ETIDIOH - NEW

  Clin Infect Dis LIANG C, Judy J, Chilson EL, Kelly SP, et al Estimating Risk of Guillain-Barre Syndrome in US Medicare-Enrolled Older Adults Following Medically Attended Respiratory Syncytial Virus Disease: A Self-Controlled Case Series Analysis. Clin Infect Dis. 2025 Nov 14:ciaf621. doi: 10.1093. PubMed           Abstract available ZUGER A Home testing for contagious illness: Historical context and modern caveats. Clin Infect Dis. 2025 Nov 14:ciaf623. doi: 10.1093. PubMed           Abstract available Int J Infect Dis AHMAD WA, Wolff-Sagy Y, Battat E, Arbel R, et al Mortality following recovery from COVID-19 hospitalization: a long-term cohort study. Int J Infect Dis. 2025 Nov 13:108223. doi: 10.1016/j.ijid.2025.108223. PubMed           Abstract available WANG C, Gao Y, Li W, Du J, et al Short-Term Risks of Influenza and COVID-19 Following Influenza Infection: A...

  Ann Intern Med QASEEM A, Wilt TJ, Harrod CS, Obley AJ, et al Influenza Vaccines for 2025-2026 in Adults Who Are Not Pregnant or Immunocompromised: Rapid Practice Points From the American College of Physicians. Ann Intern Med. 2025 Nov 18. doi: 10.7326/ANNALS-25-04056. PubMed           Abstract available Web Exclusive. Annals Video Summary - Comparative Effectiveness and Harm of Seasonal Influenza Vaccines in Adults Who Are Not Pregnant or Immunocompromised: A Rapid Review for the American College of Physicians. Ann Intern Med. 2025 Nov 18:e2504658VS. doi: 10.7326/ANNALS-25-04658. PubMed          DOBRESCU AI, Sharifan A, Sommer I, Neubauer-Bruckner CIA, et al Comparative Effectiveness and Harm of Seasonal Influenza Vaccines in Adults Who Are Not Pregnant or Immunocompromised: A Rapid Review for the American College of Physicians. Ann Intern Med. 2025 Nov 18. doi: 10.7326/ANNALS-25-04028. PubMed   ...

  {Summary} SARS-CoV-2 continues to evolve, with successive variants evading immunity established by previous infection or vaccination . In mid-2024, a vaccine tailored to the JN.1 variant was authorised by the European Medicines Agency (EMA), which boosted neutralising antibody responses and provided substantial protection against severe disease and hospitalisation.1–3 Around 6 months later, in January 2025, LP.8.1 (of the JN.1 lineage) was classified as a “ variant under monitoring ” by WHO, due to its epidemiological importance and enhanced transmission fitness relative to contemporaneous strains. After emerging in late 2024, LP.8.1 rapidly overtook the XEC variant, establishing dominance throughout the Americas and Europe by early 2025 . In the USA, LP.8.1 and its sublineages represented more than 50% of all sequences in May, 2025 (appendix p 9). Although vaccines adapted to JN.1 or its derivative KP.2 generated neutralising antibodies against LP.8.1, these titres were reduced ...

  The person was infected with the H5N5 virus; the risk to the public remains low OLYMPIA – A Grays Harbor County resident who was undergoing treatment for H5N5 avian influenza died today .  The Washington State Department of Health offers its heartfelt condolences to the person’s family and friends. The person was an older adult with underlying health conditions .  Out of respect for the family’s privacy , we are not releasing their name, gender, or age.  The person had been hospitalized in King County since early November. Testing at the UW Medicine Clinical Virology Lab identified the virus as H5N5 , making this the first recorded infection with this variant in a person globally.  The result was confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The risk to the public remains low .  No other people involved have tested positive for avian influenza.  Public health officials will continue to monitor anyone who was in close contact with...

{Excerpt} Diphtheria is a major public health problem in the WHO African Region despite substantial efforts on immunization activities over the past three decades .  Between 2000 and 2024, 75 789 suspected diphtheria cases were reported in the Region, with the majority reported from 2023 to 2024, when Algeria, Chad, Gabon, Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, Nigeria, Niger , and South Africa reported a resurgence of diphtheria outbreaks with approximately 57 000 suspected cases and 2 000 deaths (case fatality ratio (CFR) of 3.5%) recorded.  The countries most affected were Guinea, Nigeria and Niger .  Most cases reported were in children under fifteen years and female .  Over 50% of suspected cases were non-vaccinated or with unknown vaccination status.  In 2025, as of 19 October 2025, over 17 000 suspected diphtheria cases and about 900 deaths with an average CFR of 5.1% have been reported across eight Member States in the African Region; Algeria, Chad, Guinea, Mali, Mau...

