SUMMARYFollowing a resurgence of fox rabies in northeastern Italy in 2008-2009, two emergency oral rabies vaccination (ORV) campaigns were performed in the Alpine mountain ranges in 2009 and 2010 using aerial distribution to prevent the disease from spreading further inland. Vaccine baits were distributed only below the freezing point altitude, ...

Less than half of gay and bisexual men indicated they had received some doses of hepatitis B virus vaccine. Hepatitis B virus vaccination was higher among men who were 18 to 29 years old (compared to those 50-59 years old), gay, or had received flu vaccine within the last year.

The hepatitis A virus (HAV) infects millions of people worldwide every year. Case histories report on various acute neuropathy syndromes in the context of acute HAV infection, but any causal link has not been established. Epidemiological data also cast doubt on the importance of HAV as a trigger for Guillain-Barré ...

We developed a suicidal DNA vaccine (pIRF1A-G-pMT-M) for salmonid fish susceptible to Infectious Hematopoietic Necrosis Virus (IHNV). The suicidal vaccine consists of two operons: i) an inducible fish promoter, the interferon regulatory factor 1A promoter (pIRF1A), driving the expression of the IHNV viral glycoprotein (G) gene that induces protection, and ...

Acute hepatitis A or B infection can be lethal in patients with chronic liver disease. Safe and effective vaccines are currently available to prevent hepatitis A and B. Despite wide availability of vaccines, most patients with chronic liver disease are not immunized, in part due to nonuniform and inconsistent current ...

To date, the policy to control hepatitis B in the Netherlands is to vaccinate specific risk groups, rather than all children. Low incidence of the disease has fueled debate whether such a targeted vaccination strategy or rather a universal strategy, as recommended by the World Health Organization, is appropriate. The ...

The study aimed to determine hepatitis B vaccination status and assess the exposure of risk factors for hepatitis B and C among primary schoolteachers in Karachi, Pakistan. In two hundred school teachers from 30 primary schools in Karachi participated in the study between January and June 2008 by completing an ...

Western Australian general practitioners may order Department of Health funded hepatitis A and B vaccines for patients newly notified with hepatitis C to prevent complications associated with co-infections. The aim of this study was to determine vaccination uptake of hepatitis C patients through this program. We reviewed hepatitis C notifications ...

Viral hepatitis A is still common in Italy, especially in Southern regions. In this study, a metapopulation model for hepatitis A virus (HAV) transmission is proposed and analyzed. Analytical results on the asymptotic and transient behaviors of the system are carried out. Based on the available Italian movement data, a ...

Immune response to many vaccinations is impaired in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) positive patients. A total of n = 131 HIV positive patients were vaccinated against influenza, pneumococcal disease, hepatitis A and B, with n = 82 patients (62.6%) receiving 2 or more simultaneous vaccinations. Safety and immunogenicity of simultaneous vaccinations were assessed. Current ...

We recently reported the development of a successful post-exposure combination antiviral and "prime-boost" vaccination strategy using the duck hepatitis B virus (DHBV) model of human hepatitis B virus infection. The current study aimed to simplify the vaccination strategy and to test the post-exposure efficacy of combination therapy with the Bristol-Myers ...

Homosexual contact is a major risk factor for acute hepatitis B infection. This study explores how many and which men who have sex with men (MSM) are reached by the ongoing hepatitis B vaccination programme in The Netherlands (started in 2002), and investigate reasons for non-participation and non-compliance. In this ...

Summary.  Chronic dialysis patients are at risk of contracting hepatitis B virus infection and have a diminished immune response to hepatitis B virus vaccine. Recent reports support intradermal administration of hepatitis B virus vaccine in patients on regular dialysis but the efficacy and safety of this approach remain unclear. We ...

In the present research a novel operative strategy of health surveillance with a reduced number of serologic tests is proposed. The approach consists to identify sub-populations with high predictable serological profile that makes the serological tests unnecessary. The study is focused on assays done to detect the response against hepatitis ...

Seroprevalence data suggest that a third of the world's population has been infected with the hepatitis E virus. Our aim was to assess efficacy and safety of a recombinant hepatitis E vaccine, HEV 239 (Hecolin; Xiamen Innovax Biotech, Xiamen, China) in a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial. Healthy adults ...

Temporal trends of Hepatitis A cases and vaccination coverage data against Hepatitis A Virus have been investigated to analyse the impact of the universal routine vaccination strategy more than 10 years from its introduction in Puglia (region of Southern Italy). The basic reproductive number (R(0)) before vaccination introduction and the ...

This study examined factors affecting the receipt of both hepatitis B vaccination and screening in the Vietnamese American community of Philadelphia. Hepatitis B is endemic in Southeast Asia; individuals emigrating from endemic areas are at a particularly high risk of hepatitis B infection, resulting in a higher prevalence of liver ...

