Due to interest in reports of human metapneumovirus (hMPV) cases in China, the World Health Organization (WHO) today weighed in on respiratory infection activity in the Northern Hemisphere,  including the latest data from China.

Media reports have described a surge of respiratory virus activity in China, which included involvement of hMPV and strain on the country’s health system. The virus is one of many common viruses that causes human colds and is known to circulate alongside other winter-season viruses such as influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

The WHO said flulike illness levels and acute respiratory infection rates have increased in some Northern Hemisphere countries in recent weeks and are above baseline levels. Flu remains elevated, while RSV activity is generally declining, except for in North America.

The group pointed out that not all countries test for and track hMPV, which is generally mild but can result in hospitalizations from bronchitis and pneumonia. 

Flu most common among China’s sick; no usual pattern seen

Data from China through December 29 show that acute respiratory illnesses increased in recent weeks, with detections of seasonal flu, rhinovirus, RSV, and hMPV, especially in the country’s northern provinces. The levels are within the range expected for this time of year, with influenza the most common cause so far.

The WHO said it is in contact with Chinese officials and that it has not received any reports of unusual outbreak patterns. “Chinese authorities report that the health care system is not overwhelmed and there have been no emergency declarations or responses triggered,” the WHO added.

France’s health ministry today reported the country’s first clade 1b mpox case, which involves a person from Brittany who hadn’t traveled abroad, but was in contact with two people who had returned from Central Africa.

In a statement, officials said an investigation is underway to determine how the patient contracted the virus and to identify others who may be at risk. They said the overall risk to the general public in France and Europe is low, but sporadic cases linked to outbreak countries may occur.

The case from France marks the eleventh country outside of Africa to detect clade 1 mpox, which is different than the clade 2 virus circulating globally. Most were imported cases linked to African travel, but detections in India, Pakistan, and Oman were related to travel to the United Arab Emirates.

Limited secondary transmission was reported in household index cases in the United Kingdom in October, and Germany in December.

Several African countries have been battling mpox outbreaks involving a mix of clades over the past year, with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) remaining the primary hot spot. The novel clade 1b is driving much of the activity in the DRC and has spread to a handful of other countries. The arrival of the new clade has some with broader transmission patterns, including household spread that has especially affected children.

Among hospitalized preterm infants given their routine 2-month vaccinations, 24% had at least one apnea episode within 48 hours, compared with 10% of unvaccinated infants, but the average number and duration of the episodes didn't differ significantly between the groups, and there were no serious adverse events, concludes a randomized clinical trial published yesterday in JAMA Pediatrics.

The Duke University–led trial involved 223 6- to 12-week-old infants born before 33 weeks' gestation at three US neonatal intensive care units from August 2018 to October 2021. In total, 105 were vaccinated, and 116 were unvaccinated. Apnea was defined as a respiratory pause longer than 20 seconds or a pause longer than 15 seconds with less than 80 heartbeats per minute. 

Immunized infants were vaccinated against pneumococcal disease; diphtheria, tetanus, and acellular pertussis; hepatitis B; polio; and Haemophilus influenzae type b within 12 hours of randomization.

The perceived risk of post-vaccination apnea in preterm infants likely contributes to undervaccination in this group, the study authors said.

"Preterm infants are recommended to receive most vaccinations at the same postnatal age as term infants," they wrote. "Nonetheless, only half of infants discharged from the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) after lengths of stay of 60 days or longer are fully vaccinated, and preterm infants have been shown to be underimmunized at older ages."

Findings support current vaccine guidance

The proportion of infants with one or more apnea event was 24% in the vaccinated group and 10% in the unvaccinated group (adjusted odds ratio, 2.70). The average number of episodes didn't differ significantly (model point estimate of difference, 0.54) between vaccinated (2.72) and unvaccinated (2.00) infants. Nor did the average length of episodes (model point estimate of difference, 4.6) between the groups (27.7 and 32.3, respectively). No serious adverse events occurred.

These findings support current recommendations to vaccinate most hospitalized preterm infants at 2 months’ chronological age; neonatal clinicians should continue to provide evidence-based anticipatory guidance about postvaccination apnea risk.

"These findings support current recommendations to vaccinate most hospitalized preterm infants at 2 months’ chronological age; neonatal clinicians should continue to provide evidence-based anticipatory guidance about postvaccination apnea risk," the researchers wrote.

CARB-X (Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Biopharmaceutical Accelerator) today announced an award of $2.6 million to Clarametyx Biosciences to develop an anti-biofilm vaccine. 

The award will help Columbus, Ohio–based Clarametyx to develop a Lead Optimization plan for CMTX-301, a pathogen-agnostic vaccine candidate designed to prevent bacterial biofilm formation and allow the body's immune response to clear infections without the need for antibiotics. Biofilms are complex communities of microbial cells that enable bacteria to infect medical devices and human tissue and serve as a defense mechanism against host immune effectors and antibiotics. 

CMTX-301 is among several products in Clarametyx's pipeline that are designed to prevent serious bacterial infections associated with biofilms, which are estimated to be responsible for up to 80% of bacterial infections and are a known contributor to antibiotic resistance. The vaccine candidate targets the critical lattice structure of biofilms to prevent formation and clear bacterial infection.

Second Clarametyx product supported by CARB-X

"With their novel anti-biofilm vaccine, CMTX-301, Clarametyx is taking an innovative approach that could transform how we prevent and treat these difficult-to-address infections," CARB-X Research & Development (R&D) Chief Erin Duffy, PhD, said in a press release. "We look forward to seeing the impact of this program as it advances through clinical development."

"We are extremely grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with CARB-X, a world leader in R&D efforts to address antimicrobial resistance," said David Richards, CEO of Clarametyx Biosciences.

This is the second Clarametyx product supported by CARB-X. Since 2016, CARB-X has supported 105 early-stage antibiotic, diagnostic, and vaccine projects in 13 countries.