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#Nepal - #Influenza A #H5N1 viruses of high pathogenicity (Inf. with) (non-poultry including wild birds) (2017-) - Immediate notification

  There is an observation of death of several numbers (30) of crows in the jungle of Tribhuvan University premises. Source:  Link:  https://wahis.woah.org/#/in-review/7387 ____

#Nepal - High pathogenicity avian #influenza #H5N1 viruses (Inf. with) (#poultry) - Immediate notification

Frequent sightings of wild birds were reported in the vicinity of the farm. The farm comprises multiple poultry sheds having birds of different age (4-56 weeks) groups. On 15 March, a sudden mortality event occurred in one shed, where approximately 100 commercial layer birds died acutely. Since that incident, mortality has been observed across all sheds on the farm. Commercial Layers of various age (4-56 weeks) group affected since 15 March, 2026 and a large number of chicken appear slightly droopy or depressed, and die suddenly. Source:  Link:  https://wahis.woah.org/#/in-review/7386 ____

#Denmark - #Influenza A #H5N5 viruses of high pathogenicity (Inf. with) (non-poultry including wild birds) (2017-) - Immediate notification

  {A black headed gull. By © Hans Hillewaert, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5548312 } __ According to article 10.4.1.4 of the Terrestrial Animal Health Code, Member Countries should not impose bans on the trade in poultry commodities in response to notification on the presence of any influenza A virus in birds other than poultry A wild black-headed gull. Source:  Link:  https://wahis.woah.org/#/in-review/7385 ____

#UK, #England: Notified cases of invasive #meningococcal disease - Updated 23 March 2026 (UKHSA, edited)

  {Excerpt} (...) Daily case figures -- The number of confirmed and probable cases can change when: - a case is laboratory confirmed - when the clinical assessment changes, including when new laboratory results are available - when further epidemiological information is available -- The figures in Table 1 cannot be used to identify the number of new confirmed or probable cases from one day to the next. This also applies to total cases. Table 1. Cases of invasive meningococcal disease linked to Canterbury, Kent by day from 16 March 2026 [Date - Total confirmed cases - Confirmed MenB cases (subset of total confirmed cases) - Probable cases - Total cases] * 22 March 2026 - 20 [note 2] - 19 -9 - 29 * 21 March 2026 - 20 [note 2] - 19 - 9 - 29 * 20 March 2026 - 23 - 18 - 11 - 34 * 19 March 2026 - 18 - 13 - 11 - 29 * 18 March 2026 - 15 - 9 - 12 - 27 * 17 March 2026 - 9 - 6 - 11 - 20 * 16 March 2026 - [note 1] - 4 - [note 1] - 15 __ Note 1 : The distinction between a confirmed case and a p...

Defining #influenza-specific B cells in #vaccine #responders, non-responders and influenza breakthrough #infections

  Abstract Although seasonal influenza vaccination programs are effective at a population level, our data from inactivated influenza vaccine (IIV) cohorts in years 2015-2022 reveal that 50-60% of individuals do not seroconvert following immunization. The underlying mechanisms of vaccine non-responsiveness are far from understood. In this study, we sought to define key determinants of optimal B cell immune responses elicited by seasonal influenza vaccination, and to explore why some individuals fail to elicit humoral immunity following immunization. Immune responses associated with seroconversion and vaccine failure from individuals immunized with IIVs were compared at cellular and molecular levels using single-cell transcriptomics . We analyzed HA-specific B cell immunity across vaccine-responders, breakthrough infections and patients hospitalized with acute influenza. Droplet-based single-cell RNA sequencing and VDJ-sequencing of influenza-specific B cells from stored PBMCs was pe...

Prophylactic and therapeutic efficacy of #monoclonal #antibodies against #H5N1 #influenza virus

  Highlights •  mAbs could enhance our armamentarium against H5N1 in support of pandemic preparedness •  Several mAbs have shown prophylactic and therapeutic efficacy against H5N1 in animal models •  Anti-IAV mAbs that have advanced in clinical trials could be evaluated against H5N1 •  Resistance emergence during mAb treatment was infrequent in pre- and clinical studies Abstract Highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 continues to pose a serious zoonotic and pandemic threat due to its increasing cross-species transmission and high virulence in humans . Despite the availability of vaccines and antivirals for seasonal influenza , effective prophylactic and treatment options for H5N1 remain limited . Herein we explore the potential action of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against H5N1, focusing on those with demonstrated efficacy in animal models . Most of these mAbs target conserved hemagglutinin epitopes and function as broad neutralizing fusion/entry inhibitors ; n...

The Doge on the Bucintoro near the Riva di Sant'Elena, Francesco Guardi (1766 - 1770)

  Public Domain. Source:  Link:  https://www.wikiart.org/en/francesco-guardi/the-doge-on-the-bucintoro-near-the-riva-di-sant-elena-1770 ____

#UK, #England: Notified cases of invasive #meningococcal disease (UKHSA, Updated 22 March 2026)

{Excerpt} (...) Table 1. Cases of invasive meningococcal disease linked to Canterbury, Kent by day from 16 March 2026 [Date - Total confirmed cases - Confirmed MenB cases (subset of total confirmed cases) - Probable cases - Total cases] * 21 March 2026 - 20 [note 2] - 19 - 9 - 29 {-5}  * 20 March 2026 - 23 - 18 - 11 - 34 {+5}  * 19 March 2026 - 18 - 13 - 11 - 29 {+2} * 18 March 2026 - 15 - 9 - 12 - 27 {+7} * 17 March 2026 - 9 - 6 - 11 - 20 {+5} * 16 March 2026 - [note 1] - 4 - [note 1] - 15 __ Note 1 : The distinction between a confirmed case and a probable case was not reported Note 2 : A case initially classified as a confirmed case may be reclassified or discarded when further laboratory results and clinical information is available, that is: -  where there are other negative results, for example, reference unit results  and  -  where there is an alternative diagnosis or where the clinical picture is no longer consistent with meningococcal infection The ...

