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The journal Nature recently published a study that concluded "something happened" in mid-2021, making avian influenza (bird flu) Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza viruses much more infectious.
While emphasizing that the risk to humans remains low, the experts who spoke to AFP Paris on June 3, 2023, indicated bird flu reports this year were a cause for concern, reported France24.
Published on May 29, 2023, a new study found the spread of A(H5N1) viruses worldwide, and detecting infections in mammals (foxes, skunks, bobcats, mountain lions, bears) and humans in the United States is noteworthy.
Except for pockets of endemic clade activity in South and Southeast Asia, clade 2.3.4.4b viruses have predominated over other A(H5Nx) clades over the past 18 months. As a result, clade 2.3.4.4b viruses have become entrenched in Asia, Europe, and probably in parts of Africa.
The increasing prevalence of 2.3.4.4b viruses are also changing the disease dynamics in Europe, with the potential for a transition from epizootic to enzootic status.
Our data highlight how quickly things can change in a natural system, and the potential for further A(H5Nx) reassortment and phenotypic diversification will only increase as the unprecedented global distribution of these viruses broadens, wrote these researchers.
As of May 2023, the Pan American Health Organization reported clade 2.3.4.4b had been detected in 16 countries in Latin America, the Caribbean, the United States, and Canada.
In the U.S., over 58 million birds in 47 states have been impacted since early 2022.
In the case of a bird flu pandemic in 2023, the U.S. government has already approved vaccines and continues investing in newer technologies. Furthermore, annual flu shots are unlikely to protect people during avian influenza (bird flu) pandemics.
As of June 4, 2023, bird flu outbreak news is posted at Precision Vaccinations.
When it comes to immunotherapy, a tumor’s classification as hot or cold is essential. Hot refers to tumors showing signs of inflammation, meaning the immune cells have recognized and responded to the malignant cells, wrote Kim Polacek, APR, CPRC, on June 4, 2023.
These tumors respond well to immunotherapy because the immune system is already activated.
Cold tumors, on the other hand, contain immune suppressive cells and are more challenging to treat.
Breast cancer was once regarded as a cold tumor disease and therefore difficult to treat with immunotherapy, but that is changing thanks to research happening at Moffitt Cancer Center.
A new clinical trial led by Dr. Heather Han is evaluating a combination therapy utilizing two immunotherapies (dendritic cell vaccine and pepinemab), along with trastuzumab, followed by adoptive T cell therapy, for patients with metastatic HER2 positive breast cancer.
“The goal of this therapy is to activate the immune system and create a hot tumor environment so we can collect those immune cells to create a specific cellular immunotherapy to better target their cancer,” said Dr. Han, clinical research director in the Department of Breast Oncology at Moffitt.
Information about this phase 1 clinical trial is being presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting. The clinical trial is ongoing. Han says this combination therapy could provide a new option for HER2-positive breast cancer patients with metastatic disease.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (CDC) confirmed on June 2, 2023, that the agency had revoked the emergency use authorization (EUA) of the Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine known as Jcovden®.
On May 22, 2023, Janssen Biotech Inc. requested the voluntary withdrawal of the EUA for this vaccine.
Previously, Janssen informed the FDA that the last lots of the vaccine purchased by the U.S. Government had expired, there is no demand for new lots of the vaccine in the U.S., and they do not intend to update the strain composition of this vaccine to address emerging variants.
On February 27, 2021, Johnson & Johnson announced that the FDA issued an EUA for this recombinant, replication-incompetent adenovirus, non-mRNA COVID-19 vaccine.
As of June 4, 2023, the authorization or approval status of the Jcovden COVID-19 vaccine varies by country.
The U.S. Department of State updated its Travel Advisory for the Republic of Peru regarding civil unrest.
On June 1, 2023, the State Department's Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution advisory confirmed visitors should not travel to:
- The Colombian-Peruvian border area in the Loreto Region.
- The Valley of the Apurímac, Ene, and Mantaro Rivers, including areas within the Departments of Ayacucho, Cusco, Huancavelica, and Junin.
- The Puno Region, including the Peruvian side of Lake Titicaca, and the Apurimac Region.
And the U.S. Embassy in Lima recently reported a 24-hour strike is expected to affect the Puno region on May 31, 2023. In addition, roadblocks could disrupt travel within the area and the city of Puno.
