Skip to main content

Posts

My New Space

Adult #obesity and #risk of severe #infections: a multicohort study with global burden estimates

By G.M.
  Summary Background Adult obesity has been linked to specific infections, but evidence across the full spectrum of infectious diseases remains scarce . In this multicohort study with impact modelling, we examined the association between this preventable risk factor and the incidence, hospitalisations, and mortality of 925 bacterial, viral, parasitic, and fungal infectious diseases, and estimated their global and regional attributable impact. Methods We used pooled data from two Finnish cohort studies and repeated analyses in an independent population from the UK Biobank . BMI was assessed at baseline (1998–2002 in the Finnish studies; 2006–10 in UK Biobank), and participants were categorised as having healthy weight (18·5–24·9 kg/m2), overweight (25·0–29·9 kg/m2) or obesity, classified as class I (30·0–34·9 kg/m2), class II (35·0–39·9 kg/m2), or class III (≥40·0 kg/m2). Participants were followed up through national hospitalisation and mortality registries for hospital admissions ...
Post a Comment
Read more »
Recent posts

#China reported two additional #human #infections with #influenza A #H9N2 and one new case of #H10N3 (HK CHP, Feb. 10 '26)

By G.M.
  {Excerpt} Avian Influenza Report - Reporting period: February 1, 2026 – February 7, 2026 (Week 6) (Published on February 10, 2026)   -- Avian influenza A(H9N2) :  1) Guangdong Province :  - A 73-year-old woman with onset on January 17, 2026.  2) Hunan Province :  - A 2-year-old boy with onset on December 29, 2025.  -- Avian influenza A(H10N3) : 1) Guangdong Province :  - A 34-year-old man with onset on December 29, 2025.   (...) Source:  Link:  https://www.chp.gov.hk/files/pdf/2026_avian_influenza_report_vol22_wk06.pdf ____
Post a Comment
Read more »

Overcoming immune #imprinting with the #COVID19 #LP81 #mRNA #boosters

By G.M.
  {Summary} In summer 2025, the SARS-CoV-2 JN.1 sublineage became dominant with more resistant variants, such as XFG, LP.8.1, and NB.1.8.1 . COVID-19 mRNA boosters were therefore updated for the 2025–2026 season to target the LP.8.1 spike .1 Previous boosters, particularly the WA1/2020+BA.5 bivalent booster , were characterised by substantial boosting of the ancestral strain , a phenomenon known as immune imprinting .2,3 We therefore evaluated whether the phylogenetically more distant LP.8.1 mRNA booster would preferentially boost currently circulating strains. Recent data from European and Asian populations have reported the immunogenicity of the LP.8.1 mRNA booster .4,5 Herein, we report the immunogenicity of the LP.8.1 mRNA booster in a US population with a different exposure history and high population immunity. We show that the LP.8.1 mRNA booster induced neutralising antibody (NAb) and binding antibody responses, primarily to the vaccine-matched L.P.8.1 variant and other curr...
Post a Comment
Read more »

Characteristics and #Transmission Dynamics of Global #Travel-Related #Mpox Cases Caused by Clade Ib Monkeypox Virus

By G.M.
  Abstract We examined 89 travel-related clade Ib monkeypox virus cases detected in 33 countries during August 2024–July 2025 . Most cases were among men ; about one third led to secondary transmission . Secondary transmission risk was highest among sexual, then household, contacts. Those groups should be the focus of response strategies and interventions. Source:  Link:  https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/32/2/25-1530_article ____
Post a Comment
Read more »

Decoding #antibody response to #MERS-CoV in wild dromedary #camels

By G.M.
  Significance Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) remains the most lethal human coronavirus , with continued zoonotic transmission from wild naturally infected dromedary camels , posing a persistent risk of spillover to humans. Despite this ongoing threat , no specific antiviral treatment has been approved. In this study, we characterize the antibody response to MERS-CoV in naturally infected dromedaries, the primary animal reservoir, and identify a panel of nanobodies (Nbs) exhibiting potent neutralizing activity . These Nbs recognize a previously unreported binding and neutralizing site on the virus spike receptor-binding domain (RBD). Their distinctive genetic, structural, and functional properties make them promising candidates for the development of effective and therapeutic interventions against MERS-CoV, as strongly advocated by global health authorities. Abstract Wild dromedary camels in the Arabian Peninsula and Africa have harbored antibodies against ...
Post a Comment
Read more »

An #outbreak of highly pathogenic avian #influenza #H5N1 could impact the dairy #cattle sector and the broader #economy in the #USA

