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Parvovirus B19 (B19V) is the only known pathogenic human parvovirus. Infection by this viral pathogen can cause transient aplastic crisis in individuals with high red cell turnover, pure red cell aplasia in immunosuppressed patients, and hydrops fetalis during pregnancy. In children, B19V most commonly causes erythema infectiosum, or fifth's disease. Infection can also cause arthropathy and arthralgia. The virus is very erythrotropic, targeting human erythroid (red blood) progenitors found in the blood, bone marrow, and fetal liver.

One of the primary means for treating HIV infection is the use of antiviral nucleotide or nucleoside analogs. These analogs work by inhibiting the activity of reverse transcriptase, the enzyme responsible for preparing the HIV genome for integration into the DNA of the host cell. Although these analogs do not have an effect on the polymerases responsible for replicating the human genome, the polymerase responsible for replicating the mitochondrial genome is sensitive to these analogs.

Airway diseases, such as Asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), constitute a major health burden worldwide. It is estimated, for example, that nearly 15.0% of the adult population in the US are affected with such diseases, and the economic cost burden is over $23 billion annually. Unfortunately, the current options for treatment of such diseases are quite limited, consisting only of bronchodilators and inhaled steroids. The need for a novel and more effective class of therapeutics agents is imperative.

The invention provides novel vectors, attenuated pathogens, compositions, methods and kits for preventing and/or treating chlamydia infections.

Parvovirus B19 (B19V) infection causes fifth disease, a disease characterized by rashes to the face and other parts of the body that primarily affects children. However, adults can also develop fifth disease and it can lead to more severe conditions. Patients that are immunocompromised, such as those who are HIV infected, organ transplant recipients, and cancer patients, can be particularly susceptible to more severe outcomes from B19V infection. Infection can also cause anemia and in pregnant women, it can lead to hydrops fetalis.

Vaccines and therapies to prevent and treat Norovirus infections do not exist, despite the worldwide prevalence of Norovirus infections. Outbreaks of human gastroenteritis attributable to Norovirus commonly occur in group setting, such as hospitals, nursing homes, schools, dormitories, cruise ships and military barracks.

This Intranasal Dry Powder Inhaler (DPI), developed with Creare, Inc., allows low-cost delivery of powder vaccines. Nasal delivery has numerous advantages compared to traditional injected vaccines, including: 1) safe, needle-less administration by minimally-trained staff or patient; 2) better protection due to mucosal and cross-protection; and 3) decreased biohazard waste.

Intranasal delivery is a simple, inexpensive and needle-free route for administration of vaccines and therapeutics. This intranasal delivery technology, developed with Creare LLC., includes low-cost, disposable drug cartridges (DDCs) that mate with a durable hand-held device. The rechargeable-battery-powered device transmits ultrasonic energy to the DDC to aerosolize the drug and is capable of performing for eight hours at 120 vaccinations per hour. Potential applications for this platform technology include intranasal vaccination (e.g.

This invention relates to methods of rapidly detecting influenza, including differentiating between type and subtype. Unlike culture and serological tests requiring 5 to 14 days for completion, CDC researchers developed a rapid, accurate assay, which is easily adapted to kit form. This assay also requires less labor input than immunoassays. These methods can be used to quickly identify a broad variety of influenza types and subtypes, including viruses that may be involved in pandemics (such as H5N1, for example).

Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) is a rare, fatal demyelinating disease of the brain caused by the polyomavirus JC (JCV) under immunosuppressive conditions. It is pathologically characterized by progressive damage of white matter of the brain by destroying oligodendrocytes at multiple locations. Clinically, PML symptoms include weakness or paralysis, vision loss, impaired speech, and cognitive deterioration. The prognosis of PML is generally poor. No effective therapy for PML has been established.