ETIDIOH - NEW

{Summary} -- During the Week 17-23 July 2025, Italy reported twenty-seven new cases of human infection with West Nile Virus. -- Since the beginning of the epidemic season, thirty-two confirmed human WNV infection cases have been reportede (there were five cases in the last update), of these: - twenty-three were West Nile Neuroinvasive Disease (WNND): 2 in Piedmont, 2 in Veneto, 1 Emilia-Romagna, 15 Latium, 3 Campania), - one asymptomatic case was detected in a blood donor (Veneto), - six cases of West Nile Fever have been reported (2 in Veneto, 4 Latium), and two asymptomatic cases (Latium), - among the cases, there were two fatalities (1 in Piedmont, 1 in Latium). -- The first confirmed case of the season was detected in Piedmont Region on March 20 2025 (sporadic case), then in Novara Province (July 3rd). -- No confirmed cases of Usutu Virus infection have been detected so far. (...) Source: Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale di Teramo,  https://westnile.izs.it/j6_wnd/home ____...

  {Excerpt} Time Period: July 13, 2025 - July 19, 2025 -- H5 Detection :  2 sites ( 0.5% ) -- No Detection :  380 sites ( 99.5% ) -- No samples in last week :  47 sites (...) Source: US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,  https://www.cdc.gov/nwss/rv/wwd-h5.html ____

Abstract Identifying receptors for bat coronaviruses is critical for spillover risk assessment, countermeasure development, and pandemic preparedness . While Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus ( MERS-CoV ) uses DPP4 for entry , the receptors of many MERS-related betacoronaviruses remain unknown . The bat merbecovirus HKU5 was previously shown to have an entry restriction in human cells . Using both pseudotyped and full-length virus, we show that HKU5 uses Pipistrellus abramus bat ACE2 but not human ACE2 or DPP4 as a receptor. Cryo-electron microscopy analysis of the virus-receptor complex and structure-guided mutagenesis reveal a spike and ACE2 interaction that is distinct from other ACE2-using coronaviruses. MERS-CoV vaccine sera poorly neutralize HKU5 informing pan-merbecovirus vaccine design. Notably, HKU5 can also engage American mink and stoat ACE2 , revealing mustelids as potential intermediate hosts. These findings highlight the versatility of merbecovirus receptor use...

Abstract Avian influenza is a highly contagious viral disease that affects both domestic and wild birds , with occasional spillover to mammals , including humans. As of June 2025, 117 H5N1 infections in humans have been reported worldwide since 2020. Given the ability of the virus to infect mammals, there is a growing concern about its potential for human-to-human transmission . Currently, contact tracing and self-isolation are used in the UK to manage contacts of confirmed human cases of avian influenza. In this study, we aimed to estimate potential outbreak sizes and evaluate the effectiveness of contact tracing and self-isolation in managing avian influenza spillover events. We used a novel dataset from the Avian Contact Study to analyse contact patterns within an agricultural population at high risk of avian influenza exposure through contact with birds. We modelled outbreak sizes using a stochastic branching process model with measured contact data. Most simulations resulted in sm...