  {Excerpt} Novel Influenza A Virus Infections Two confirmed human infections with novel influenza A viruses were reported to CDC this week .  One infection with an influenza A(H5N5) virus was reported by the Washington State Department of Health and one infection with an influenza A(H1N2) variant (A(H1N2)v) virus was reported by the Vermont Department of Health. One infection with an influenza A(H5N5) virus was reported by the Washington State Department of Public Health .  -- The case occurred in an individual aged ≥18 years .  -- This individual developed symptoms during the week ending October 25 , 2025 (Week 43) and was hospitalized with their illness during the week ending November 8, 2025 (Week 45).  -- Respiratory specimens collected at the healthcare facility tested positive for influenza A and were presumptive positive for influenza A(H5) at the University of Washington.  -- The specimens were sent to the Washington State Public Health Laboratory ...

  {Excerpts} Situation at a glance On 12 November 2025, WHO noted a press release from the Ethiopian Ministry of Health (MoH), and the Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI), announcing suspected viral hemorrhagic viral fever (VHF) in Jinka town, South Ethiopia Regional State, Ethiopia.  On 14 November 2025 , the Ministry of Health of Ethiopia confirmed that the cases previously reported as suspected VHF were Marburg virus disease (MVD).  Molecular testing conducted by the National Reference Laboratory at EPHI identified Marburg virus (MARV) in patient samples.  As of 20 November 2025, 33 laboratory tests have been conducted, of which six confirmed cases , including three deaths , have been reported.  Of the six confirmed cases, three are currently alive and on treatment.  In addition to the lab-confirmed cases , a further three epidemiologically linked cases could not be tested; all three are deceased and recorded as probable cases.  A total of 206 ...

  {Summary} Time Period: November 09, 2025 - November 15, 2025 -- H5 Detection :  1 site(s) ( 0.3% ) -- No Detection :  382 site(s) ( 99.7% ) -- No samples in last week :  75 site(s) (...) Source:  Link:  https://www.cdc.gov/nwss/rv/wwd-h5.html ____

Wild Species (unspecified) in Xinjiang Uygur Region. Source:  Link:  https://wahis.woah.org/#/in-review/6978 ____

  Summary Background Two large-scale trials comparing high-dose inactivated influenza vaccine (HD-IIV) versus standard-dose inactivated influenza vaccine (SD-IIV) against hospitalisation outcomes have been conducted in Denmark and Spain . We aimed to analyse the pooled data from these trials to enhance generalisability and assess the relative vaccine effectiveness (rVE) of HD-IIV versus SD-IIV against severe clinical outcomes in older adults. Methods FLUNITY-HD was a prespecified, individual-level pooled analysis of two methodologically harmonised pragmatic, individually randomised trials comparing HD-IIV with SD-IIV in older adults. DANFLU-2 included adults aged 65 years or older and GALFLU included community-dwelling adults aged 65–79 years. DANFLU-2 was conducted during the 2022–23, 2023–24, and 2024–25 influenza seasons in Denmark, whereas GALFLU was conducted during the 2023–24 and 2024–25 seasons in Galicia, Spain. In both trials, participants were randomly assigned (1:1) to ...

  Abstract Maintaining tissue function while eliminating infected cells is fundamental, and inflammatory damage plays a major contribution to lethality after lung infection . We tested 50 immunomodulatory regimes to determine their ability to protect mice from lethal infection . Only neutrophil depletion soon after infection prevented death from influenza. This result suggests that the infected host passed an early tipping point after which limiting innate damage alone could not rescue lung function. We investigated treatments that could have efficacy when administered later in infection. We found that partial limitation of viral spread together with enhancement of epithelial repair, by interferon blockade or limiting CD8+ T cell–mediated killing of epithelial cells , reduced lethality . This finding highlights the importance of rebalancing repair and damage processes in the survival of pulmonary infections. Source:  Link:  https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adr4...

  Abstract The Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) remains a highly significant threat to global public health . Dromedary camels are the zoonotic source of human infection. All cases of zoonotic Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) have occurred in Middle Eastern countries despite MERS-CoV infection of camels being widespread in Africa . This disparity in the geographic burden of the disease may be due to genomic differences between MERS-CoV circulating in Middle Eastern countries (clades A and B) versus those infecting camels in Africa ( clade C ), although the precise genetic determinants of virulence remain to be elucidated. The objective of the studies reported here was to evaluate differences in the magnitude of virus shedding and in transmissibility of clades A/B and C viruses using alpacas as a surrogate for dromedary camels. We found that two of three African-origin, clade C strains of MERS-CoV induced very reduced levels of virus shedding and were t...

