ETIDIOH - NEW

  Abstract Highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5) viruses globally impact wild and domestic birds, and have caused severe infections in mammals, including humans , underscoring their pandemic potential . The antigenic evolution of the A(H5) haemagglutinin (HA) poses challenges for pandemic preparedness and vaccine design . Here the global antigenic evolution of the A(H5) HA was captured in a high-resolution antigenic map . The map was used to design immunogenic and antigenically central vaccine HA antigens, eliciting antibody responses that broadly cover the A(H5) antigenic space. In ferrets , a central antigen protected as well as homologous vaccines against heterologous infection with two antigenically distinct viruses. This work showcases the rational design of subtype-wide influenza A(H5) pre-pandemic vaccines and demonstrates the value of antigenic maps for the evaluation of vaccine-induced immune responses through antibody profiles. Source: Nature,  https://www.nature.c...

  {By Charles J. Sharp - Own work, from Sharp Photography, sharpphotography.co.uk, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=144193067 } ___ Two wild  black swans in Karpoš Region. Source: WOAH,  https://wahis.woah.org/#/in-review/6891 ____

  A poultry farm in Niedersachsen Region. Source: WOAH,  https://wahis.woah.org/#/in-review/6892 ____

Abstract Highly pathogenic avian influenza H5Nx viruses are an emerging threat for global health, especially clade 2.3.4.4b H5N1 virus which causes panzootic infections . Here we describe the isolation and characterization of broadly cross-neutralizing monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against diverse H5Nx viruses from individuals who received a monovalent H5N1 vaccine 15 years ago . By screening over 500 mAbs, we identified 5 mAbs that neutralized the majority of H5 clades including 2.3.4.4b and target three distinct conserved epitopes within the HA globular head. Cryo-electron microscopy structures of these mAbs in complex with HA, deep mutational scanning and neutralization escape studies define the sites of vulnerability of H5 HA. These mAbs mediated stronger prophylactic protection against clade 2.3.4.4b H5N1 infection in mice than the best-in-class mAb targeting the HA stem. Our study identified several highly potent broadly neutralizing H5 mAbs from humans that either alone or in com...

  Abstract Avian influenza A viruses pose ongoing threats to human and animal health, with H7 subtypes causing outbreaks globally . In Mexico , highly pathogenic H7N3 viruses have circulated in poultry since 2012, causing sporadic human infections . Here we analyzed genetic markers in hemagglutinin sequences from Mexican H7N3 isolates and conducted serological assays on human populations with poultry exposure . Our results show conserved avian-like receptor binding sites , thus limiting human adaptation , alongside antigenic drift and acquisition of glycosylation sites likely driven by vaccination. Serological testing of 1103 individuals revealed no detectable antibodies against H7N3, indicating a naïve population . Phylogenetic analyses revealed multiple virus clades circulating regionally. These findings suggest that while current H7N3 viruses have limited capacity for sustained human transmission, the lack of population immunity underscores the importance of continued surveillan...

  Abstract Biodiversity loss is one of the greatest challenges facing Earth today. The most direct information on species losses comes from recent extinctions . However, our understanding of these recent, human-related extinctions is incomplete across life, especially their causes and their rates and patterns among clades, across habitats and over time. Furthermore, prominent studies have extrapolated from these extinctions to suggest a current mass extinction event . Such extrapolations assume that recent extinctions predict current extinction risk and are homogeneous among groups, over time and among environments. Here, we analyse rates and patterns of recent extinctions (last 500 years). Surprisingly, past extinctions did not strongly predict current risk among groups. Extinctions varied strongly among groups , and were most frequent among molluscs and some tetrapods , and relatively rare in plants and arthropods . Extinction rates have increased over the last five centuries , b...