediated response was evaluated. We observed that the natural infection produces a strong immune response that can control the disease. In naïve subjects, a second dose boosts the serological response to levels similar to those of the MPXV patients. Last, smallpox-vaccinated controls retain a degree of protection, even after years from vaccination, most visible in the t-cellular response.

Genetic Diversity and Evolutionary Kinetics of Influenza A Virus H3N2 Subtypes Circulating in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Presence of a large foreign workforce and the annual gathering of people for pilgrimage from around the globe have significantly contributed to the emergence and diversity of respiratory viruses in Saudi Arabia. Here, we report the sequence and phylogenetic analysis of the H3N2 subtype of influenza A virus (IAV) in clinical samples collected from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Based on RT-PCR, IAV was found in 88 (28.3%) of the 311 samples screened. Of the 88-IAV positive samples, 43 (48.8%) were H1N1 subtype while the remaining 45 (51.2%) were found to be of the H3N2 subtype. Complete sequencing of HA and NA genes of H3N2 revealed, twelve and nine amino acid (AA) substitutions respectively, and importantly, these variations are absent in the current vaccine strains. Based on the phylogenetic analysis, the majority of H3N2 strains were grouped in the same clades as the vaccine strains. Importantly, the N-glycosylation sites at AA 135(NSS) were found to be unique to 6 strains in the investigated HA1 protein and were absent in the current vaccine strains. These data may have significant clinical implications in designing novel and population-based vaccines for IAV and underscore the need for regular monitoring of efficacy of vaccines due to emerging variants.

Low prevalence of influenza viruses and predominance of A(H3N2) virus with respect to SARS-CoV-2 during the 2021-2022 season in Bulgaria.

Social distancing, mask-wearing, and travel restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic have significantly impacted the spread of influenza viruses. The objectives of this study were to analyze the pattern of influenza virus circulation with respect to that of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in Bulgaria during the 2021-2022 season and to perform a phylogenetic/molecular analysis of the hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) sequences of representative influenza strains. Influenza infection was confirmed using real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction in 93 (4.2%) of the 2193 patients with acute respiratory illness tested wherein all detected viruses were subtyped as A(H3N2). SARS-CoV-2 was identified in 377 (24.3%) of the 1552 patients tested. Significant differences in the incidence of influenza viruses and SARS-CoV-2 were found between individual age groups, outpatients/inpatients, and in the seasonal distribution of cases. Two cases of coinfections were identified. In hospitalized patients, the Ct values of influenza viruses at admission were lower in adults aged ≥65 years (indicating higher viral load) than in children aged 0-14 years (p < 0.05). In SARS-CoV-2-positive inpatients, this association was not statistically significant. HA genes of all A(H3N2) viruses analyzed belonged to subclade 3C.2a1b.2a. The sequenced viruses carried 11 substitutions in HA and 5 in NA, in comparison to the vaccine virus A/Cambodia/e0826360/2020, including several substitutions in the HA antigenic sites B and C. This study revealed extensive changes in the typical epidemiology of influenza infection, including a dramatic reduction in the number of cases, diminished genetic diversity of circulating viruses, changes in age, and seasonal distribution of cases.

Transplacental transmission of SARS-CoV-2 immunoglobulin G antibody to infants from maternal COVID-19 vaccine immunization before pregnancy.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine generates functional antibodies in maternal circulation that are detectable in infants, while the information is restricted to the usage of COVID-19 vaccine during pregnancy. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effect of maternal COVID-19 vaccines before pregnancy. Infants were included from mothers with no inactivated COVID-19 vaccine, 1-, 2-, and 3-dose before pregnancy, and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies were tested. Comparative analysis was done between the groups. A total of 130 infants were enrolled in the study. Significantly higher levels of SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies in infants born to mothers with 3-dose COVID-19 vaccine before pregnancy compared with 1- and 2-dose groups (p < 0.0001). The levels of antibodies decreased significantly with age in infants born to mothers with the 3-dose COVID-19 vaccine before pregnancy (r = -0.338, p = 0.035), and it was still higher than that 2-dose COVID-19 vaccine group. The maternal SARS-CoV-2 antibodies produced from the inactivated COVID-19 vaccine before pregnancy can be transferred to newborns via the placenta. Maternal immunization with 3-dose of the COVID-19 vaccine before pregnancy could be more beneficial for both mothers and infants.

