Replication in SARS-CoV-infected macaques of pneumonia similar to that in human beings with SARS, combined with the high prevalence of SARS-CoV infection in SARS patients, fulfill the criteria required to prove that SARS-CoV is the primary cause of SARS.

The use of classical smallpox vaccines based on vaccinia virus (VV) is associated with severe complications in both naïve and immune individuals. Modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA), a highly attenuated replicationdeficient strain of VV, has been proven to be safe in humans and immunocompromised animals, and its efficacy against smallpox is currently being addressed. Here we directly compare the efficacies of MVA alone and in combination with classical VV-based vaccines in a cynomolgus macaque monkeypox model. The MVA-based smallpox vaccine protected macaques against a lethal respiratory challenge with monkeypox virus and is therefore an important candidate for the protection of humans against smallpox.

A cluster of acute HCV infection is reported among mostly HIV-positive MSM, with multiple partners throughout Europe. Sexual techniques potentially leading to mucosal damage (fisting), concomitant STDs such as LGV and drug use seem facilitating factors for spread. Extensive case finding and partner tracing is advocated as well as targeted prevention messages.

We studied the recovery of CMV-specific CD4 + and CD8 + T-cell immunity in 52 recipients of allogeneic stem cell transplantation (SCT). The proportions of IFN-c-producing CD4+ and CD8 + T cells upon in vitro activation using peptide pools representing the CMV pp65 and IE-1 proteins were assessed at multiple time points post SCT, and correlated with the occurrence of CMV reactivation. In a retrospective analysis, recurrent CMV reactivations occurred in 9 patients and were associated with low pp65-specific CD4 + T-cell and low IE-1-specific CD8 + T-cell reactivities, whereas patients without detectable CMV reactivation (n = 30) or a single reactivation (n = 13) showed a better recovery of these immune responses. CD4 + T-cell responses to IE-1 were infrequent in most patients, whereas CD8 + T-cell responses to pp65 occurred frequently, but did not correlate with protection against (recurrent) reactivation. Prospectively, CMV-specific T-cell responses could be studied prior to 14 reactivation episodes in 8 patients. CD4 + T-cell responses to IE-1 and pp65 were positive in only 1 and 2 episodes, respectively. CD8 + T-cell responses against IE-1 were positive in 4, but against pp65 in 12 episodes, again showing that CD8 + T-cell reactivity against pp65 did not prevent CMV reactivation. Thus, monitoring of particular CMV-specific CD4 + and CD8 + T-cell responses after allogeneic SCT may identify patients at risk for recurrent CMV reactivations. q