AIM: Find an association between hepatitis B vaccine-related systemic lupus erythematosus and HLA. Material: A 27-year-old woman who developed a lupus nephritis after the administration of hepatitis B vaccine. METHODS: We studied HLA antigen expression on lymphocytes and genomic haplotype. Class I-II HLA antigen typing was performed by the microlymphocytotoxicity ...

Despite the recommendation of the World Health Organization (WHO) to provide the first hepatitis B vaccine dose at birth (within 24h), there are epidemiological, economic and logistical reasons why this may not be the best approach for home births in Africa. The WHO policy presupposes that the epidemiology of hepatitis ...

Historically, Alaska experienced cyclic hepatitis A virus (HAV) epidemics, and the HAV rate among Alaska Native people was significantly higher than among other racial/ethnic groups. We evaluated the impact of universal childhood vaccination, initiated in 1996, on HAV epidemiology in Alaska by analyzing HAV cases reported to the State of ...

BACKGROUND: In China, the prevalence of chronic hepatitis B infection was high because of perinatal and early childhood transmission. A three-dose hepatitis B vaccine schedule with a first dose as soon as possible after birth was introduced in 1992 and generalized in 2002 in the Expanded Programme of Immunization (EPI). ...

BACKGROUND: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend immunizing susceptible high-risk groups, such as hemodialysis patients, against hepatitis B virus. However, hemodialysis patients may not develop seroprotective antibodies despite receiving high doses of the vaccine. Recent reports indicate that combined vaccination against hepatitis B and hepatitis A viruses may ...

Hepatitis B vaccination typically requires a multi-dose administration protocol over a course of 3-6 months. Aiming at developing a single-shot formulation for hepatitis B vaccine (hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)), a novel vaccine delivery system, the composite microspheres of alginate-chitosan-poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA), was synthesized by a two-step preparation. The composite ...

OBJECTIVES: To determine the vaccination status for hepatitis B and knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) regarding hepatitis B and C among medical students of Karachi and to evaluate the effects of gender and age on the responses, regarding vaccination and KAP for Hepatitis B and C. METHODS: This cross sectional ...

Hepatitis A virus (HAV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) continue to be major health concerns among men who have sex with men (MSM). The Internet both facilitates high-risk sexual encounters and provides opportunities for promoting healthy behaviours. This study compared self-reported HAV and HBV vaccination levels, based on demographics, health ...

BACKGROUND: In spite of the availability of an effective vaccine since 1982 against hepatitis B, infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV), which is 50 to 100 times more infectious than HIV, still persists in most parts of the world with Nigeria being described as an endemic zone. We therefore set ...

Vaccination against hepatitis A virus (HAV) is recommended for patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB), since they are potentially at an increased risk of HAV-related morbidity and mortality. However, little is known about the adherence to these recommendations in the community. This study evaluated the current vaccination status and immunity ...

We examined long-term anti-hepatitis A virus antibody persistence in Argentinean children 10 years after the initial study in which they received 2 doses of inactivated hepatitis A vaccine (Avaxim 80U). Of the 111 children, 48 from the initial trial were enrolled. Of 48, 47 (97.9%) participants had serum anti-hepatitis A ...

Prevention researchers have advocated primary prevention such as vaccination in alternative venues. However, there have been major questions about both the attendance of, and the ability to, vaccinate high-risk individuals in such settings. The current study seeks to assess the feasibility of vaccinating high-risk men who have sex with men ...

Since hepatitis B vaccine was first released in 1981, a public health goal has been to vaccinate adults at risk for infection because of risky sexual behaviors and needle-sharing practices. However, vaccination coverage for this group has remained low. During 2007, in the United States, among the estimated 43,000 persons ...

In January 2009 25 European Union (EU) Member States (MSs), Norway and Iceland, participated in a survey seeking information on national hepatitis B vaccination programmes. Details of vaccination policy, schedule, population groups targeted for vaccination, programme funding, vaccine coverage and methods of monitoring of vaccine coverage were obtained. Twenty (74%) ...

Hepatitis B is an important infection in thalassemia patients and prevention by vaccination is needed. Immunological response to hepatitis B vaccine in polytransfused thalassmia patients needs more attention.

We assessed the safety and immunogenicity of hepatitis B vaccination among 40 human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients with isolated positivity for antibodies to hepatitis B core antigen. No baseline factors were found to be predictive of an anamnestic response, which occurred in 32.5% of the patients. The overall response rate among ...

Worldwide, two billion people have at some time been infected by hepatitis B virus, 370 millions suffer from chronic infection and around one million die each year from HBV-related liver diseases of which liver cancer is the ultimate stage. Vaccination is the measure that is most effective in reducing the ...

