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Kinshasa – Health authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and experts from World Health Organization (WHO) are carrying out further investigations to determine the cause of another cluster of illness and community deaths in Equateur province .  In recent months, disease surveillance has identified increases in illness and deaths three times in different areas of the country , and triggered follow-up investigations to confirm the cause and provide needed support.   Since the beginning of 2025 , a series of illnesses and community deaths have affected Equateur province . The most recent cluster occurred in the Basankusu health zone , where last week 141 additional people fell ill , with no deaths reported. In the same health zone, 158 cases and 58 deaths were reported in the same health zone earlier in February. In January, Bolamba health zone reported 12 people who fell ill including 8 deaths.  Increased disease surveillance has identified in total of 1096...

Summary -- What is already known about this topic? -  Highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) outbreaks have emerged in U.S. cattle and poultry . Wastewater surveillance detects influenza A(H5) subtype but does not currently distinguish between human and animal sources. -- What is added by this report? -  During September 15, 2021–July 11, 2024 , retrospective analysis of wastewater surveillance data revealed 21 avian influenza A(H5) subtype detections across 12 Oregon communities . No association was found between detections in a community’s wastewater and history of a poultry outbreak or presence of dairy processing facilities or dairy farms within the sewershed. Avian influenza A(H5) was detected most frequently in two communities with important wild bird habitats . -- What are the implications for public health practice? -  Wastewater surveillance was an early indicator of avian influenza emergence in Oregon. Nonhuman and noncattle animal inputs , including wild bir...

ABSTRACT H5N1 subtype influenza A viruses represent a long-standing pandemic concern . Owing to their global occurrence in poultry, humans are routinely exposed to these viruses, and hundreds of human cases have been documented worldwide since 2003. The relevant viral lineages are not static, however, and have recently undergone a massive expansion of host range and geographic distribution . Within this expansion, the introduction of H5N1 viruses into dairy cattle in the United States has spawned a novel animal-human interface . In response, public health agencies have sought to evaluate the risk of an H5N1 pandemic stemming from the bovine outbreak. These assessments draw on evidence from the field and the laboratory to score a series of recognized risk factors . As such, their utility hinges on fundamental understanding of the processes that drive pandemic emergence and the availability of relevant data. Advancing this understanding and gathering data prior to and during an outbreak ...

Abstract It is essential to understand the molecular mechanisms of influenza antiviral therapeutics to evaluate their efficacy. Virus plaque assays are commonly used to assess the antiviral effects of drugs on virus replication ; however, this method is labor-intensive and can present challenges. We avoided this method by using a replication-competent influenza A virus (IAV) expressing a reporter fluorescent gene fused to the non-structural protein 1 (NS1) gene. The reporter IAV was detectable in normal human bronchoepithelial (NHBE) infected cells and offered an improved method to determine the therapeutic efficacy of the antiviral drugs probenecid and oseltamivir compared to a standard plaque assay. This method provides an excellent means for evaluating therapeutic approaches against IAV. Source: Viruses,  https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/17/3/335 ____

{Excerpts} The Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), following the third meeting of the International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR) Emergency Committee regarding the upsurge of mpox 2024, held on 25 February 2025, from 12:00 to 17:00 CET, concurs with its advice that the event continues to meet the criteria of a public health emergency of international concern and, considering the advice of the Committee, he is hereby issuing a revised set of temporary recommendations. The WHO Director-General expresses his most sincere gratitude to the Chair, Members, and Advisors of the Committee. The proceeding of the third meeting of the Committee will be shared with States Parties to the IHR and published in the coming days. --------- Temporary recommendations These temporary recommendations are issued to States Parties experiencing the transmission of monkeypox virus (MPXV), including, but not limited to, those where there is sustained community transmission, and where there ...

Abstract The spillover of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 into dairy cattle has raised concerns over the safety of fluid milk . While no human foodborne infection has been reported , this strain has infected dozens of people and milk from infected cows is known to be infectious by ingestion in multiple other species. Investigation into the public health threat of this outbreak is critical . This study uses quantitative risk assessment (QRA) models to represent the United States raw and pasteurized fluid milk supply chains to estimate the risk of human infection from consumption of fluid cow's milk. These models were parameterized with literature emerging from this outbreak, then employed to estimate the H5N1 infection risk and evaluate multiple potential interventions aimed at reducing this risk. The median (5th, 95th percentiles) probabilities of infection per 240-mL serving of pasteurized, farmstore-purchased raw, or retail-purchased raw milk were 5.68E-15 (1.77E-16, 2.98E...

Abstract Influenza virus neuraminidase (NA) has emerged as a promising vaccine candidate due to its relatively stable antigenic structure and the ability of NA-specific antibodies to provide cross-protection within influenza virus subtypes . Since the influenza virus causes respiratory infections in humans, developing mucosal vaccines to protect the entry site of the virus is of high importance. Recombinant NA requires adjuvants to induce a protective immune response after mucosal administration. In the current study, we analyze the immunogenicity and protective efficacy of a recombinant NA-based influenza virus vaccine administered intranasally in combination with adjuvants consisting of outer membrane proteins from Neisseria meningitidis complexed with exogenous lipopolysaccharides (LPS) from Shigella flexneri or endogenous LPS from N. meningitidis. We evaluated the local and systemic humoral and cellular immune responses to adjuvanted recombinant N1 NA , analyzing the dynamics of lo...

{Excerpts} (...) Epidemiology Updates As of February 24, CDC has confirmed three human cases of H5 bird flu in people who became ill in 2025:  -- a dairy worker with exposure to infected dairy cows (Nevada),  -- a poultry worker with exposure to infected commercial poultry ( Ohio ), and  -- the owner of an infected backyard poultry flock ( Wyoming ).  These are all considered higher-risk exposures . While the dairy worker was not hospitalized , both people with poultry exposures experienced severe illness and were hospitalized . Both hospitalized cases were confirmed positive from lower respiratory specimens , including a bronchoalveolar lavage and sputum . To date, there has been no evidence of onward spread from any of these people to anyone else . The dairy worker in Nevada had conjunctivitis (eye redness and irritation) and has recovered . Most infections associated with U.S. dairy cows to date have involved mild respiratory symptoms or conjunctivitis. This perso...