Intranasal Exposure to Rift Valley Fever Virus Live-Attenuated Strains Leads to High Mortality Rate in Immunocompetent Mice.

Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) is a pathogenic arthropod-borne virus that can cause serious illness in both ruminants and humans. The virus can be transmitted by an arthropod bite or contact with contaminated fluids or tissues. Two live-attenuated veterinary vaccines-the Smithburn (SB) and Clone 13 (Cl.13)-are currently used during epizootic events in Africa. However, their residual pathogenicity (i.e., SB) or potential of reversion (i.e., Cl.13) causes important adverse effects, strongly limiting their use in the field. In this study, we infected immunocompetent mice with SB or Cl.13 by a subcutaneous or an intranasal inoculation. Interestingly, we found that, unlike the subcutaneous infection, the intranasal inoculation led to a high mortality rate. In addition, we detected high titers and viral N antigen levels in the brain of both the SB- and Cl.13-infected mice. Overall, we unveil a clear correlation between the pathogenicity and the route of administration of both SB and Cl.13, with the intranasal inoculation leading to a stronger neurovirulence and higher mortality rate than the subcutaneous infection.

Retrospective immunogenicity analysis of seasonal flu H3N2 vaccines recommended in the past ten years using immunized animal sera.

BACKGROUND: Influenza A (H3N2) virus (A/H3N2) has complex antigenic evolution, resulting in frequent vaccine strain updates. We aimed to evaluate the protective effect of the vaccine strains on the circulating strains from past ten years and provide a basis for finding a broader and more efficient A/H3N2 vaccine strain. METHODS: Eighty-four representative circulating A/H3N2 strains were selected from 65,791 deposited sequences in 2011-2020 and pseudotyped viruses were constructed with the VSV vector. We immunized guinea pigs with DNA vaccine containing the A/H3N2 components of the vaccine strains from 2011 to 2021 and tested neutralizing antibody against the pseudotyped viruses. We used a hierarchical clustering method to classify the eighty-four representative strains into different antigenic clusters. We also immunized animals with monovalent vaccine stock of the vaccine strains for the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 seasons and tested neutralizing antibody against the pseudotyped viruses. FINDINGS: The vaccine strains PE/09, VI/11 and TE/12 induced higher levels of neutralizing antibody against representative strains circulating in recommended year and the year immediately prior whereas vaccine strains HK/14, HK/19 and CA/20 induced poor neutralization against all representative strains. The representative strains were divided into five antigenic clusters (AgV), which were not identical to gene clades. The AgV5 strains were most difficult to be protected among the five clusters. Compared with single-dose immunization, three doses of monovalent vaccine stock (HK/19 or CA/20) could induce stronger and broader neutralizing antibodies against strains in each of the antigenic clusters. INTERPRETATION: The protective effect of vaccine strains indicated that the accurate selection of A/H3N2 vaccine strains must remain a top priority. By increasing the frequency of immunization, stronger and broader neutralizing antibodies against strains in all antigenic clusters were induced, which provides direction for a new immunization strategy. FUNDING: This work was supported by a grant from National Key R&D Program of China (No. 2021YFC2301700).

Calicivirus Infection in Cats.

