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Researching infectious disease threats is important to help protect global health and to understand the viruses of today that could impact our future.
Below are published studies and papers resulting from the ongoing work of the Abbott Pandemic Defense Coalition and its partners.
Effects of a Booster Dose of BNT162b2 on Spike-Binding Antibodies to SARS-Cov-2 Omicron BA.2, BA.3, BA.4 And BA.5 Subvariants in Infection-Naïve and Previously-Infected Individuals.
It is important to understand how SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccination impact antibody responses and protection from infection. In this study, researchers found that vaccinated people who had a previous infection had higher levels of antibodies that could recognize omicron variants than people who had only been vaccinated – although this difference was eliminated by a booster shot. Antibody levels declined for everyone over time, regardless of whether they had been infected before or not.
Read this study in journal Vaccine.
The Abbott Pandemic Defense Coalition: A Unique Multisector Approach Adds to Global Pandemic Preparedness Efforts
The Abbott Pandemic Defense Coalition is a unique multisector approach to helping prevent the next pandemic. Through infectious disease detection and by developing and deploying diagnostic tools (when necessary), the Coalition establishes itself as a scientific and public health partnership that can respond and develop diagnostic tools for infectious disease threats of pandemic potential.
Read this position paper in International Journal of Infectious Diseases.
Assessment of SARS-CoV-2 Mu Variant Emergence and Spread in Colombia
The Mu variant prevailed in Colombia in January 2021 and spread to more than 30 countries. Scientists from Abbott and the Colombia-Wisconsin One Health Consortium at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia studied 1,000+ samples to learn more about this COVID-19 variant.
Read this study in JAMA Network Open.
Detection of SARS-CoV-2 Variants by Abbott Molecular, Antigen, and Serological tests
Viral diversity presents an ongoing challenge for diagnostic tests which need to accurately detect circulating variants. The Abbott Pandemic Defense Coalition monitors SARS-CoV-2 variants and their potential impact on Abbott molecular, antigen, and serologic assays. Our scientists, along with scientists from Rush University, Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation (CERI), and Institut de Recherche en Sante, de Surveillance Epidémiologique et de Formation (IRESSEF), confirmed that variants, including variants of concern, were detected by the 11 SARS-CoV-2 assays.
Read this study in Journal of Clinical Virology.
Modified ARCHITECT R Serologic Assays Enable Plasma-Level Performance from Dried Blood Spot Samples.
Dried blood spots (DBS) can expand access to testing because samples are easy to collect and can be easily transported.
Researchers evaluated the performance of diagnostic tests with DBS samples compared to samples collected by a blood draw. We found comparable performance, suggesting that DBS could be a viable alternative sample type.
Read this study in journal BioTechniques.
Longitudinal Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Vaccine Antibody Responses and Identification of Vaccine Breakthrough Infections Among Healthcare Workers Using Nucleocapsid Immunoglobulin G
As more people are vaccinated for SARS-CoV-2, the prevalence of antibodies to the spike protein, which is a main target of several major vaccines, will not be able to distinguish between vaccination and natural infection.
Researchers followed a group of people who are at high risk for exposure to SARS-CoV-2, to evaluate whether antibody responses to a viral target that is not present in most vaccines, nucleocapsid, was informative for identifying infections in people who were vaccinated. We found that there were increases in antibodies to nucleocapsid following vaccine breakthrough infections, and that the rate of vaccine breakthrough infections during the omicron wave was over 15%.
Read this study in The Journal of Infectious Diseases.
SARS-CoV-2 Receptor-Binding Domain IgG Response to AstraZeneca AZD1222 COVID-19 Vaccination, Jamaica
Extensive research has not been conducted in the Caribbean region to assess antibody response and side effects experienced after COVID-19 vaccination. With the Pandemic Defense Coalition partner in Jamaica, University of the West Indies, our scientists studied immunoglobulin G (IgG) levels over time in people who received the noted vaccine and recorded any side effects experienced after the first and second vaccination.
Read this study in The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.
Oropouche virus as an Emerging Cause of Acute Febrile Illness in Colombia
Undiagnosed fevers could potentially be where we find newly circulating pathogens. In this study, we found Oropouche fever virus to be a significant cause of illnesses with fever in Colombia, a country where this virus had never been identified before. Oropouche fever is a tropical viral infection transmitted to humans by biting midges and mosquitoes, causing dengue-like symptoms, like high fever, headache, rash and joint pain. After developing prototype tests and screening for more cases for research use only, we found that the prevalence of Oropouche infection was 10.9% in acute febrile illness patients, indicating that this virus could represent a significant disease burden.
Read this study in journal Emerging Microbes & Infections.
Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies after the Omicron Surge, Kingston, Jamaica, 2022
This study examined the prevalence of antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 in Jamaica for the first time and found that there was extensive population immunity to SARS-CoV-2, with 88.4% of the study population having detectable antibodies to the virus spike and/or nucleocapsid protein. In the study, 77% of the population had evidence of a previous SARS-CoV-2 infection, suggesting that much of the population immunity was due to natural infection. Overall, antibody levels against the spike protein were highest vaccinated individuals who also had serological evidence of past infection, called hybrid immunity.
