Browsing by Author "Kamau, Joseph"

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    Adjuvants in malaria vaccine development strategies: a review
    (2016-04) Ogise, Josiah; Mumo, Ruth; Nyachieo, Atunga; Mutiso, Joshua; Kamau, Joseph; Onkoba, Nyamongo
    Malaria leads in global rates of mortality and morbidity majorly borne by children aged below five years and primigravida women in developing countries. According to WHO, the cases of malaria infections in 2014 declined, despite cases of parasite resistance to available anti-malarial drugs and anopheline mosquitoes resistant to insecticides being reported. Therefore, there is need for an improved malaria control strategy including an effective malaria vaccine which can confer blood stage immunity and prevent development of clinical malaria. This venture has been explored for several decades resulting in discovery of promising antigen candidates but we lack appropriate adjuvants for human use capable of boosting immunogenicity of this antigens. In this review, we highlight limitations of various antigens in conjunction with adjuvants used and provide insight on new strategies of improving vaccine immunogenicity by incorporating immunomodulatory molecules and epitopes. Keywords: Malaria; adjuvants; immunogenicity; protection; vaccines; clinical trials
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    Serotype Diversity of Foot and Mouth Disease Virus and Molecular Characterization of Serotype O Strains from 2019 and 2020 Outbreaks in Kenya
    (Benha Veterinary Medical Journal, 2024) Josiah, Judith M.; Nyamache, Anthony K.; Woldemariyam, Fanos T.; Kariuki, Christopher K.; Paeshuyse, Jan; Kamau, Joseph
    Foot and mouth disease (FMD) is a viral infection affecting ruminants and leads to great economic losses. Control and prevention have been a challenge despite the availability of vaccines. The causative agent exists in seven serotypes and is endemic in Kenya, with serotypes O, A, SAT (South African Territory) 1, and SAT 2 and having circulated in the recent past. This study was aimed at determining the current serotype diversity and serotype O variants during the study period. A cross-sectional study was conducted and a total of 267 epithelial samples were collected from animals during the disease outbreaks of 2019 and 2020. Antigen detection was performed using ELISA (Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbed Assay). The negative samples were inoculated on LFBK(Line of Fetal Bovine Kidney) monolayer cells followed by a repeat ELISA for CPE(Cytopathic Effect) positive samples. The partial VP1 gene for serotype O samples was amplified and directly sequenced. The generated sequences were analyzed and compared with the vaccine strain. The prevalence of FMDV was 65.9% (176/267) and serotypes SAT 1, O, SAT 2, and A in the order of decreasing prevalence were circulating. Serotype O viruses analyzed belonged to the EA 2 against the EA 1 vaccine strain in use. For better control of the disease, this study recommends close monitoring of the circulating serotypes and topotypes, and, regular vaccine matching to ensure vaccine effectiveness.