Spatio-temporal Differentiation in the Incidence of Influenza and Its Relationship with Air Pollution in China from 2004 to 2017

The Healthy China Initiative is a major health strategy being pursued by the country.To prevent and control different types of diseases as well as their complex variants,research on the spatio-temporal differentiation among and mechanisms of influence of epidemic diseases is growing worldwide.This study analyzed monthly data on the incidence of influenza by using different methods,including Moran’s I,the hotspot analysis model,concentration analysis,and correlation analysis,to determine the characteristics of spatiotemporal differentiation in the incidence of influenza across prefecture-level cities in China from 2004 to 2017,and to examine its relationship with air pollution.According to the results,the overall incidence of influenza in China exhibited a trend of increase from 2004 to 2017,with small peaks in 2009 and 2014.More cases of influenza were recorded in the first and fourth quarters of each year.Regions with higher incidences of influenza were concentrated in northwestern and northern China,and in the coastal areas of southeastern China.Over time,the distribution of regions with a higher incidence of influenza has shifted from the west to the east of the country.A significant relationship was observed between the incidence of influenza and factors related to air pollution.The contents of five air pollutants(PM_(2.5),PM10,SO_(2),NO_(2),and CO)were significantly positively correlated with the incidence of influenza,with a decreasing order of contribution to it of SO_(2)>CO>NO_(2)>PM_(2.5)>PM_(10).The content of O_(3) in the air was negatively correlated with the incidence of influenza.The influence of air pollution-related factors on the incidence of influenza in different regions and seasons showed minor differences.The large-scale empirical results provided here can supply a scientific basis for governmental disease control authorities to formulate strategies for regional prevention and control.

Labeling of influenza viruses with synthetic fluorescent and biotin-labeled lipids

Direct labeling of virus particles is a powerful tool for the visualization of virus–cell interaction events. However, this technique involves the chemical modification of viral proteins that affects viral biological properties. Here we describe an alternative approach of influenza virus labeling that utilizes Function-Spacer-Lipid(FSL) constructs that can be gently inserted into the virus membrane. We assessed whether labeling with fluorescent(fluo-Ad-DOPE) or biotin-labeled(biot-CMG2-DOPE) probes has any deleterious effect on influenza virus hemagglutinin(HA) receptor specificity, neuraminidase(NA) activity, or replicative ability in vitro. Our data clearly show that neither construct significantly affected influenza virus infectivity or viral affinity to sialyl receptors. Neither construct influenced the NA activities of the influenza viruses tested, except the A/Puerto Rico/8/34(H1N1) strain. Our data indicate that lipid labeling provides a powerful tool to analyze influenza virus infection in vitro.

Prevalence of influenza vaccination coverage amongst the first and third generation Asian adults in California, United States of America

The Asian population comprises the third largest ethnic minority in the state of California.However,influenza vaccination coverage amongst the overall Asian population,and the first and third-generation Asian’s have not been widely studied.Previous literature exploring generational status as a corelate of influenza immunization amongst Mexican identified Latino adults confirms disparities in influenza vaccination coverage by generation.This study aims to report on the prevalence of influenza vaccination coverage amongst the overall,first and third-generation Asians in California,and examine the correlates of influenza vaccination coverage in the aforementioned population.Methods:Cross-sectional data from the California Health Interview Survey 2016 for Asian adults was analyzed using IBM SPSS 25.0 for Mac.Descriptive statistics were utilized for reporting the frequencies and percentages of the selected variables.Weighted multivariable binary logistic regression was used to obtain adjusted odds ratios(95%confidence interval)and determine independent association between socioeconomic determinants and influenza vaccination coverage amongst the first and third-generation Asians at P<0.05.The analysis was adjusted for“visit to the doctor”and“insurance status”.Results:Thirteen point one percent(n=2,761)of the survey respondents(N=21,055)identified as Asians.The first-generation(n=1,857,67%)comprised the highest proportion of the Asian ethnic group.Influenza vaccination coverage was reported as 61.2%amongst the overall,61.1%amongst the first-generation and 70.9%amongst the third-generation respectively.All predictor variables were significant amongst the first-generation,however amongst the third-generation all variables except for location and living in a household of 3 and more,were significant predictors of influenza vaccination coverage.Conclusion:Compared to the other ethnic groups in California,the Asian respondents reported a higher percentage of influenza vaccination coverage.Influenza vaccination coverage was the highest amongst the third-generation Asians.Increased influenza vaccination coverage amongst the Asian ethnic group can be ascribed to higher educational attainment,a higher proportion choosing to visit a doctor as well as increased insurance coverage.

Evolution of Influenza A H7N9 Virus with an Emphasis on Gene Constellation

The H7 subtype avian influenza viruses, including H7N2, HTN3 and HTN7, have posed a public health threat worldwide. Except one H7N7 fatal case in the Netherlands in 2003, the other H7 human cases have resulted in self-limiting conjunc- tivitis or mild upper respiratory illness.

Neutralization activity of influenza A virus humanized antibodies against new subtypes of influenza viruses

Antibodies are ideal for controlling the influenza A virus,but their effect on newly emerging strains is unclear.Here,we assessed the neutralization activity of the humanized monoclonal antibodies(mAbs)F10,H98 and H40 against circulating influenza viruses(H5N1,H1N1,H3N2 and H7N7 and new subtypes viruses H5N6 and H7N9).The results showed that all the three humanized mAbs(F10,H98 and H40)displayed different degrees of virus neutralization activities when encountered with different subtypes of influenza viruses.Remarkably,the humanized monoclonal antibody F10 produced higher and broader neutralization titers(range 25–1.56μg/ml)than those of the other two humanized mAbs(H98(range 50–3.12μg/ml),H40(range 50–5.56μg/ml))to against the viruses H5N1,H1N1,H3N2,H7N7,H5N6 and H7N9.This mAb may represent a new class of heterosubtypic neutralizing humanized mAb that could replace vaccines and chemical drugs.

Interaction of Hsp40 with influenza virus M2 protein: implications for PKR signaling pathway

Influenza virus contains three integral membrane proteins:haemagglutinin,neuraminidase,and matrix protein(M1 and M2).Among them,M2 protein functions as an ion channel,important for virus uncoating in endosomes of virus-infected cells and essential for virus replication.In an effort to explore potential new functions of M2 in the virus life cycle,we used yeast two-hybrid system to search for M2-associated cellular proteins.One of the positive clones was identified as human Hsp40/Hdj1,a DnaJ/Hsp40 family protein.Here,we report that both BM2(M2 of influenza B virus)and A/M2(M2 of influenza A virus)interacted with Hsp40 in vitro and in vivo.The region of M2-Hsp40 interaction has been mapped to the CTD1 domain of Hsp40.Hsp40 has been reported to be a regulator of PKR signaling pathway by interacting with p58^(IPK) that is a cellular inhibitor of PKR.PKR is a crucial component of the host defense response against virus infection.We therefore attempted to understand the relationship among M2,Hsp40 and p58^(IPK) by further experimentation.The results demonstrated that both A/M2 and BM2 are able to bind to p58^(IPK)in vitro and in vivo and enhance PKR autophosphorylation probably via forming a stable complex with Hsp40 and P58^(IPK),and consequently induce cell death.These results suggest that influenza virus M2 protein is involved in p58^(IPK)mediated PKR regulation during influenza virus infection,therefore affecting infected-cell life cycle and virus replication.