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This technology is for compositions and methods for diagnosis of Lyme disease. Currently, Lyme disease is diagnosed by clinical exam and a history of exposure to endemic regions. Although, laboratory tests may aid diagnosis, the best tests currently available are slow and labor intensive and require understanding of the test, and infection stage. A two-step antibody based test process is currently the recommended laboratory test. The first step is either an enzyme immunoassay (EIA), or an indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA).

This invention describes a new vaccine against Strongyoides stercoralis, which establishes a parasitic infection that affects an estimated 100-200 million people worldwide. The potential for fatal disease associated with S. stercoralis infection and the difficulty in treating hyperinfection underscores the need for prophylactic vaccines against the disease. This vaccine uses S. stercoralis immunoreactive antigen (SsIR); a novel antigen capable of providing 70-90 % protection for mice immunized with the antigen.

Monitoring an immune system that has been depleted by infection (e.g., HIV), chemotherapy, or progenitor cell transplantation is vital to assessing individual’s recovery status. This technology provides a new plasmid standard to be used as part of the existing TREC assay. This new plasmid has a shorter insert than the commercially available one, which means it now matches the PCR product generated in the qPCR reaction in the TREC assay. Additionally, the new plasmid is easier to grow up than the existing standard.

Early work by Hammond at al. showed gamma globulin to be effective for the prevention of poliomyelitis. Therefore, passive immunotherapy could be another way to treat chronic excretors. Even though prior attempts to use intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) and breast milk were unsuccessful, there is reason to think that higher doses of antipoliovirus antibodies could result in complete clearance of poliovirus from chronically infected individuals.

The effort targeting the mosquito borne neglected tropical disease lymphatic filariasis for elimination through mass drug administration by 2020 will require accurate, cost effective methods for detecting early infections. The World Health Organization-recommended immunochromatographic test detects adult Wuchereria bancrofti (Wb) antigen in blood, but shows variable efficacy due to the complex life cycle of the parasites and cross reactivity with other organisms. This variability may hinder effective lymphatic filariasis elimination efforts.

Salen-manganese compounds are synthetic, stable, low toxicity, low cost agents that may provide protection from immune reaction-related oxidative cell damage associated with many illnesses. In particular, oxidative cell damage has been associated with many viral infections including influenza. This invention demonstrates that treating mice with salen-manganese compounds, after lethal pandemic influenza virus infection, significantly enhances survival. Salen-manganese treatment also reduces lung pathology and also improved cellular recovery and repair.

The invention provides novel vectors, attenuated pathogens, compositions, methods and kits for preventing and/or treating chlamydia infections.

This technology describes recombinant viruses that have weakened ability to establish and/or maintain latency and their use as live vaccines. The viruses have one or more genetic mutations that allow for continued replication but that inhibit latency. The vaccine materials and methods for their construction are exemplified with the virus that causes chickenpox and whose latent infection results in shingles, a condition that affects up to an estimated 1 million people per year in the United States alone. Additionally, there are veterinary applications of this technology.

A specific and sensitive TaqMan-based real-time (rt) RT-PCR assay has been developed by CDC scientists for detection of noroviruses in clinical and environmental specimens. This assay can be implemented to rapidly detect and distinguish norovirus strains from genogroups I and II, which are responsible for the majority of human infections. Additionally, the assay is multiplexed with an internal extraction control virus (coliphage MS2) to validate the results of the assay.

Type I interferons play a critical role in both innate and adaptive immunity through the stimulation of the IFNAR1 which initiates interferon signaling in response to viral and bacterial infections. However, abnormal interferon signaling is associated with human diseases, such as lupus. The present invention discloses six hybridomas that produce mouse monoclonal antibodies specific for the extracellular domain of human IFNAR1. Two of the monoclonal antibodies are able to bind IFNAR1 and reduce interferon signaling.