Abstract Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) is assessed to have high pandemic risk , and dromedary camels are the source of zoonotic spillover . More than 75% of MERS-CoV–infected dromedary camels are found in Africa , but no zoonotic disease has been reported from Africa where there is little awareness of MERS-CoV as a potential cause of respiratory disease . Antibody responses are a poor indicator of mild infection . We found that 47 of 60 (78%) dromedary camel abattoir workers in Kano, Nigeria, had MERS-CoV–specific T-cell responses while none of 18 controls did, suggesting that zoonotic infection is common in camel-exposed individuals in Africa. Source: Link: https://academic.oup.com/jid/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/infdis/jiag095/8504072?redirectedFrom=fulltext ____
Abstract In China, low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) H3N8 virus is widespread among chickens and has recently caused three zoonotic infections , with the last one in 2023 being fatal . Here we evaluated the relative pandemic risk of this 2023 zoonotic H3N8 influenza virus , utilizing our previously published decision tree . Serological analysis indicated that a large proportion of the human population does not have any cross-neutralizing antibodies against this H3N8 strain. LPAI H3N8 displayed a dual affinity for α2–3 and α2–6 sialic acids and replicated efficiently in human bronchial epithelial cells . Furthermore, we observed H3N8 transmission via direct contact but not aerosols to ferrets with pre-existing H3N2 immunity . Although pre-existing H3N2 immunity resulted in a shortened disease course in ferrets, it did not reduce disease severity or replication in the respiratory tract. This study suggests that this zoonotic H3N8 strain has moderate pandemic potential and empha...