The success of childhood vaccination against hepatitis B relies on persistence of immunity into adolescence and adulthood. In 2000, two hexavalent vaccines with a hepatitis B component (Hexavac, Infanrix hexa) were introduced in Germany. Hexavac was withdrawn in 2005 amidst concerns about its long-term hepatitis B protection. We compared hepatitis ...

The hepatitis B virus (HBV) is an important infectious cause of acute and chronic liver disease throughout the world. Recombinant hepatitis B vaccines have been developed to combat morbidity and mortality associated with HBV infection. These vaccines have been associated with autoimmune diseases mostly among adult vaccine recipients. Epidemiological surveys ...

OBJECTIVE: To report a possible association between hepatitis B vaccine and uveitis. METHODS: Spontaneous reports from the National Registry of Drug-Induced Ocular Side Effects, the World Health Organization, and the Food and Drug Administration were collected on hepatitis B vaccine associated with uveitis between 1982 and 2009. In addition, we ...

This study aims to evaluate the immune status against hepatitis A, hepatitis B, tetanus, diphtheria and varicella in military recruits and the validity of self-reporting of their disease and vaccination history. A total of 226 participants were studied (mean age, 20.2 years; SD 1.7). 10.4% presented antibodies to hepatitis A, ...

Some hepatitis B vaccine booster studies have suggested waning of vaccine-induced immunity in adolescents vaccinated starting at birth. Those studies, however, used a pediatric formulation of the hepatitis B vaccine as a booster to detect anamnestic response. We compared adolescents boosted with an adult dose of hepatitis B vaccine with ...

Universal hepatitis B vaccination was recommended for U.S. newborns in 1991; however, safety findings are mixed. The association between hepatitis B vaccination of male neonates and parental report of autism diagnosis was determined. This cross-sectional study used weighted probability samples obtained from National Health Interview Survey 1997-2002 data sets. Vaccination ...

Evaluation of: Chang MH, You SL, Chen CJ et al.; Taiwan study group: Decreased incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma in hepatitis B vaccinees: a 20 years follow-up study. J. Natl Cancer Inst. 101, 1348-1355 (2009). This population-based study-aimed to investigate whether a universal Taiwanese program, launched in 1984,has been able to ...

This study examined whether acquisition of neonatal reflexes in newborn rhesus macaques was influenced by receipt of a single neonatal dose of hepatitis B vaccine containing the preservative thimerosal (Th). Hepatitis B vaccine containing a weight-adjusted Th dose was administered to male macaques within 24 h of birth (n = ...

Hepatitis A infection is caused by the hepatitis A virus (HAV), which is transmitted through the fecal-oral route. Lifelong protective antibodies are present after infection. The number of cases of adult hepatitis A has progressively been increasing during the last several decades in Korea. In addition, the pattern of age-specific ...

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis B infection is the major cause of acute and chronic liver disease, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma worldwide and has long been recognized as an occupational hazard among dentists. The aim of the present study was to examine factors associated to the self-reporting of hepatitis B vaccination and immunization ...

The incidence of hepatitis A infection in the United States has decreased dramatically in recent years because of childhood immunization programs. A decision analysis of the cost-effectiveness of hepatitis A vaccination for adults with hepatitis C was conducted. No vaccination strategy is cost-effective for adults with hepatitis C using the ...

The objectives of this study were to determine factors associated with hepatitis A vaccination and to assess overall hepatitis A vaccination coverage levels among one-year-olds in Michigan. The study population was the first hepatitis A vaccination-eligible birth cohort (n = 134 226) enrolled in the Michigan Care Improvement Registry (MCIR) ...

Hepatitis A virus (HAV) vaccination is recommended worldwide for patients with chronic liver disease to prevent decompensation due to superinfection with HAV. There are recent reports of decline in HAV seroprevalence in developing countries, where hepatitis A was considered hyperendemic. This phenomenon would have implication on policy of hepatitis A ...

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of the universal infant hepatitis B vaccination program on hepatitis B infection in China. METHODS: In 2006, a survey was conducted in Shandong Province, China, among children aged 1-14 years, 15 years after the introduction of universal infant hepatitis B vaccination. The subjects were selected ...

Hepatitis B is a serious public health problem. Worldwide three different levels of hepatitis B endemicity (high, intermediate and low) can be distinguished. Areas with different levels of endemicity require tailored vaccination strategies to fit the needs for individuals at risk and/or countries, depending on the infection risk per age ...

The effect of vaccination programs on transmission of infectious disease is usually assessed by monitoring programs that rely on notifications of symptomatic illness. For monitoring of infectious diseases with a high proportion of asymptomatic cases or a low reporting rate, molecular sequence data combined with modern coalescent-based techniques offer a ...