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Best Practice & Research. Clinical... Oct 2021Vaccination during pregnancy is important for active immunity of the mother against serious infectious diseases, and also for passive immunity of the neonate to... (Review)
Review
Vaccination during pregnancy is important for active immunity of the mother against serious infectious diseases, and also for passive immunity of the neonate to infectious diseases with high morbidity and mortality. As a rule, live vaccines are contraindicated during pregnancy as they may cause fetal viremia/bacteremia. Inactivated vaccines are generally safe. Vaccines safe to be administered to all pregnant ladies are tetanus toxoid (TT; tetanus, diphtheria, acellular pertussis (Tdap) and Flu vaccines. During pre-pregnancy counselling, vaccination for MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) should be offered, with an advice to avoid pregnancy for a month. All pregnant mothers should receive TT and Tdap vaccination during the third trimester. Flu vaccine can be given to all mothers at any gestation, and if not offered during pregnancy, it can be given postpartum. Vaccinations that should be offered to women if at high risk of exposure are for hepatitis A and B, pneumococcal, meningococcal, yellow fever, Japanese encephalitis (JE), polio, typhoid, and cholera infections. Vaccines to be given only for post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) are smallpox, rabies, and anthrax. Postpartum women should be offered human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination. If not immunized earlier, they should be offered MMR, Tdap, and Flu vaccines. Future vaccines being developed are for malaria, Zika virus, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), group B streptococcus, CMV, and COVID-19 (SARS-Cov-2).
Topics: COVID-19; Female; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Postpartum Period; Pregnancy; SARS-CoV-2; Vaccination; Vaccines; Zika Virus; Zika Virus Infection
PubMed: 33773923
DOI: 10.1016/j.bpobgyn.2021.02.002 -
Microbiology Spectrum May 2019The group includes several species with closely related phylogeny. The most well-studied members of the group, , , and , are known for their pathogenic potential.... (Review)
Review
The group includes several species with closely related phylogeny. The most well-studied members of the group, , , and , are known for their pathogenic potential. Here, we present the historical rationale for speciation and discuss shared and unique features of these bacteria. Aspects of cell morphology and physiology, and genome sequence similarity and gene synteny support close evolutionary relationships for these three species. For many strains, distinct differences in virulence factor synthesis provide facile means for species assignment. is the causative agent of anthrax. Some strains are commonly recognized as food poisoning agents, but strains can also cause localized wound and eye infections as well as systemic disease. Certain strains are entomopathogens and have been commercialized for use as biopesticides, while some strains have been reported to cause infection in immunocompromised individuals. In this article we compare and contrast , , and , including ecology, cell structure and development, virulence attributes, gene regulation and genetic exchange systems, and experimental models of disease.
Topics: Animals; Anthrax; Anthrax Vaccines; Bacillus; Bacillus anthracis; Bacillus cereus; Bacillus thuringiensis; Bacterial Toxins; Bacterial Vaccines; Biological Control Agents; DNA, Bacterial; Disease Models, Animal; Ecology; Gastrointestinal Diseases; Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; Genes, Bacterial; Genome, Bacterial; Humans; Infections; Invertebrates; Phylogeny; Species Specificity; Spores, Bacterial; Virulence
PubMed: 31111815
DOI: 10.1128/microbiolspec.GPP3-0032-2018 -
Journal of Clinical Pathology Mar 2003The events of 11 September 2001 and the subsequent anthrax outbreaks have shown that the West needs to be prepared for an increasing number of terrorist attacks, which... (Review)
Review
The events of 11 September 2001 and the subsequent anthrax outbreaks have shown that the West needs to be prepared for an increasing number of terrorist attacks, which may include the use of biological warfare. Bacillus anthracis has long been considered a potential biological warfare agent, and this review will discuss the history of its use as such. It will also cover the biology of this organism and the clinical features of the three disease forms that it can produce: cutaneous, gastrointestinal, and inhalation anthrax. In addition, treatment and vaccination strategies will be reviewed.
Topics: Anthrax; Anthrax Vaccines; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Bacillus anthracis; Bioterrorism; Humans; Vaccination; Virulence
PubMed: 12610093
DOI: 10.1136/jcp.56.3.182 -
Biomolecules Apr 2022Louis Pasteur is the most internationally known French scientist. He discovered molecular chirality, and he contributed to the understanding of the process of... (Review)
Review
Louis Pasteur is the most internationally known French scientist. He discovered molecular chirality, and he contributed to the understanding of the process of fermentation, helping brewers and winemakers to improve their beverages. He proposed a process, known as pasteurization, for the sterilization of wines. He established the germ theory of infectious diseases that allowed Joseph Lister to develop his antiseptic practice in surgery. He solved the problem of silkworm disease, although he had refuted the idea of Antoine Béchamp, who first considered it was a microbial infection. He created four vaccines (fowl cholera, anthrax, pig erysipelas, and rabies) in the paths of his precursors, Henri Toussaint (anthrax vaccine) and Pierre Victor Galtier (rabies vaccine). He generalized the word "vaccination" coined by Richard Dunning, Edward Jenner's friend. Robert Koch, his most famous opponent, pointed out the great ambiguity of Pasteur's approach to preparing his vaccines. Analysis of his laboratory notebooks has allowed historians to discern the differences between the legend built by his hagiographers and reality. In this review, we revisit his career, his undeniable achievements, and tell the truth about a hero who made every effort to build his own fame.
