Dengue

A tetravalent dengue vaccine candidate elicited long-term immune responses in children and adults in a phase 2 trial, with seropositivity rates of at least 88% for three of four serotypes 3 years after vaccination.

Researchers identified a dengue challenge strain that was well tolerated and “resulted in an uncomplicated dengue illness.” They said it could be suitable for dengue human infection models aimed at testing vaccines and therapeutics.

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, or ACIP, could make recommendations on the use of a newly approved dengue vaccine in U.S. children as early as October, the chair of the ACIP’s dengue vaccines work group said.

One of the top stories in hematology/oncology last week was about a recent FDA report that concluded there is “insufficient evidence” to link cellphone radiation exposure to cancer.

Individuals with a history of dengue virus infection had more than twice the risk for developing leukemia as those without a history of dengue, according to results of a population-based study published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.

Researchers found significant gaps in existing model-based predictions of Aedes mosquito distribution in the United States, reporting in a recent study that “the edges of the geographic range of these important species remain uncertain.”

A recent study of 1.1 million urgent care visits found that there was “intense” variation in antibiotic prescribing practices between centers. This was the week’s top story in infectious disease.

Cases of dengue infection declined significantly in areas of Australia, Brazil, Indonesia and Vietnam where lab-grown mosquitos carrying Wolbachia were released, according to findings presented at the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene Annual Meeting.

Results of an ongoing phase 3 trial of Takeda’s tetravalent dengue vaccine candidate, known as TAK-003, suggest that the vaccine is effective in children and adolescents aged 4 to 16 years.

For the second time this year, a locally acquired case of dengue has been reported in Miami-Dade County, Florida.