ETIDIOH - NEW

  Fourteen Coscoroba Swans in the Región de Valparaíso, Comuna Santo Domingo. Source:  Link:  https://wahis.woah.org/#/in-review/7336 ____

  Abstract Transmission of highly pathogenic avian influenza from H5 clade 2.3.4.4b has expanded in recent years to infect large populations of birds and mammals , heightening the risk of a human pandemic . Influenza viruses that are adapted to transmission in birds and a variety of mammals tend to have a less stable hemagglutinin (HA) than seasonal influenza viruses, enabling membrane fusion at comparatively higher pH levels . Here, we combined five mutations in the H5 HA that increased its melting temperature and promoted stable closure of the HA trimer . Structural analysis by cryo–electron microscopy revealed that the stabilizing mutations create several new hydrophobic interactions while maintaining the local HA structure . We found that vaccinating mice with stabilized H5 HA immunogens resulted in higher hemagglutination inhibition and neutralization titers than nonstabilized comparators. Epitope mapping of vaccine-elicited polyclonal antibody responses using negative-stain e...

  Abstract Highly pathogenic avian influenza virus of the H5N1 subtype has been infecting U.S. dairy cattle and spreading among dairy operations since March 2024. H5N1 surveillance systems for dairies are needed, but information on whether environmental sampling can inform these systems is lacking. To guide a surveillance framework , we determined the environmental sites with Influenza A virus (IAV) detection on H5N1-affected dairies (n = 25) in four states (California, Colorado, Michigan, and Ohio) and explored sample characteristics that may have influenced detection. A total of 581 samples from dairy environmental sites were characterized for IAV RNA via rRT-PCR, and classified into six categories . A total of 94 samples (16.2%) had IAV detected, and the Ct values measured from these samples were typically higher than those measured in bulk tank milk from a subset of sampled herds. A majority of IAV detections were made from the following site categories: milking equipment/perso...

  Abstract Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) clade 2.3.4.4b H5N1 virus has recently emerged in dairy cattle in the United States . The virus replicates primarily in the mammary gland of infected cattle, leading to dramatic reductions in milk production . It is thought that the virus transmits from animal to animal through viral shedding in milk , and therefore, vaccines that decrease the amount of virus in milk can potentially limit the current outbreak and reduce the risk of H5N1 spillover into humans . Here, we assess the immunogenicity and efficacy of a clade 2.3.4.4b H5 mRNA-LNP vaccine in lactating dairy cows . We found that the H5 mRNA-LNP vaccine elicited robust antibody responses in sera and milk and significantly reduced viral replication and disease caused by clade 2.3.4.4b H5N1 intramammary infection. Competing Interest Statement S.E.H. and D.W. are co-inventors on patents that describe the use of nucleoside-modified mRNA as a platform to deliver therapeutic prote...

  Abstract Dairy cattle have emerged as a prolific amplifying host for highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b and a new source for cross-species and zoonotic transmission . Independent introductions of H5N1 with unclear exposure routes have been reported in several dairy herds across the U.S. These events escalate the pandemic potential of HPAIV H5N1 as transmission within and between mammalian species present opportunities for mammalian adapted H5N1 viruses to emerge . Although more than 1000 herds have been infected, bovine H5N1 influenza virus pathogenesis, transmission, and evolution in dairy cattle remains not well characterized. Working with H5N1-infected lactating cattle in high containment has been a major challenge due to the required infrastructure and logistics associated with housing, husbandry, and waste management for this model. Thus, developing alternative bovine models that maintain biological relevance while reducing operational comple...

  Abstract Antibodies to the influenza hemagglutinin protein (HA) confer the strongest protection against infection . Immunity elicited by endemic, seasonal, human viruses is correlated with diminished disease severity and death caused by antigenically novel viruses. Antibodies to the HA head interface are broadly protective and abundant in human serologic and memory repertoires . Notably, few head interface antibodies from H5 naive donors are reported to bind H5 HAs . We find head interface antibodies engage a wide range of H5 isolates but fail to engage most isolates from the goose Guangdong (GsGd) lineage . We identify a single substitution, P221S, largely dictates antibody binding. Phylogenetic analysis indicates that P221S arose in a Chinese avian reservoir by the year 2000 . Descendants of these viruses have caused the current global panzootic and have achieved sustained mammal-mammal transmission in farmed and wild mammals. Our findings demonstrate that viral evolution in no...

  {4 March 2026, excerpts} The 44th meeting of the Emergency Committee under the International Health Regulations (IHR or Regulations) on the international spread of poliovirus was convened by the WHO Director-General on 14 January 2026 with eight out of nine Committee members and the adviser meeting via video conference with affected countries, supported by the WHO Secretariat.  The Emergency Committee reviewed the latest epidemiological data on wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) and circulating vaccine-derived polioviruses (cVDPV) in the context of the global targets to interrupt endemic WPV1 transmission in 2026 and to stop cVDPV2 outbreaks by 2028 with subsequent certification of WPV1 eradication and cVDPV2 elimination.  Technical updates were received about the situation in the following countries :  - Afghanistan,  - Angola,  - Germany,  - Lao People’s Democratic Republic,  - Namibia,  - Pakistan and  - Papua New Guinea . Amendments to ...