Topics: Animals; Fermentation; Swine; Vaccination; Vaccines; Wine
PubMed: 35454184
DOI: 10.3390/biom12040596 -
Molecular Aspects of Medicine Dec 2009The biological attack conducted through the US postal system in 2001 broadened the threat posed by anthrax from one pertinent mainly to soldiers on the battlefield to... (Review)
Review
The biological attack conducted through the US postal system in 2001 broadened the threat posed by anthrax from one pertinent mainly to soldiers on the battlefield to one understood to exist throughout our society. The expansion of the threatened population placed greater emphasis on the reexamination of how we vaccinate against Bacillus anthracis. The currently-licensed Anthrax Vaccine, Adsorbed (AVA) and Anthrax Vaccine, Precipitated (AVP) are capable of generating a protective immune response but are hampered by shortcomings that make their widespread use undesirable or infeasible. Efforts to gain US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for licensure of a second generation recombinant protective antigen (rPA)-based anthrax vaccine are ongoing. However, this vaccine's reliance on the generation of a humoral immune response against a single virulence factor has led a number of scientists to conclude that the vaccine is likely not the final solution to optimal anthrax vaccine design. Other vaccine approaches, which seek a more comprehensive immune response targeted at multiple components of the B. anthracis organism, are under active investigation. This review seeks to summarize work that has been done to build on the current PA-based vaccine methodology and to evaluate the search for future anthrax prophylaxis strategies.
Topics: Adjuvants, Immunologic; Animals; Anthrax; Anthrax Vaccines; Antibodies, Bacterial; Antigens, Bacterial; Bacillus anthracis; Bacterial Proteins; Bacterial Toxins; Drug Approval; Humans; Recombinant Proteins; Spores, Bacterial; Vaccination; Vaccines, DNA
PubMed: 19729034
DOI: 10.1016/j.mam.2009.08.006 -
JAAD Case Reports Sep 2020
PubMed: 32875038
DOI: 10.1016/j.jdcr.2020.06.035 -
MMWR. Recommendations and Reports :... Nov 2023Bacillus anthracis spores if resources become limited or a multidrug-resistant B. anthracis strain is used (Hendricks KA, Wright ME, Shadomy SV, et al.; Workgroup on...
THIS REPORT UPDATES PREVIOUS CDC GUIDELINES AND RECOMMENDATIONS ON PREFERRED PREVENTION AND TREATMENT REGIMENS REGARDING NATURALLY OCCURRING ANTHRAX. ALSO PROVIDED ARE A WIDE RANGE OF ALTERNATIVE REGIMENS TO FIRST-LINE ANTIMICROBIAL DRUGS FOR USE IF PATIENTS HAVE CONTRAINDICATIONS OR INTOLERANCES OR AFTER A WIDE-AREA AEROSOL RELEASE OF
Bacillus anthracis spores if resources become limited or a multidrug-resistant B. anthracis strain is used (Hendricks KA, Wright ME, Shadomy SV, et al.; Workgroup on Anthrax Clinical Guidelines. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention expert panel meetings on prevention and treatment of anthrax in adults. Emerg Infect Dis 2014;20:e130687; Meaney-Delman D, Rasmussen SA, Beigi RH, et al. Prophylaxis and treatment of anthrax in pregnant women. Obstet Gynecol 2013;122:885-900; Bradley JS, Peacock G, Krug SE, et al. Pediatric anthrax clinical management. Pediatrics 2014;133:e1411-36). Specifically, this report updates antimicrobial drug and antitoxin use for both postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) and treatment from these previous guidelines best practices and is based on systematic reviews of the literature regarding 1) in vitro antimicrobial drug activity against B. anthracis; 2) in vivo antimicrobial drug efficacy for PEP and treatment; 3) in vivo and human antitoxin efficacy for PEP, treatment, or both; and 4) human survival after antimicrobial drug PEP and treatment of localized anthrax, systemic anthrax, and anthrax meningitis.
