Bacterial Disguise Evades Vaccine -- BBC News
James Gallagher reports on the new vaccine research concerning pneumonia, specifically. A study…tracked how pneumococcus bacteria responded to the introduction of a vaccine in the US in 2000…Vaccines [usually] train the immune system to attack something unique to an infection…Pneumococcus bacteria, however, comes in more than 90 varieties or serotypes. Each variety looks different to the immune system so would each need separate vaccines…A vaccine against more than 90 types would not be possible, but in 2000 the US authorities began immunising against seven of the most common varieties. Cases rapidly dropped…However, some bacteria managed to change their outer coat -- known as capsule switching -- to avoid the immune response. They did it by collecting pieces of DNA from other pneumococcus bacteria which had died. By analysing bacterial genes, the researchers identified five cases of capsule switching…one of the new strains, called P1…[had] 'become one of the most prevalent' varieties by 2007, the report said. An updated vaccine which protects against 13 types has since been introduced."...
Source: Harvard World Health News - Friday, 3 February
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