More than 25 percent of adult New Yorkers are infected with the virus that causes genital herpes, according to the New York Department of Health.

That’s six percent above the national average — 19 percent, according to the DOH. For New Yorkers, women have a higher instance of genital herpes infection, 36 percent, as compared with men, 19 percent.

According to the study, the herpes infection rate is 49 percent among black New Yorkers and 14 percent among white New Yorkers. Genital herpes is also more common among men who have sex with other men, 32 percent, than among those who do not, 18 percent.

The new findings were published this month in the medical journal Sexually Transmitted Diseases. The data come from the city’s Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, which used door-to-door interviews and in-person medical exams to assess health.

The city contrasted the findings concerning New Yorkers with national reports and found the higher rate for the Big Apple, said Dr. Julia Schillinger, Director of Surveillance for the Bureau of STP Prevention and Control and the lead author of the report.

Nationally, herpes infections have been trending downward from a decade ago. So that while New York is higher compared with the national average, the trend might also be declining too.

But she said that most importantly, people need to practice safe sex to prevent the disease from spreading.

“Condoms used correctly and consistently are the best answer to this problem,” Schillinger said. “We all know the role condoms play in curbing the spread of HIV. Herpes is another critical reason to use condoms.”

Abstinence may be an even better idea, especially for young people. The best way to avoid sexually transmitted diseases is to not have sex outside of marriage.

– by Gene J. Koprowski, Editorial Director

Posted: June 10th, 2008 under Diseases, Herpes-Cold Sores.
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A new concern is emerging in medicine — infection protection and control in dental office waiting rooms.

The Organization for Safety and Asepsis Procedures addresses the topic in its May issue in a feature entitled, “The Reception Room” is a feature in the May issue of the OSAP’s association publication Infection Control in Practice.

The article is aimed at helping dental professionals recognize sites in the reception room that need constant attention with regard to cleanliness and infection control, and is the second installment of a new series on compartmentalizing infection control policies and procedures.

Patients, caregivers and the the dental team are all at risk of infection in the waiting room. The article reports that there are new guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) as to how to control infection in the reception area, and provide disease prevention information for patients.

– by The Editors

The dental office — next place where MRSA will flourish?

Posted: June 4th, 2008 under Diseases, Herpes-Cold Sores, Influenza, Meningitis, Mumps, Norwalk-Like Viruses, Pneumonia, Rubella.
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David Koelle, MD, a professor of medicine at the University of Washington School of Medicine Division of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, recently spoke with Infection Protection, about his latest research into an immunotherapeutic plasmid DNA vaccine for herpes. Dr. Koelle’s group is involved in the pre-clinical research, part of a $2 million Phase II Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program funded by the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Infection Protection: What is the critical unmet need for a HSV-2 plasmid DNA vaccine?

Dr. Koelle: With about 17 percent of adults in the U.S. already infected with genital herpes, and millions more worldwide, novel ways of treatment are urgently needed. The human immune response and trigger factors are still unknown. Significant gaps in our knowledge of the correlates of disease severity and HSV immune evasion are limiting rational advances in these areas. The current chemotherapy is associated with side effects. Natural biological control and less frequent dosage are expected to ensure patient compliance. A licensed human DNA vaccine is not available just yet. And there is no way to eliminate the herpes virus from the system.

Infection Protection: What is the most promising aspect about the area of herpes vaccine research at your lab? What is the probability that drug-resistant strains will not emerge?

Dr. Koelle: With over 85 different genes, the Herpes Simplex Virus-2 (HSV-2) genome is complex. For the first time, we selected novel antigens, especially UL-46 and UL-47 as part of the therapeutic armamentarium. In addition, new delivery technologies from our industry partner, Vical, including Vaxfectin adjuvant and their proprietary in-vivo electroporation system, are most promising. Mice CD-8 T-cells recognize the full-length protein antigens of the virus. And resistance is not a big concern with the HSV-2 DNA vaccine unlike others such as hepatitis or human papilloma virus.

Infection Protection: What is different in mice and men in herpes infection? And to what extent is mouse research applicable in humans?

Dr. Koelle: The mouse model entailed vaginal application to study the viral replication. We are also working on a mouse Zosteriform Spread model involving skin inoculation to trace the viral traffic and localization into the dorsal root ganglia of the nervous system. Based on the extent to which the CD8 cells clear the infection, we could estimate the degree of immune response. The mouse studies basically relate to vaccine delivery. The activity and adjuvant studies are applicable to humans while the dose-ranging studies are only partially applicable.

As part of an ongoing large, multidisciplinary, clinical investigation in Seattle, we have also been investigating the host genetic and immune response in humans, with quantitative PCR assays to measure virus shedding from the genital area in mild to severe herpes. Studies have shown single-nucleotide polymorphisms in toll-like receptors (TLRs) 2, 3, 4, and 9 associated with increased viral shedding and lesion frequency. We have also demonstrated specific open reading frames by HLA type frequently recognized in humans.
 

Infection Protection: How long does it take to get into the clinical stage from the pre-clinical phase? How many more years, before patients could see a DNA vaccine materialize?

Dr. Koelle: The NIH funding over the next two years should enable us to generate rational data to launch an Investigational New Drug (IND) application with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) for clinical trial permission. For a commercially available vaccine, if the HPV scenario is any indication, we are looking at 10 years at the minimum. However, we are optimistic, given the capabilities with our research partner in viral DNA vaccine development, Vical Inc.

– by Sridhar Nadamuni, Toronto Correspondent

A vaccine for Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) Type-2, a cousin to conventional herpes, shown here, is in the development pipeline.

Posted: June 1st, 2008 under Diseases, Herpes-Cold Sores.
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The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded a two-year, $2.0 million grant to a San Diego-based firm, Vical Incorporated (Nasdaq: VICL) to fund the ongoing development of Vical’s immunotherapeutic plasmid DNA (pDNA) vaccine for herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2), a sexually transmitted virus and the leading cause of genital herpes.

Researchers said the  HSV-2 vaccine will also be evaluated with Vical’s innovative Vaxfectin (R: 63.71, -2.97, -4.45%) adjuvant.

The pre-clinical development activities covered by the grant will be conducted at the University of Washington School of Medicine and the University of Texas Medical Branch, both centers of excellence in herpes research. The vaccine will be designed for use in people already infected with HSV-2, with the goal of reducing or eliminating periodic viral flare-ups.

According to Vijay B. Samant, Vical’s president and chief executive officer, chronic antiviral treatment carries a significant healthcare cost and contributes to the emergence of drug-resistant strains and increasing infection rates. “A therapeutic vaccine that could control disease symptoms and transmission would be a welcome addition to the HSV-2 treatment arsenal. We are pleased to collaborate with leading academic research centers in addressing this critical public health need,” says Samant.

According to David Koelle, professor of medicine in the Division of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the University of Washington School of Medicine, technologies such as pDNA vaccines can contribute to priming and boosting CD8 T-cell responses to HSV-2, have the best chance of changing the natural history of established HSV-2 infection, potentially improving symptoms, lesions, shedding, and perhaps even transmission.

The grant supplements the $300,000 awarded to Vical in 2005 for the HSV-2 vaccine program.

– The Editors

Lesions are a common symptom of HSV-2. Image Source: University of Iowa.

Posted: April 17th, 2008 under Diseases, Genetics & Gene Therapies, Herpes, Herpes-Cold Sores, Sexually Transmitted Diseases.
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