Furthermore, U.S. travelers participating in Ayahuasca and Kambo ceremonies should be aware that numerous persons, including U.S. citizens, have reported that while under the influence of these substances, they have witnessed or been victims of sexual assault, rape, theft, serious health problems and injuries, and even death.
Previously, Machu Picchu reopened to visitors in late February 2023 after a short closure.
If you visit Peru, the State Department suggests enrolling in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program to receive alerts in an emergency.
From a health perspective, the U.S. CDC included Peru in its recent dengue outbreak advisory.
A new repository of drug-dependence technical reports and resources was launched by the World Health Organization (WHO) on June 1, 2023, empowering its audience to source information within a single webpage.
The repository from WHO’s Expert Committee on Drug Dependence (ECDD) is an essential resource for health professionals, drug policy experts, and policy-makers, as many of the substances reviewed by ECDD have otherwise limited information regarding their public health risk.
It represents the only online, freely accessible collection of information and reports on new psychoactive substances and medicines for medical and scientific use, comprising over 450 substances.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is issuing this Health Alert Network (HAN) Health Update CDCHAN-00492 to supplement the HAN issued on May 17, 2023, offering updates on the ongoing fungal meningitis outbreak.
As of June 1, 2023, a multistate outbreak of fungal meningitis is ongoing among patients who underwent procedures under epidural anesthesia in the city of Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico, at two clinics: River Side Surgical Center and Clinica K-3.
A total of 212 residents in 25 U.S. states and jurisdictions have been identified who might be at risk of fungal meningitis because they received epidural anesthesia at the clinics of interest in 2023.
Three of these patients (two probable cases and one confirmed case) have died.
Various laboratories have detected fungal signals consistent with the Fusarium solani species complex from the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients receiving follow-up care in Mexico or the U.S.
In addition, elevated levels of beta-D-glucan, a biomarker of fungal infection, have been detected in the CSF of at least six patients. Efforts by public health officials are ongoing to find and notify additional patients who might be at risk.
Healthcare providers, public health officials, and the public should be aware that all patients, including those without symptoms, who underwent medical or surgical procedures under epidural anesthesia in Matamoros, Mexico, since January 1, 2023, should be evaluated for fungal meningitis as soon as possible.
As of June 2, 2023, the WHO advises against the application of any travel or trade restrictions on Mexico and the U.S. based on the current information available on this event.
Nykode Therapeutics ASA today announced that it had expanded the clinical collaboration and supply agreement with Roche to cover the evaluation of VB10.16, an off-the-shelf therapeutic cancer vaccine candidate in development for the treatment of human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV16)-positive cancers.
This collaboration, unveiled on June 1, 2023, is evaluating the combination with Roche’s cancer immunotherapy atezolizumab in patients with advanced cervical cancer who have progressed on pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy +/- bevacizumab as first-line treatment.
The VB-C-04 clinical trial is expected to be initiated in the U.S. in the fourth quarter of 2023 with registrational intent, which provides a potential fast-to-market path.
“We look forward to expanding our collaboration with Roche to bring the combination of VB10.16 and atezolizumab to cervical cancer patients with limited treatment options. Cervical cancer has a poor prognosis, and the recent positive clinical data from VB-C-02 has strengthened our commitment to contribute to a well-tolerated treatment that can potentially prolong the life of these women. The trial provides a potential fast path to market for VB10.16,” commented Michael Engsig, CEO of Nykode Therapeutics, in a press release.
Precision Vaccinations post other cervical cancer vaccine updates.
Globally, nearly two million new COVID-19 cases and over 12,000 related fatalities were reported in the last 28 days, a decrease of 30% and 39%, respectively, compared to the previous 28 days, reported the World Health Organization (WHO).
As of June 1, 2023, the situation is mixed at the regional level, with increases in reported cases seen in the Western Pacific Region and the African Region and decreases in related fatalities in all six WHO regions.
During this 28-day reporting period, 150 of 243 (62%) countries and territories reported at least one COVID-19 case.
The European Region had the highest proportion of countries reporting data on new hospitalizations (19 countries; 31%).
Globally, XBB.1.5 has been reported from 115 countries since the variant emerged.
