ETIDIOH - NEW

HIGHLIGHTS •  PeV-A5 was the predominant PeV-A genotype detected from CSF/blood in 2024 at CM-KC. •  CM-KC PeV-A5 sequences resemble PeV-A5 sequences reported in Sapporo City, Japan, in 2018. •  The highest number of PeV-A5 detections within a single year in the USA. ABSTRACT Background Parechovirus-A5 (PeV-A5) blood and central nervous system (CNS) infections are rare in the United States of America (USA) and globally. We report an emergence of PeV-A5 infections among infants in Kansas City, Missouri, in 2024. Methods Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and blood samples from infants were tested for Parechovirus (PeV-A) in 2024 as a part of standard of care at Children's Mercy Kansas City (CM-KC). PeV-A testing included a two-step reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, and genotyping was conducted using Sanger sequencing. We analyzed the amino acid sequences and phylogeny of the 2024 PeV-A viruses and described the clinical characteristics of PeV-A infected infants. Resu...

Abstract H5Nx clade 2.3.4.4b high pathogenicity avian influenza viruses (HPAIV) have been detected repeatedly in Great Britain (GB) since autumn 2020, with H5N1 dominating detections but with low level detection of H5N5 during 2025. Globally, these viruses have caused mass mortalities in captive and wild avian and mammalian populations , including terrestrial and marine mammals . H5N1 has been the dominant subtype, and whilst incursions have overlapped temporally, occurrences have often been spatially distinct. Here, we report the detection of a mortality event in wild birds on the Norfolk coastline in the east of England, where H5N1 HPAIV was detected in five Great Black-backed Gulls (Larus marinus) and a Northern Fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis). Interestingly, at the same site, and as part of the same mortality event, a total of 17 Great Black-backed Gulls, one Herring Gull (Larus argentatus), one Atlantic Puffin (Fratercula arctica) and one Northern Fulmar tested positive for H5N5 HPAIV...

Summary Background Nirmatrelvir–ritonavir is approved for adults with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 who are at risk of severe disease . There are little clinical data to guide the duration of therapy in patients who are immunocompromised. We aimed to compare the approved 5-day regimen of nirmatrelvir–ritonavir with 10-day and 15-day regimens. Methods This placebo-controlled, randomised, double-blind, phase 2 trial enrolled non-hospitalised, immunocompromised individuals aged 12 years or older with symptomatic COVID-19 from 73 sites across nine countries. Participants were randomly assigned (1:1:1) to receive 300 mg nirmatrelvir and 100 mg ritonavir orally twice per day for 5, 10, or 15 days. Randomisation was stratified according to whether participants were considered immunocompromised due to use of corticosteroids or tumour necrosis factor blockers. Investigators, participants, and caregivers were masked to the assigned study group. The primary endpoint was proportion of randomly assigne...

Summary Background Obeldesivir is an oral nucleoside analogue prodrug antiviral that inhibits SARS-CoV-2 replication . We aimed to assess the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of obeldesivir for the treatment of COVID-19 in non-hospitalised individuals at low risk of progression to severe disease. Methods OAKTREE was a phase 3, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 107 centres (including research centres, primary care centres, and hospitals) in Japan and the USA . Low-risk, non-hospitalised adults and adolescents with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 were enrolled within 3 days of symptom onset. Eligible participants were randomly assigned 1:1 using permuted block randomisation (block size of four), stratified by historical completion of a primary COVID-19 vaccination series, to receive either oral obeldesivir 350 mg or matched placebo twice daily for 5 days. The primary efficacy endpoint was time to COVID-19 symptom alleviation by day 29, which was assessed in all randomly a...