Read this study in Journal of Clinical Virology Plus.
Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 IgG Antibodies in a Healthcare Setting During the First Pandemic Wave in Senegal
Seroprevalence, or the percentage of people in a population who have antibodies, was studied in conjunction with Institut de Recherche en Sante, de Surveillance Epidémiologique et de Formation (IRESSEF) in Senegal. Plasma from healthcare clinic volunteers was tested between June and October 2020.
Read this study in IJID Regions.
A Tale of 3 Pandemics: Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2, Hepatitis C Virus, and Human Immunodeficiency Virus in an Urban Emergency Department in Baltimore, Maryland
Scientists from multiple entities, including Johns Hopkins and Abbott, studied SARS-CoV-2, hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in emergency department patients in Baltimore, Maryland to determine rates of infection and co-infection. Sociodemographic disparities, such as race, ethnicity and poverty, were also examined.
Read this study in Open Forum Infectious Diseases.
The Early SARS-CoV-2 Epidemic in Senegal was Driven by the Local Emergence of B.1.416 and the Introduction of B.1.1.420 from Europe
The spread of COVID-19 in Senegal during the first year of the pandemic showed that there were two notable lineages of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that dominated the country. In mid-2020, a lineage called B.1.416 started in Senegal and was exported mainly to Europe. Another lineage, B.1.1.420, originated in Italy, gained mutations that made it more capable of reproducing in Senegal in late 2020, and then spread worldwide.
Read this study, conducted with Pandemic Defense Coalition partner Institut de Recherche en Sante, de Surveillance Epidémiologique et de Formation (IRESSEF), in Virus Evolution.
Expanding Access to SARS-CoV-2 IgG and IgM Serologic Testing Using Fingerstick Whole Blood, Plasma, and Rapid Lateral Flow Assays
Scientists from Abbott and Rush University, a Pandemic Defense Coalition partner, analyzed how blood samples taken from a finger could be used for SARS-CoV-2 antibody testing.
Understanding the Genetic Diversity of Picobirnavirus: A Classification Update Based on Phylogenetic and Pairwise Sequence Comparison Approaches
Picobirnavirus is a small virus that typically affects the digestive system. Abbott researchers found that picobirnaviruses should be reclassified based upon their full-length sequences. Reclassification will help standardize analysis methods and naming conventions to help scientists further understand how this virus has evolved over time.
Read this study in Viruses.
Emergence of a Distinct Picobirnavirus Genotype Circulating in Patients Hospitalized with Acute Respiratory Illness
Picobirnavirus is a small virus that typically affects the digestive system. Abbott scientists used next generation sequencing to discover a novel strain of picobirnavirus found in patients hospitalized with respiratory illness.
SARS-CoV-2 Antibody Responses in Infection-Naive or Previously Infected Individuals After 1 and 2 Doses of the BNT162b2 Vaccine
Rush University, a Pandemic Defense Coalition partner, and Abbott scientists studied individuals’ antibody response after both doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. Higher SARS-CoV-2 antibody levels were seen after one vaccine dose in people who were previously infected with SARS-CoV-2 in comparison to people who received two vaccine doses and who had not been infected with SARS-CoV-2. For people who were previously infected with SARS-CoV-2, a second vaccine dose did not significantly increase immunoglobulin G (IgG) levels.
Emergence of Novel Combinations of SARS-CoV-2 Spike Receptor Binding Domain Variants in Senegal
Institut de Recherche en Sante, de Surveillance Epidémiologique et de Formation (IRESSEF) and Abbott scientists studied mutations that occurred on the spike gene in SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. A panel of specimens was analyzed from the first two waves of the COVID-19 pandemic in Senegal. The sequences found indicated that the virus diversified over time, which meant that it became more able to spread in the population because of its mutations.
Read this study in Scientific Reports.
Spatiotemporal Phylodynamics of Hepatitis C Among People Who Inject Drugs in India
YRG Care, a Pandemic Defense Coalition partner, and scientists from other entities, including Abbott, looked into the phylodynamics of hepatitis C virus (HCV) across four cities in India. Phylodynamics helps scientists draw connections between how infectious diseases spread and how a population changes as people migrate and public health programs are implemented. Over 450 HCV sequences and individual-related data were used to understand where HCV has traveled over time.
Read this study in Hepatology.
SNP and Phylogenetic Characterization of Low Viral Load SARS-CoV-2 Specimens by Target Enrichment
Scientists from Abbott and Rush University, a Pandemic Defense Coalition partner, leveraged target capture next generation sequencing as a way to analyze low viral load samples that would normally be a challenge to a sequence. This study provided an analysis of viral genetic diversity early in the pandemic, particularly in the Midwestern United States.
Read this study in Frontiers in Virology.
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