Research at the Pacific Rim Vaccine Initiative (PRVI) will be aimed at saving lives through fighting deadly diseases that currently exist in our environment or that may surface in the near future. These diseases could spread through natural causes or through terrorist attacks involving biological agents. Here are some of the things that scientists at the PRVI will be studying:

• West Nile virus - to date, more than 4,000 U.S. residents have been infected, and more than 250 have died from the virus. Following a westward migration of the disease last year, West Nile virus now threatens Northwest residents, with animal cases reported in Washington.
  
• Tuberculosis - tuberculosis (TB) remains the leading infectious disease cause of death in the world today. Despite a steady decline in TB cases in Oregon during the past 50 years, a recent outbreak of 17 active TB cases in Lane County illustrates that the disease continues to be a challenging public health problem.
  
• Smallpox vaccinations - researchers at the OHSU Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute (VGTI) are currently studying the effectiveness of the smallpox vaccine in patients who received inoculations decades ago compared with those vaccinated more recently. This information would be useful in determining risks to the public if there is an outbreak.
  
• Vulnerable populations - additional studies at the VGTI and in other OHSU labs are aimed at understanding and boosting the immune systems of the elderly and other populations at an increased level of susceptibility to infectious diseases such as the flu.

In addition, the PRVI has been designed to respond quickly to new and re-emerging diseases. Scientists will be able to focus on disease outbreaks (like SARS, for example) when they occur.

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