CHANGES FROM PREVIOUS CDC GUIDELINES AND RECOMMENDATIONS INCLUDE AN EXPANDED LIST OF ALTERNATIVE ANTIMICROBIAL DRUGS TO USE WHEN FIRST-LINE ANTIMICROBIAL DRUGS ARE CONTRAINDICATED OR NOT TOLERATED OR AFTER A BIOTERRORISM EVENT WHEN FIRST-LINE ANTIMICROBIAL DRUGS ARE DEPLETED OR INEFFECTIVE AGAINST A GENETICALLY ENGINEERED RESISTANT
B. anthracis strain. In addition, these updated guidelines include new recommendations regarding special considerations for the diagnosis and treatment of anthrax meningitis, including comorbid, social, and clinical predictors of anthrax meningitis. The previously published CDC guidelines and recommendations described potentially beneficial critical care measures and clinical assessment tools and procedures for persons with anthrax, which have not changed and are not addressed in this update. In addition, no changes were made to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommendations for use of anthrax vaccine (Bower WA, Schiffer J, Atmar RL, et al. Use of anthrax vaccine in the United States: recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, 2019. MMWR Recomm Rep 2019;68[No. RR-4]:1-14). The updated guidelines in this report can be used by health care providers to prevent and treat anthrax and guide emergency preparedness officials and planners as they develop and update plans for a wide-area aerosol release of B. anthracis.
Topics: Adult; Humans; Female; Child; Pregnancy; United States; Anthrax; Anthrax Vaccines; Bacillus anthracis; Anti-Infective Agents; Antitoxins; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S.; Aerosols; Meningitis
PubMed: 37963097
DOI: 10.15585/mmwr.rr7206a1 -
Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics Mar 2021The manufacture of the UK Anthrax vaccine (AVP) focuses on the production of Protective Antigen (PA) from the Sterne strain. Although used for decades, several of AVP's...
The manufacture of the UK Anthrax vaccine (AVP) focuses on the production of Protective Antigen (PA) from the Sterne strain. Although used for decades, several of AVP's fundamental properties are poorly understood, including its exact composition, the extent to which proteins other than PA may contribute to protection, and whether the degree of protection varies between individuals.This study involved three innovative investigations. Firstly, the composition of AVP was analyzed using liquid chromatography tandem mass-spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), requiring the development of a novel desorption method for releasing proteins from the vaccine's aluminum-containing adjuvant. Secondly, computational MHC-binding predictions using NetMHCIIpan were made for the eight most abundant proteins of AVP, for the commonest HLA alleles in multiple ethnic groups, and for multiple strains. Thirdly, antibody levels and toxin neutralizing antibody (TNA) levels were measured in sera from AVP human vaccinees for both PA and Lethal Factor (LF).It was demonstrated that AVP is composed of at least 138 proteins, including PA (65%), LF (8%) and Edema Factor (EF) (3%), using LC-MS/MS. NetMHCIIpan predicted that peptides from all eight abundant proteins are likely to be presented to T cells, a pre-requisite for protection; however, the number of such peptides varied considerably between different HLA alleles.These analyses highlight two important properties of the AVP vaccine that have not been established previously. Firstly, the effectiveness of AVP within humans may not depend on PA alone; there is compelling evidence to suggest that LF has a protective role, with computational predictions suggesting that additional proteins may be important for individuals with specific HLA allele combinations. Secondly, in spite of differences in the sequences of key antigenic proteins from different strains, these are unlikely to affect the cross-strain protection afforded by AVP.
Topics: Anthrax; Anthrax Vaccines; Antibodies, Bacterial; Antigens, Bacterial; Bacillus anthracis; Chromatography, Liquid; Humans; Immunogenicity, Vaccine; Tandem Mass Spectrometry; United Kingdom
PubMed: 32897798
DOI: 10.1080/21645515.2020.1799668 -
International Journal of Molecular... Jun 2016Vaccinating pregnant women in order to protect them, the fetus, and the child has become universal in no way at all. Prejudice in health professionals add to fears of... (Review)
Review
Vaccinating pregnant women in order to protect them, the fetus, and the child has become universal in no way at all. Prejudice in health professionals add to fears of women and their families. Both these feelings are not supported by even the smallest scientific data. Harmlessness for the mother and the child has been observed for seasonal, pandemic, or quadrivalent influenza, mono, combined polysaccharide or conjugated meningococcal or pneumococcal, tetanus toxoid, acellular pertussis, human papillomavirus, cholera, hepatitis A, Japanese encephalitis, rabies, anthrax, smallpox, yellow fever, mumps, measles and rubella combined, typhoid fever, inactivated or attenuated polio vaccines, and Bacillus Calmétte Guerin vaccines. Instead, the beneficial effects of influenza vaccine for the mother and the child as well as of pertussis vaccine for the child have been demonstrated. Obstetrician-gynecologists, general practitioners, and midwives must incorporate vaccination into their standard clinical care. Strong communication strategies effective at reducing parental vaccine hesitancy and approval of regulatory agencies for use of vaccines during pregnancy are needed. It must be clear that the lack of pre-licensure studies in pregnant women and, consequently, the lack of a statement about the use of the vaccine in pregnant women does not preclude its use in pregnancy.
Topics: Female; Health Services Needs and Demand; Humans; Outcome Assessment, Health Care; Pregnancy; Taboo; Vaccination; Vaccines
PubMed: 27338346
DOI: 10.3390/ijms17060894