H3N2 Genomic Warning by Replikins Technology Each of Three Years in Advance
LONDON, Dec. 30, 2014 /PRNewswire/ — A 'surprise' clinical appearance of a 'new' H3N2 influenza strain in 2014 flu cases was first reported late in 2014. The observation came too late to have the new H3N2 included in the current flu vaccine because it requires 6-8 months to produce the vaccine by egg or cell methods.
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Methods: All H3N2 gene sequences in influenza virus specimens from birds, swine and humans (N=20,218), published in the NCBI Pubmed database from 1957 to the present, were analyzed by FluForecastTM software (1). Gene Replikin Counts (number of Replikins per 100 amino acids) were determined in each gene sequence. The results showed the H3N2 gene Replikin Counts increased, for three years in advance of the 2014 H3N2 clinical outbreaks, at p less than 0.001, to reach the highest Counts observed since the H3N2 1968 pandemic. Notably, FluForecastTM software probes into a 16 million protein database, produced the same results in all three species, birds, swine, and humans, and the same results for each of global, China, and Ontario, Canada (Figure).
The surveillance technology of Replikins continues to provide, real-time, objective, automated, quantitative, virus gene structural data, which has consistently preceded and predicted specific virus outbreaks and their geographic location without error to date (1).
It is possible that the peak of the current outbreak is still a few months away; there may still be time to test the Replikins' H3N2-H1N1 Synthetic Replikins Vaccine and BlockerTM candidate, since it is prepared in 7 days (1,2). This vaccine is a combination of the Company's revolutionary surveillance and solid phase synthesis in genomically tailored vaccines, which have been proven effective in H5N1 influenza (2).
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History
Replikins are virus gene structures associated with virus rapid replication which have been quantitated and visualized by 3D X-ray crystallography showing them increase on the surface of the HA gene real time before and during the 2009 H1N1 pandemic. Increases in influenza gene Replikin Counts have been reported to precede by one to two years severe outbreaks and pandemics of several strains of influenza and other viruses, notably as in the H1N1 pandemic of 2009 predicted by the increasing Replikin Count in 2008, and in the highly lethal H5N1 outbreak of 2007 in Indonesia predicted by Replikin Count increase in 2006 (1).
The present H3N2 findings confirm Replikins virus gene data and predictions of the past decade (1). The authors are not aware of any contrary publications on the subject.
1. References to Replikins Disease Surveillance Publications:
Bogoch et al., "Prediction of specific virus outbreaks made from the increased concentration of a new class of virus genomic peptides, Replikins," Nature Precedings: doi: 10.1038/npre.2011.6279.1: Posted 22 Aug 2011
Bogoch et al., "Genome Replikin Count Predicts Increased Infectivity/Lethality of Viruses," Nature Precedings: doi: 10.1038/npre.2012.7144.1; Posted 3 Apr 2012
Bogoch et al., "Genome Replikin Count Predicts Increased Infectivity/Lethality of Viruses," Nature Precedings: doi: 10.1038/npre.2012.7144.1; Posted 3 Apr 2012
Bogoch et al., "Marked Rise in Replikin Counts in H5N1 Influenza Virus Localized to Lethality Gene p B1, " Nature Precedings: doi: 10.1038/npre.2011.6420.1: Posted 16 Sep 2011
Bogoch et al., "Bogoch Replikins Pandemic Prevention: Increase of Strain- Specific Influenza Genomic Replikin CountsTM, Having Predicted Outbreaks and their Location Seven Times Consecutively, Up to Two Years in Advance, Provides Time for Prevention of Pandemics". Nature Precedings: doi: 10.1038/npre.2011.6952.1: Posted 1 March 2012
Willeberg, P., Bogoch S. and Bogoch, E.S."Applications of Replikins in FMDV Surveillance and Vaccine Production" EU FMD Week Conference on Foot and Mouth Disease, Sponsored by FAO, October 1, 2010, Vienna, Austria.
2. Jackwood, M.W. et al. Efficacy of a Replikin Peptide Vaccine against Low Pathogenicity Avian Influenza H5 Virus.Avian Diseases.53: 613–617, 2009.