ETIDIOH - NEW

  {Summary} • During current week (7-13 August '25), 102 new cases of human infection with West Nile Virus have been reported;  • Total Number of Confirmed Cases so far this season have risen to 275 (they were 173 in the last report);  -- among these:  - 126 were West Nile Neuroinvasive Disease (WNND): 6 in Piedmont, 7 Lombardy, 5 Veneto, 1 FriuliVenezia Giulia, 4 Emilia-Romagna, 47 Latium, 50 Campania, 1 Basilicata, 3 Calabria, 2 Sardinia,  - 20 asymptomatic cases among blood donors ;  - 125 West Nile Fever cases,  - 2 asymptomatic cases and  - 2 unspecified cases.  • So far, 19 fatal cases were reported: 1 in Piedmont, 1 Lombardy, 8 Latium, 8 Campania, 1 Calabria.  -- The Case-Fatality Rate of WNND cases is at 15,1% (during 2018 it was 20%, in 2024 14%).  • No confirmed cases of Usutu Virus human infection were reported during current week.  (...) Source: High Institute of Health,  https://www.epicentro.iss.it/westnile/...

Abstract Avian influenza A viruses (AIVs) pose a significant pandemic threat due to their cross-species transmission potential . However, AIV surveillance at the critical “ migratory birds–poultry-exposed population ” interface remains limited. Between 2021 and 2024, we implemented a prospective One Health surveillance program around Nansi Lake , monitoring AIVs in migratory birds, poultry, and environmental samples, as well as serological investigations against representative AIVs among migratory birds or poultry-exposed subjects. AIVs were detected in 2.1% (30/1417) of migratory bird samples and 10.2% (100/978) of poultry samples . Among these, we identified ten highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5 subtype viruses, one HPAI H7N9 virus, and five low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) H9N2 viruses. Phylogenetic analysis revealed evidence of frequent genomic reassortment events involving H5 subtype viruses among migratory birds, poultry, and humans . Serological investigation also...

Abstract In early 2024, an unprecedented outbreak of H5N1 high pathogenicity avian influenza was detected in dairy cattle in the USA . As of mid-2025 the epidemic is ongoing, resulting in spillbacks into poultry, wild birds and other mammals including humans . Here, we present molecular and virological evidence that the cattle B3.13 genotype H5N1 viruses rapidly accumulated adaptations in polymerase genes that enabled better replication in bovine cells and tissues, as well as cells of other mammalian species including humans and pigs . We find evidence of several mammalian adaptations gained early in the evolution of these viruses in cattle including PB2 M631L , which is found in all cattle sequences, and PA K497R , which is found in the majority. Structurally, PB2 M631L maps to the polymerase-ANP32 interface, an essential host factor for viral genome replication . We show that this mutation adapts the polymerase to better interact with bovine ANP32 proteins , particularly ANP32A, and ...