Myriad experiments have identified an important role for \(\rm CD8^+\) T cell response mechanisms in determining recovery from influenza A virus infection. Animal models of influenza infection ...further implicate multiple elements of the immune response in defining the dynamical characteristics of viral infection. To date, influenza virus models, while capturing particular aspects of the natural infection history, have been unable to reproduce the full gamut of observed viral kinetic behaviour in a single coherent framework. Here, we introduce a mathematical model of influenza viral dynamics incorporating all major immune components (innate, humoral and cellular) and explore its properties with a particular emphasis on the role of cellular immunity. Calibrated against a range of murine data, our model is capable of recapitulating observed viral kinetics from a multitude of experiments. Importantly, the model predicts a robust exponential relationship between the level of effector \(\rm CD8^+\) T cells and recovery time, whereby recovery time rapidly decreases to a fixed minimum recovery time with an increasing level of effector \(\rm CD8^+\) T cells. We find support for this relationship in recent clinical data from influenza A(H7N9) hospitalised patients. The exponential relationship implies that people with a lower level of naive \(\rm CD8^+\) T cells may receive significantly more benefit from induction of additional effector \(\rm CD8^+\) T cells arising from immunological memory, itself established through either previous viral infection or T cell-based vaccines.
Early 2009 saw the emergence of an H1N1 influenza epidemic in North America that spread to eventually become a global pandemic. Previous work has suggested that pandemics can have large macroeconomic ...effects on highly affected regions; here we estimate what those effects might be for Australia. Our analysis applies the MONASH-Health model: a quarterly computable general equilibrium model of the Australian economy. We simulate the effects of two H1N1 epidemics; the relatively mild 2009 outbreak and also a more severe episode. The analysis supports the assertion that an H1N1 epidemic could have significant short-run macroeconomic effects.
Early 2009 saw the emergence of an H1N1 influenza epidemic in North America that spread to eventually become a global pandemic. Previous work has suggested that pandemics can have large macroeconomic ...effects on highly affected regions; here we estimate what those effects might be for Australia. Our analysis applies the MONASH-Health model: a quarterly computable general equilibrium model of the Australian economy. We simulate the effects of two H1N1 epidemics; the relatively mild 2009 outbreak and also a more severe episode. The analysis supports the assertion that an H1N1 epidemic could have significant short-run macroeconomic effects.
A pooled analysis was conducted of 1257 toddlers who received a fourth dose of Haemophilus influenzae type b-Neisseria meningitidis serogroups C and Y-tetanus toxoid conjugate vaccine (HibMenCY-TT) ...or Hib conjugate vaccine (Hib polysaccharide conjugated to N. meningitidis outer membrane protein) coadministered with measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) and varicella (VAR) vaccines (NCT00134719/NCT00289783). Noninferiority of immunological responses to MMR and VAR was demonstrated between groups and incidences of MMR- and VAR-specific solicited symptoms were similar, indicating that HibMenCY-TT can be coadministered with MMR and VAR.
Effectiveness of flu drug questioned Peter Collignon; Nikolai Petrovsky; Jodie McVernon
Australasian science,
06/2014, Letnik:
35, Številka:
5
Magazine Article
A Cochrane review of the effectiveness and side-effects of the drug Tamiflu raises critical questions around the future of government stockpiling of such drugs for use in an influenza pandemic.
PDF