  Abstract Influenza virus mRNAs are stable and competent for nuclear export and translation because they receive a 5′ cap(1) structure in a process called cap snatching 1. During cap snatching, the viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (FluPol) binds to host RNA polymerase II (Pol II) and the emerging transcript2,3. The FluPol endonuclease then cleaves a capped RNA fragment that subsequently acts as a primer for the transcription of viral genes 4,5. Here we present the cryogenic electron microscopy structure of FluPol bound to a transcribing Pol II in complex with the elongation factor DSIF in the pre-cleavage state. The structure shows that FluPol directly interacts with both Pol II and DSIF , positioning the FluPol endonuclease domain near the RNA exit channel of Pol II . These interactions are important for the endonuclease activity of FluPol and FluPol activity in cells. A second structure , trapped after cap snatching, shows that the cleaved capped RNA rearranges within FluPol, ...

  A poultry farm in Bihar State. Source:  Link:  https://wahis.woah.org/#/in-review/7319 ____

  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...

  Abstract For nearly 30 years, Goose/Guangdong-derived highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 viruses have posed significant risks to economic stability, food security, and public health . Virus evolution has resulted in various clades , including the panzootic subclade 2.3.4.4b, recognized for its pandemic potential . Here we present the potent in vitro activity of FNI9, a pan-influenza NA-inhibiting monoclonal antibody , against a range of pseudoparticles with NA spanning decades of H5N1 virus evolution . FNI9 also shows strong prophylactic protection in female mice against lethal challenges with H5N1 from clade 1 and 2.3.4.4b. Cryo-EM and molecular dynamics analysis reveal that FNI9 binds to 7 highly conserved H5N1 NA residues (R118, E119, D151, E228, E278, R293, and R368). In silico evolutionary escape profiling and machine learning predict low escapability, high fitness costs, and minimal spread likelihood for viral mutations that evade FNI9 binding. These findings support FN...

Backyard poultry in Hà Tĩnh and Đắk Lắk Regions. Source:  Link:  https://wahis.woah.org/#/in-review/7272 ____

  Di Papamanila - Fotografia autoprodotta, CC BY-SA 3.0,  https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=9469068 Source:  Link:  https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guernica_(Picasso) ____

  Highlights •  MERS-CoV structural proteins and ORFs potently induce T cell responses in mice •  MERS-CoV-specific T cell epitope repertoires are identified in C57BL/6 and BALB/c mice •  Airway ORF4b208-CD4+ and ORF5167-CD8+ T cells are optimal effector T cells •  ORF4b208 and ORF5167-specific T cells protect mice against MERS-CoV infection Summary Since its initial emergence in 2012, MERS-CoV has remained endemic and a global health threat . While accessory proteins (ORFs) are known for immune evasion , their role in adaptive immunity is unexplored. This study systematically investigated T cell responses against MERS-CoV ORFs. We mapped epitope repertoires targeting structural proteins and ORFs in C57BL/6 and BALB/c mice , revealing that ORFs potently induced virus-specific T cells . Notably, ORF5 induced the dominant CD8+ T cell responses in BALB/c mice. Further analysis revealed that ORF4b208-specific CD4+ and ORF5167-specific CD8+ T cells in the respiratory...

  Abstract High pathogenicity avian influenza A(H5) viruses pose a pandemic threat . These viruses have rapidly evolved in birds and frequently crossed species barriers , resulting in over 1,000 confirmed human infections , with a case fatality proportion of approximately 50%. In response, the U.S. CDC has developed dozens of A(H5) candidate vaccine viruses (CVVs) over the past two decades, primarily targeting clades known to infect humans. This report summarizes the development and characterization of the CVVs, with a particular focus on their antigenic relationships with clades 2.3.2.1e and 2.3.4.4b A(H5N1) viruses , which have been responsible for the majority of recent human infections. Source:  Link:  https://academic.oup.com/jid/advance-article/doi/10.1093/infdis/jiag132/8502029 ____

  Am J Respir Crit Care Med MENDEZ R, Gonzalez-Jimenez P, Latorre A, Piqueras M, et al The Long-term Pneumonia Mortality Index. An International Multicenter Derivation and Validation Study for Patients with Community-Acquired Pneumonia. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2026 Feb 21:aamag060. doi: 10.1093. PubMed           Abstract available GAERTNER VD, Ramin-Wright L, Waldmann AD, Belting C, et al The first breaths after birth-early lung function in healthy term infants. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2026 Jan 30:aamag008. doi: 10.1093. PubMed           Abstract available Ann Intern Med QASEEM A, Obley AJ, Harrod CS, Wilt TJ, et al COVID-19 Vaccines for 2025-2026 in Adults Who Are Not Pregnant or Immunocompromised: Rapid Practice Points From the American College of Physicians. Ann Intern Med. 2026 Feb 24. doi: 10.7326/ANNALS-25-05026. PubMed           Abstract available Ann...

  Arch Virol KOBAYASHI D, Hiono T, Adachi R, Igarashi M, et al Length and density of alpha2-3 sialyllactose-containing chains on glycopolymers determine receptor binding of avian influenza viruses. Arch Virol. 2026;171:100. PubMed          PARK SH, Lee SH, Seo YR, Kim DJ, et al Evolution and spread of H8Nx avian influenza viruses from wild birds in East Asia, 2019-2024. Arch Virol. 2026;171:95. PubMed           Abstract available NAVEED A The bovine mammary gland as a crucible for zoonotic influenza virus emergence: Receptor-mediated adaptation of HPAI H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b. Arch Virol. 2026;171:89. PubMed          Biochem Biophys Res Commun SINGH VA, Nehul S, Saha A, Singh V, et al Bioengineered chimeric VLPs targeting chikungunya virus and SARS-CoV-2 show high immunogenicity in mice. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2026;805:153346. PubMed        ...

  By Horace L.Arnold - "Modern Machine-Shop Economics." in Engineering Magazine 11. 1896, Public Domain,  https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=36887873 Source:  Link:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baldwin_Locomotive_Works ____