Feline calicivirus (FCV) is a common pathogen in domestic cats that is highly contagious, resistant to many disinfectants and demonstrates a high genetic variability. FCV infection can lead to serious or even fatal diseases. In this review, the European Advisory Board on Cat Diseases (ABCD), a scientifically independent board of experts in feline medicine from 11 European countries, presents the current knowledge of FCV infection and fills gaps with expert opinions. FCV infections are particularly problematic in multicat environments. FCV-infected cats often show painful erosions in the mouth and mild upper respiratory disease and, particularly in kittens, even fatal pneumonia. However, infection can be associated with chronic gingivostomatitis. Rarely, highly virulent FCV variants can induce severe systemic disease with epizootic spread and high mortality. FCV can best be detected by reverse-transcriptase PCR. However, a negative result does not rule out FCV infection and healthy cats can test positive. All cats should be vaccinated against FCV (core vaccine); however, vaccination protects cats from disease but not from infection. Considering the high variability of FCV, changing to different vaccine strain(s) may be of benefit if disease occurs in fully vaccinated cats. Infection-induced immunity is not life-long and does not protect against all strains; therefore, vaccination of cats that have recovered from caliciviral disease is recommended.

Adverse events following immunization of COVID-19 (Covaxin) vaccine at a tertiary care center of India.

The study aimed to assess the adverse events following COVID-19 vaccine (Covaxin) immunization at a tertiary care institution and also assess the predictors of the adverse events following immunization (AEFI). The prospective observational study was conducted in a tertiary care institute among the Covaxin beneficiaries between June 28 and September 6, 2021. A total of 1826 participants were assessed for any local or systemic adverse events after seven days of vaccination. A telephonic interview was conducted, and the beneficiaries were assessed according to the adverse event grading. A total of 1826 participants were assessed for AEFI, and 544 (29.8%) reported at least one of the AEFI. No severe adverse events were reported, and about 1.6% had moderate AEFI. Pain at the injection site (14.6%), fever (9.7%), and myalgia (5.9%) were the common adverse events reported by the participants. AEFI incidence was higher in the first dose (38.1%) when compared to the second dose (26.4%), and this finding was significant with a p < 0.001. The major factors associated with AEFI were female sex, history of an allergic reaction, presence of comorbidities, acute infection in the past 3 months, and intake of chronic medications. Precaution needs to be taken while vaccinating individuals having allergies, comorbidities, acute infection in the last 3 months, and individuals on chronic medication.

Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2: Genomics, transmissibility, and responses to current COVID-19 vaccines.

Currently, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has spread worldwide as an Omicron variant. This variant is a heavily mutated virus and designated as a variant of concern by the World Health Organization (WHO). WHO cautioned that the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 held a very high risk of infection, reigniting anxieties about the economy's recovery from the 2-year pandemic. The extensively mutated Omicron variant is likely to spread internationally, posing a high risk of infection surges with serious repercussions in some areas. According to preliminary data, the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 has a higher risk of reinfection. On the other hand, whether the current COVID-19 vaccines could effectively resist the new strain is still under investigation. However, there is very limited information on the current situation of the Omicron variant, such as genomics, transmissibility, efficacy of vaccines, treatment, and management. This review focused on the genomics, transmission, and effectiveness of vaccines against the Omicron variant, which will be helpful for further investigation of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2.

Detection of Rotavirus Strains in Freshwater Clams in Japan.

Bivalve molluscan shellfish like clams and oysters, etc., are capable to bioaccumulate surrounding contaminants from waters into their digestive systems and posing serious threats of food poisoning. Detection of rotaviruses (RVs) in shellfish is of particular importance because RVs are prone to genome reassortment resulting in the emergence of new RV variants that may compromise vaccine safety. Herein, we have detected the wild-type RVs and Rotarix/RotaTeq vaccine strains in freshwater clams collected on the riverside, Kawasaki city, from July 2019 to January 2020 and correlated the detected genotypes with that of gastroenteritis cases of nearby clinics to understand the transmission of RVs in the environment. The wild-type RVs were detected in 62 (64.6%) out of 96 freshwater clams in every study month: July, September, November, and January that are considered as off-season for RV infections. The most frequent genotypes were G2 (42.9%), G8 (28.6%), G3 (14.3%), G1 (7.1%), and G10 (7.1%), which remained comparable with genotypic distribution found in the clinical samples over the last few years indicating that these RVs may accumulate in clams since a long time. However, G10 genotype was detected in clam but not in clinical samples suggesting the presence of asymptomatic infection or RVs could be carried out from a long distance. Importantly, vaccine strains, RotaTeq (1%) but not Rotarix (0%), were also detected in a clam. Attention must be paid to monitoring the potential transmission of wild-type and vaccine RV strains in the environment to prevent the emergence of new variants generated from genome reassortment with vaccine strains.

