CDC scientists have developed a real-time PCR assay for diagnosing pneumococcal disease using amplification of the bacterial gene encoding pneumococcal surface adhesin A (PsaA). Pneumococcal isolation and identification is often complicated by 1) antimicrobial suppression of growth in culture and 2) contamination by normal flora alpha-streptococci. Further, pneumococcal detection by culture and serological methods can be time-consuming, relatively expensive, laborious and, ultimately, indeterminate.

CDC researchers have developed recombinant lyssaviruses that can be used for the development of an improved, broad-spectrum vaccine against several rabies genotypes. Lyssaviruses are single-stranded RNA viruses that cause rabies and rabies-like diseases in mammals. Currently, there are commercially available vaccines that are considered to be effective against infections from a single viral phylogroup; however, these vaccines confer little or no protection against viruses outside of the phylogroup.

This invention describes materials and methods of detecting novel influenza virus in a sample. As highlighted by the recent H1N1 pandemic strain, influenza viruses are constantly evolving and novel reassortments can quickly spread around the world.

In order to address a global need for rapid, cost-effective, sensitive, and specific assays for many pathogens, CDC scientists have developed a broad-use, multiplexed RT-PCR assay. This comprehensive assay covers numerous pathogens that are common causes of infection in neonates and also important to food-safety.

The CDC developed a real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) Taqman assay and an RT-semi nested PCR (RT-snPCR) assay for the detection of parechoviruses. Similar to enteroviruses, parechoviruses are responsible for gastrointestinal, respiratory and central nervous system infections. All tests target conserved regions in the 5'-nontranslated region (5-'NTR) of the parechovirus genome and share forward and reverse primers. The Taqman probe and RTsnPCR nested primer target the same conserved site but vary in length.

This invention relates to a recombinant, attenuated rabies vaccine that is also capable of inhibiting reproductive fertility. An Evelyn-Rokitnicki-Abelseth (ERA) rabies vaccine backbone, combined with a reproductive-specific protein, such as gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) or the sperm-binding zona-pellucida-glycoprotein-3 (ZP3) receptor, allows reduction in both rabies transmission and uncontrolled reproduction in stray animals. The ERA rabies vaccine backbone has previously shown strong efficacy in animal studies.

CDC researchers have developed a single-tube, real-time PCR assay for the simultaneous detection of three bacterial respiratory pathogens (Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Chlamydiophila pneumoniae and Legionella spp.). The assay has an internal control testing for presence of human DNA. This four-plex real-time PCR assay could potentially become a routine screening test for patients with respiratory illness. Ninety four clinical specimens (in a 96-well format) can be tested at once. This assay is non-invasive, rapid and cost-effective.

The critical feature of this technology is the Evelyn-Rokitnicki-Abelseth (ERA) rabies whole genome DNA sequence. With the availability of the entire rabies genome, a recombinant vaccine can be developed using reverse genetics. Using this technology, CDC researchers have developed a recombinant, live-attenuated vaccine shown to confer protection against lethal doses of live, street-rabies virus in multiple survival studies. This vaccine offers better protection than traditional inactivated vaccinations, as demonstrated in co-infection studies.

This invention aims to bolster the human body's own mechanisms to fight infection by enhancing an innate immune response, opsonophagocytosis. The specific 24 amino acid sequence (P4) acts as a polymorphonuclear cell activator. P4 can be administered in vivo along with a disease's specific antibody to enhance systemic bacterial clearance, thus leading to prolonged survival. This technology enhances the body's response to infections such as S. pneumoniae and S. aureus.

Haemophilus influenzae is responsible for life-threatening respiratory infections including meningitis. This assay allows for the qualitative detection of the bacterial meningitis pathogen H. influenzae serotype A (Hia) and serotype B (Hib) in fluid samples, without detecting any of the other serotypes of H. influenzae. This invention is capable of detecting even the very small numbers of Hia or Hib within clinical specimens.