  A poultry farm in Oberösterreich Region. Source:  Link:  https://wahis.woah.org/#/in-review/7024 ____

A wild Common Teal in Jeollabuk-do Region. Source:  Link:  https://wahis.woah.org/#/in-review/6983 ____

  Summary Background Following a decline during the COVID-19 pandemic, Mycoplasma pneumoniae infections resurged in several countries . We aimed to characterise the clinical presentation of paediatric patients admitted to hospital for M pneumoniae during 2023 and 2024 in France. Methods We conducted a nationwide, multicentre, retrospective, and prospective observational study across 37 French paediatric hospitals (September, 2023–September, 2024). Children younger than 18 years who were hospitalised with laboratory-confirmed M pneumoniae infection (PCR or serology) were included. Demographics (excluding race), clinical features, laboratory and radiological findings, management, and outcomes data were described and analysed. Logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) admission. The trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT06260371) and is complete. Findings We included 969 children and adolescents with M pneumoniae in...

Abstract Background Influenza remains a major health burden despite the use of licensed vaccines. Nucleoside-modified messenger RNA (modRNA) influenza vaccines have shown promising immunogenicity against influenza and an acceptable safety profile in a phase 1–2 trial. Methods In this phase 3 trial, we randomly assigned healthy adults between the ages of 18 and 64 years to receive either a quadrivalent modRNA influenza vaccine (modRNA group) or a licensed inactivated quadrivalent influenza vaccine (control group) during the 2022–2023 influenza season in the United States, South Africa, and the Philippines. The primary end point was relative efficacy, defined by the reduction in the percentage of participants with laboratory-confirmed influenza associated with influenza-like illness at least 14 days after vaccination with the modRNA vaccine, as compared with the control vaccine, and analyzed for noninferiority and superiority. Immunogenicity was evaluated by means of a hemagglutination i...

  ABSTRACT Swine acute diarrhea syndrome coronavirus (SADS-CoV) is a bat-originated virus causing severe diseases in piglets . Since the 2016 outbreak , diverse SADS-related CoVs (SADSr-CoVs) have been detected in Rhinolophus bats in China and Southeast Asia , but their potential interspecies infection and pathogenicity remain unknown. Herein, we sequenced the spike (S) genes of bat SADSr-CoVs and classified them into four genotypes . We constructed an infectious SADS-CoV cDNA clone (rSADS-CoV) and nine recombinant viruses by replacing the SADS-CoV S gene with that of bat SADSr-CoVs. Recombinant SADSr-CoVs could replicate efficiently in respiratory and intestinal cell lines and human- and swine-derived organoids and caused varying tissue damage and mortality in suckling mice. These viruses can be classified into at least five serotypes based on cross-neutralization assays . Our findings highlight the potential risk of interspecies infection and provide important information for fut...

  Abstract SARS-CoV-2 Spike - the sole neutralization target, is highly resilient to the immune pressure driving genetic evolution . While potency and breadth of neutralization are widely studied, the incomplete neutralization - the mechanism of resistance without needing genetic change - remains unexplored . Several monoclonal antibodies , although potent, showed incomplete neutralization of genetically homogeneous pseudovirus suggesting the existence of distinct spike conformations . The residual infectivity at high antibody concentration indicates a viral fraction with intrinsic resistance to the antibody. Although the published studies on spike glycosylation, structure, and conformations provide evidence of spike heterogeneity the precise mechanism for the incomplete neutralization has not been established. In this study, we devise a method to separate the un-neutralized virion population , called as persistent fraction of infectivity (PF), and characterize the viral spike prot...

  ABSTRACT With the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron XBB.1.9 subvariants circulating worldwide, two XBB.1.9 variants, EG.5.1 and HK.3 , spread rapidly and became dominant in mid-2023. However, the spike features, pathogenicity, and transmissibility of HK.3 are largely unknown. Here, we performed multiscale investigations to reveal the virological features of XBB.1.9 subvariants , including the newly emerging HK.3 . HK.3 revealed high replication efficiency and enhanced TMPRSS2 utilization in vitro. The HK.3 spike exhibited enhanced processing, although its infectivity, fusogenicity, and human ACE2 (hACE2) binding affinity were comparable to those of the EG.5 and XBB.1 spikes. All XBB.1.9.1, EG.5.1, and HK.3 strains demonstrated efficient transmission in hamsters , although XBB.1.9.1 exhibited stronger fitness in the upper airways . XBB.1.9.1, EG.5.1, and HK.3 exhibited greater pathogenicity than BA.2 in H11-K18-hACE2 hamsters. Our studies provide insights into the newly emerging pathogens EG.5.1...