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Showing posts from August 10, 2025

History of Mass Transportation: The DB VT 11.5 Autotrain

  By Benedikt Dohmen (User:Benedictus), Archiv-Nr. 92/39 - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0,  https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=496875 Source: Wikipedia,  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DB_Class_VT_11.5 ____

Companion #animals and #H5N1 highly pathogenic avian #influenza: cause for #concern?

Abstract The first known human infection with a highly pathogenic H5N1 influenza A virus appeared in China in 1997 . Between 2003 and 2017, the WHO documented an additional 862 human cases, mainly from southeast Asia and Egypt , with a mean annual case fatality rate of 56%. By 2006, the susceptibility of cats to severe respiratory and neurologic disease became apparent. Scientists raised concerns regarding the potential for domestic cats to transmit novel pathogenic strains to humans. But after 2006, reports of new H5N1 infections in companion animals dwindled, and human cases fell after 2016. In 2021, H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b viruses suddenly appeared in Europe and spread rapidly to the Americas , wreaking havoc on wildlife and crippling the poultry and dairy industries . Between 2022 and 2025, dozens of domestic cats died , most often following raw food consumption . Unease regarding the transmission potential of pets resurfaced. Although most human infections in the Americas were mild an...

A multivalent #mRNA #vaccine elicits robust immune responses and confers #protection in a murine #model of #monkeypox virus infection

Abstract Monkeypox virus (MPXV) has re-emerged globally since May 2022, posing a significant public health threat . To address this, we develop two multivalent mRNA vaccine candidates —AAL, encoding three MPXV antigens, and AALI, which combines AAL with an immune-enhancing IFN-α protein. Both vaccines are delivered via mannose-modified lipid nanoparticles to target dendritic cells . Here we show that these vaccines elicit strong antibody responses against vaccinia virus and multiple MPXV clades , induce robust memory B-cell and T-cell responses, and promote dendritic cell maturation . In mouse challenge models , both vaccines provide protection against clade IIb MPXV and vaccinia virus , significantly reducing viral loads and preventing lung damage. Immune profiling reveals enhanced B- and T-cell receptor diversity and distinct CDR3 motifs post-vaccination. These findings demonstrate the potential of using mRNA-based multivalent vaccines as an effective strategy for preventing mpox and...