#Dispersal, #adaptation and #persistence of #H5N1 in the sub-Antarctic and #Antarctica

  Abstract High pathogenicity avian influenza virus (HPAIV) H5N1 reached the sub-Antarctic and Antarctica in 2023 , subsequently spreading to remote locations within this region where it had devastating impacts on seal, penguin and albatross populations . The threat to marine wildlife over this broad area exemplifies the need to understand H5N1 long-distance dispersal and evolution . We obtained 104 novel viral genomic sequences from samples that we collected at South Georgia, Kerguelen, Crozet, Prince Edward, Falklands/Malvinas Islands and the Antarctic Peninsula in a region spanning 8,000 kilometers . Using recent phylogeographic modeling advances we show that H5N1 spread encompassed numerous transmission events between distant locations, accumulating mammalian-adaptive mutations in the process. Seals are the most affected species, but we reveal that the long-distance eastward virus dispersal better aligns with the long-distance movements of large petrels and albatrosses . The ri...

#UK, #England: Notified cases of invasive #meningococcal #disease - Updated 21 March 2026 (UKHSA)

  Overview -- The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has been investigating an invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) outbreak first detected in March 2026. -- This release provides an up-to-date count of confirmed or probable notified cases connected to the incident, and will be updated regularly. -- Case numbers will be recorded at 12:30pm each day, and will include only those defined as either confirmed or probable. These figures will be published the following day at 9:30am. -- As this is a live incident, there will be additional suspected cases notified to UKHSA , which need to be actively investigated. These will not be reported until the investigation determines that they should be included as either confirmed or probable cases, or discarded as not related to the incident. -- Case counts attached to the incident are provisional and subject to change (upwards or downwards) as intelligence about their connection to the incident improves, clinical assessment changes, or further mi...

#Coronavirus Disease Research #References (by AMEDEO, March 21 '26)

  Am J Obstet Gynecol REGAN AK, Rowe SL, Birchfield J, Liu J, et al Adherence to Recommended Antiviral Treatment Guidelines for COVID-19 and Influenza during Pregnancy. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2026 Mar 16:S0002-9378(26)00155. PubMed          BONIFACE ER, Alvergne A, Darney BG, Benhar E, et al Menstrual cycle patterns during acute and long COVID-19 infection among a cohort of individuals with regular menstrual cycles. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2026 Mar 11:S0002-9378(26)00132. PubMed          BMJ SCANDRETT K, Sitch AJ, Barratt J, Brettell EA, et al Accuracy of glomerular filtration rate estimation based on creatinine and cystatin C for monitoring moderate chronic kidney disease in adults: prospective, longitudinal cohort study. BMJ. 2026;392:e085005. PubMed           Abstract available LANG K How does covid-19 affect the skin? BMJ. 2026;392:s264. PubMed      ...

#Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses Research #References (by AMEDEO, March 21 '26)

  Cell VARGAS-MALDONADO N, Shetty N, Ferreri LM, Pauly MD, et al Controlled human influenza infection reveals heterogeneous expulsion of infectious virus into air. Cell. 2026 Mar 19:S0092-8674(26)00232-1. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2026. PubMed           Abstract available J Immunol VAHED H, Chentoufi AA, Prakash S, Quadiri A, et al CXCL13/CXCR5 chemokine axis promotes antiviral CXCR5+CD19+ B Cells and follicular/effector CXCR5+CD4+ T Cells in the lungs associated with protection from severe and fatal COVID-19 following infection with pathogenic SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant. J Immunol. 2026;215:vkag017. PubMed           Abstract available HANSEN MR, Sedney CJ, Xiao S, Prasad DBR, et al Adult mice with neonatal-like T cell subsets exhibit increased susceptibility to Bordetella pertussis and influenza infection. J Immunol. 2026;215:vkaf361. PubMed           Abstract available ...

History of Mass Transportation: The CZ/CD Diesel Railcar class 680 (1974)

  By Václav Vyskočil (Upload: Jagro) - www.vlaky.net : [1], CC BY-SA 3.0,  https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5776155 Source:  Link:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Czech_locomotive_classes ____

Rapid #risk #assessment, acute event of potential public health concern: #Diphtheria, #Africa Region (#WHO, March 20 '26)

{Summary) Risk statement -- This WHO Rapid Risk Assessment (RRA, v2) aims to assess the risk of diphtheria at the regional level , considering the public health impact , the risk of geographical spread and the risk of insufficient control capacities with available resources.  -- Diphtheria is a major public health problem in the WHO African Region (AFR) despite significant efforts on immunization in the past decades (e.g. introduction of DTP vaccine in the Expanded Program on Immunisation in 1974).  -- Between 2000 and 2024, 75 789 diphtheria suspected cases were reported across the Region with an average 3 500 cases per year .     -- Between the beginning of 2025 and as of 1 March 2026 , over 29 000 suspected diphtheria cases with 1 420 deaths ( CFR 4.9% ) have been reported across these eight countries: Algeria, Chad, Guinea, Mali, Mauritania , Niger, Nigeria and South.  -- This represents a 67% increase in the number of suspected cases (11 749 additional...