By G.M.
  Abstract The outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N1 in U.S. dairy cattle poses substantial risks to public health, economic sustainability of farming, and global food systems . Using a Computable General Equilibrium model , we simulate its short- to medium-term impacts on Gross Domestic Product and other macro-economic outcomes for the US and its main trading partners . We simulate impacts under the current situation and realistic and reasonable worst-case scenarios . We estimate domestic economic losses ranging between 0.06% and 0.9% of US GDP , with losses to the dairy sector ranging between 3.4% and 20.6%. Trading partners increase dairy production to compensate for the loss. Current government subsidies are about 1.2% (95% HDI: 1% to 1.4%) of output losses, and likely insufficient to incentivise farmers to step up surveillance and biosecurity for mitigating the possible emergence of H5N1 strains with pandemic potential into human populations. Source:  Link:...
Post a Comment
Read more »

Impaired #host shutoff is a fitness cost associated with #baloxavir marboxil #resistance #mutations in #influenza A virus PA/PA-X nuclease domain

By G.M.
  Abstract The polymerase acidic (PA) protein is a subunit of the trimeric influenza A virus (IAV) RNA-dependent RNA polymerase and the target of the anti-influenza drug baloxavir marboxil (BXM). As with other direct-acting antivirals , treatment with BXM can lead to selection of viruses carrying resistance mutations . If these mutations have negligible fitness costs, resistant viruses can spread widely and render existing treatments obsolete . Multiple BXM resistance mutations in the nuclease domain of PA have been identified, with I38T and I38M amino acid substitutions occurring frequently. These mutations have minimal to no effects on viral polymerase activity , virus replication , or transmission . However, for reasons that are not well understood, viruses with BXM resistance substitutions have not been able to compete with parental wild-type strains . The IAV genome segment encoding PA also encodes the host shutoff nuclease PA-X, which shares the endonuclease domain with PA bu...
Post a Comment
Read more »

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

By G.M.
  A slaughter turkeys farm in Zachodniopomorskie Region. Source:  Link:  https://wahis.woah.org/#/in-review/7254 ____
Post a Comment
Read more »

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

By G.M.
  {Whooper Swan} __ {Eurasian Wigeon} ___ A wild Whooper Swan in HöfuĂ°borgarsvæði Region.  A wild Eurasian Wigeon in HöfuĂ°borgarsvæði Region. Source:  Link:  https://wahis.woah.org/#/in-review/7248 ____
Post a Comment
Read more »

Immunogenicity, reactogenicity and #safety to assess #booster #vaccinations with #BNT162b2 or double-dose #mRNA-1273 in adults ≥75 years (EU-COVAT-1-AGED) – final report

By G.M.
  Highlights •  Randomized trial of 1st and 2nd mRNA SARS-CoV-2 booster vaccination in advanced age •  Higher anti-RBD IgG level and neutralizing capacity with full-dose mRNA-1273 than BNT162b2 •  Decrease in viral neutralization capacity after 12 months against all 25 tested SARS-COV-2 variants •  Oldest population in a SARS-CoV-2 vaccination study (mean 81 yrs) ABSTRACT Background To determine long-term immunogenicity and reactogenicity of different SARS-CoV-2 mRNA-vaccines in a population ≥75 years in a randomized trial. Methods Participants were randomised to receive either BNT162b2 30µg or double booster dose mRNA-1273 , i.e.100µg, as 3rd and 4th vaccination (1st and 2nd booster). Primary endpoint was rate of 2-fold geometric mean titre (GMT) antibody increase 14 days after vaccination targeting the receptor binding domain (RBD) region of wild-type SARS-CoV-2. Secondary endpoints included neutralising capacity against wild-type and 25 variants at 14 days (D...
Post a Comment
Read more »

Efficient #replication of #influenza D virus in the #human #airway underscores zoonotic potential

By G.M.
  Abstract Influenza D virus (IDV), primarily found in livestock species, has demonstrated cross-species transmission potential , yet its threat to humans remains poorly understood . Here, we curated a panel of IDV isolates collected during field surveillance from 2011 to 2020 from swine and cattle to assess their ability to infect human airway cells as a proxy for zoonotic threat assessment. Using lung epithelial cell lines , primary well-differentiated airway epithelial cultures, and precision-cut lung slices , we demonstrated that IDV efficiently propagates in cells and tissues from the human respiratory tract , reaching titers comparable to human influenza A virus (IAV). Infection kinetics in primary porcine airway cultures and respiratory tissues mirrored those from human , suggesting similar infectivity across species. To define host responses to IDV infection, we evaluated innate immune sensing and downstream interferon signaling in human respiratory cells. IDV infection res...
Post a Comment
Read more »

