Main Menu

CDC and collaborating researchers have developed a new monoclonal antibody that recognizes canine IgG (likely IgG4 subclass). This anti-dog IgG reagent could be used to detect antibody reactions to a variety of antigens and has potential use in a wide variety of diagnostic or research applications.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), rabies causes greater than 59,000 deaths every year in over 150 countries as of 2017. A rapid and reliable diagnostic test for rabies is critical for prophylaxis considerations in humans bitten by animals as well as for basic surveillance and animal rabies control programs. The World Organization of Animal Health (OIE) and WHO Expert Committee on Rabies recently approved the direct rapid immunohistochemical test (DRIT) for rabies diagnostics.

Flaviviruses such as Zika virus, dengue virus, West Nile virus, yellow fever virus, and Japanese encephalitis virus cause widespread illness and death throughout the world. Typically, flaviviruses get transmitted through the bite of infected mosquitoes and ticks.

Simian T-cell lymphotropic viruses (STLV) are nonhuman primate retroviruses closely related to the human T-lymphotropic virus (HTLV). Types I, II, and III of HTLV have been found in humans and are believed to have originated from cross-species transmission of STLV from infected nonhuman primates. The HTLV viruses are known to cause leukemia, lymphoma, and neurological disorders.

CDC researchers developed a simple target-specific isothermal nucleic acid amplification technique, termed Genome Exponential Amplification Reaction (GEAR). The method employs a set of four primers (two inner and two outer). The outer primer pair targets three specific nucleic acid sequences at a constant 60°C, while the inner pair of primers accelerates and improves the sensitivity of the assay. The GEAR technique is an improvement over loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) in three ways.

CDC researchers have developed technology that consists of a simple and inexpensive technique for creating fluorescent labeled primers for nucleic acid amplification. Fluorescent chemical-labeled probes and primers are extensively used in clinical and research laboratories for rapid, real-time detection and identification of microbes and genetic sequences. During nucleic acid amplification, the "UniFluor" primer is incorporated into newly synthesized double stranded DNA.

CDC scientists have developed a rapid and cost-efficient method for generating fluorescently labeled primers for PCR and real-time PCR. At present, fluorescent primers are useful for detecting and identifying microbes and specific nucleic acid sequences, amplifying nucleic acids for pyro-sequencing, determining the levels of gene expression, and many other uses. However, problems exist with current techniques used to create fluorescent primers. For one, labeling is not one hundred percent efficient, leading to inaccurate results.

Zika virus (ZIKV) is a flavivirus primarily transmitted by infected Aedes mosquitoes. Infection with ZIKV during pregnancy can affect the fetus causing microcephaly, neurological complications, and other birth defects. Adults are also at a heightened risk of developing Guillain-Barre syndrome and other neurological disorders. In response to the 2015-2016 Zika outbreak, CDC scientists developed a recombinant vaccine candidate as well as reagents and methods to detect ZIKV infection. The recombinant vaccine candidate utilizes adenovirus vector expressed viral envelope proteins.

Rickettsial infections are caused by bacteria from the Rickettsia genus which are often spread by biting ticks, fleas, mites or lice. Rickettsia can cause mild to severe illness and Rickettsia species can be found worldwide. Early stage, nonspecific symptoms of infections can make clinical diagnosis difficult. Rickettsial infection symptoms, if present, typically develop within 1 -2 weeks of exposure and include fever, headache, malaise, rash, nausea, and vomiting.

Scrub typhus is a bacterial disease caused by Orientia tsutsugamushi (O. tsutsugamushi or Ots) that is spread to people through bites of infected chiggers (larval mites). The most common symptoms can include fever, headache, body aches, and sometimes rash. Severe illness can lead to organ failure and bleeding which can be fatal if left untreated. Most cases of scrub typhus occur in Asia Pacific countries, however, recent reports document establishment in the Arabian Peninsula, Chile, and possibly Kenya.