The effectiveness of mRNA-1273 vaccine against COVID-19 caused by Delta variant: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

We aimed to perform meta-analyses to summarize the overall effectiveness of the mRNA-1273 vaccine against COVID-19 caused by the Delta variant from real-world studies. A systematic literature search with no language restriction was performed in electronic databases to identify eligible observational studies that reported the effectiveness of the mRNA-1273 vaccine to prevent reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) confirmed COVID-19 caused by Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 (B.1.617.2). A random-effects meta-analysis model was used to estimate the pooled odds ratio (OR) at a 95% confidence interval (CI), and the vaccine effectiveness was indicated as (pooled OR - 1)/OR. Five studies were included for this systematic review and meta-analysis. The meta-analysis revealed that the administration of mRNA-1273 vaccine protected against RT-PCR confirmed COVID-19 caused by Delta variant ≥21 days post first dose, with pooled vaccine effectiveness of 66% (95% CI: 65%-67%), as well as ≥14 days after the second dose, with pooled vaccine effectiveness of 91% (95% CI: 84%-95%). In conclusion, the mRNA-1273 vaccine offers a substantial protection rate against RT-PCR confirmed COVID-19 caused by the Delta variant upon full vaccination, although with slightly reduced effectiveness relative to other strains of SARS-CoV-2.

Surveillance genome sequencing reveals multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants circulating in central Texas, USA, with a predominance of delta variant and review of vaccine breakthrough cases.

As surges in the COVID-19 pandemic have continued worldwide, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has mutated, spawning several new variants, and impacting, to various degrees, transmission, disease severity, diagnostics, therapeutics, and natural and vaccine-induced immunity. Baylor Scott & White Health has implemented, along with laboratory diagnosis, SARS-CoV-2 sequencing to identify variants in its geographical service area. We analyzed virus sequencing results of specimens collected across Central Texas and found dramatic changes in variant distribution in the first half of 2021. The alpha variant (B 1.1.7) became predominant at week 13 and continued dominance until week 25. A growth rate of 1.20 (R2 = 0.92) for the first 15 weeks was noted and this growth gradually declined to -0.55 (R2 = 0.99) for the final 13 weeks. Currently, B.1.1.7 is being displaced with B.1.617.2 at a 0.58 growth rate (R2 = 0.97). We also investigated vaccine breakthrough cases (VBCs) within our healthcare system and present clinical data on 28 symptomatic patients.

Time to face the proofs: the BCG Moreau vaccine promotes superior inflammatory cytokine profile in vitro when compared with Russia, Pasteur, and Danish strains.

Tuberculosis (TB) has been a major public health problem worldwide, and the Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine is the only available vaccine against this disease. The BCG vaccine is no longer a single organism; it consists of diverse strains. The early-shared strains of the BCG vaccine are stronger immunostimulators than the late-shared strains. In this study, we have employed a simple in vitro human model to broadly evaluate the differences among four widely used BCG vaccines during the characterization of strain-specific host immune responses. In general, the BCG Moreau vaccine generated a higher inflammatory cytokine profile and lower TGF-ß levels compared with the Russia, Pasteur, and Danish strains in the context of early sensitization with TB; however, no changes were observed in the IL-23 levels between infected and noninfected cultures. Unsurprisingly, the BCG vaccines provided different features, and the variances among those strains may influence the activation of infected host cells, which ultimately leads to distinct protective efficacy to tackle TB.