Vaccines, sera and “new” viruses: Ebola, zika and other infectious challenges for human health

Abstract

Following the basic description of the immunological science, we may now go in more detail into the practical applications involving immunological prevention against infectious diseases (vaccine use, requiring availability of suitable antigenic preparations, safe and effective immunization schedules and time to allow for immunity to develop) and immunotherapy of dangerous infective conditions (serotherapy, involving availability of immune sera and their use for injection in subjects needing protection against infectious agents). All this is discussed with special regard of the many new micro-organisms described in human pathology and also in situations in which the deliberate use of them for biological warfare or related menace (bioterrorism) is realized.