The Battlefield, Kathe Kollwitz (1907)

By G.M.
  Public Domain. Source:  Link:  https://www.wikiart.org/en/kathe-kollwitz/the-battlefield-1907 ____
Post a Comment
Read more »

Research Note: Molecular Characteristics and #Genetic #Evolution of #H1N1 Avian #Influenza Virus from Wild #birds in #Shanghai, #China

By G.M.
  ABSTRACT The H1N1 influenza virus is a major pandemic and seasonal pathogen with a broad host range , posing a substantial threat to human health and underscoring the need for continuous surveillance . Wild birds , as natural reservoirs of avian influenza viruses (AIVs), carry H1N1 strains capable of reassorting with other influenza viruses, which can drive pandemic emergence. The global migration of wild birds facilitates the spread of these viruses, and their interactions with poultry increase the risk of cross-species transmission , further amplifying the public health threat. However, knowledge of H1N1 genetic diversity in wild birds remains limited. Database analysis shows 80% of avian-origin H1N1 isolates come from wild birds across over 40 countries , mainly in North America, Europe and Asia . This study characterized the molecular traits and genetic evolution of four H1N1 AIVs isolated from common teal and spot-billed ducks during 2019–2021 . Phylogenetic and sequence ana...
Post a Comment
Read more »

#Coronavirus Disease Research #References (by AMEDEO, Feb. 7 '26)

By G.M.
  Antiviral Res YURGELONIS I, Rai DK, Li Z, Washington B, et al Analysis of Ibuzatrelvir's Activity Against SARS-CoV-2 Circulating Variants and In Vitro Resistance Mutations. Antiviral Res. 2026 Jan 30:106352. doi: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2026.106352. PubMed           Abstract available BMJ LEI Z Reduced disease detection during covid-19. BMJ. 2026;392:s236. PubMed          Clin Infect Dis MA KC, Surie D, Dean N, Paden CR, et al Integrating genomic data into test-negative designs for estimating lineage-specific COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness. Clin Infect Dis. 2026 Feb 2:ciag059. doi: 10.1093. PubMed           Abstract available Int J Infect Dis MICHELI G, Mondi A, Roen A, Taramasso L, et al Did the COVID-19 pandemic shift the landscape of late HIV diagnosis? Int J Infect Dis. 2026 Jan 28:108437. doi: 10.1016/j.ijid.2026.108437. PubMed        ...
Post a Comment
Read more »

#Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses Research #References (by AMEDEO, Feb. 7 '26)

By G.M.
  Antimicrob Agents Chemother LLORENTE J, Sempere J, Llamosi M, Perez-Garcia C, et al Emergence of antibiotic-resistant pneumococcal serotypes causing invasive pneumococcal disease in children, Spain. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2025 Dec 31:e0153025. doi: 10.1128/aac.01530. PubMed           Abstract available J Infect Dis VILLAFUERTE D, Fall A, Akin E, Werner AP, et al Genomic Evolution of Influenza A Virus During the 2024-2025 Season, the Johns Hopkins Health System: Antigenic Drift Reduces Serum Neutralization. J Infect Dis. 2026 Feb 4:jiag069. doi: 10.1093. PubMed           Abstract available Pediatrics GAGO CM, Ruggiero CF, Gundewar A, Rose W, et al Parent Perspectives on the Interactive Role of Charitable and Federal Nutrition Assistance. Pediatrics. 2026 Jan 6:e2025072664. doi: 10.1542/peds.2025-072664. PubMed           Abstract available SALTHOUSE AL, Tann...
Post a Comment
Read more »

#Nipah virus #infection - #Bangladesh (#WHO D.O.N., Feb. 7 '26)

By G.M.
  6 February 2026 Situation at a glance On 3 February 2026, the International Health Regulations National Focal Point (IHR NFP) for Bangladesh notified WHO of one confirmed case of Nipah virus (NiV) infection in Rajshahi Division .  The patient developed fever and neurological symptoms on 21 January.  Nipah virus infection was laboratory-confirmed on 29 January.  The patient reported no travel history but had a history of consuming raw date palm sap .  All 35 contact-persons are being monitored and have tested negative for NiV and no further cases have been detected to date.  Bangladesh regularly has small NiV outbreaks , with cases reported at different times of the year, though outbreaks tend to occur between December and April corresponding with the harvesting and consumption of date palm sap.  The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in Bangladesh has implemented several public health measures.  WHO assesses the overall public health risk pos...
Post a Comment
Read more »