ETIDIOH - NEW

  Abstract Sialic acids (SAs) are abundantly expressed on vertebrate cell surfaces and are widely recognized as key viral attachment factors , particularly for influenza viruses . However, their role remains understudied in other orthomyxoviruses, such as thogoto and quaranja viruses , which are tick-borne viruses sporadically infecting humans. Enzymatic removal of SAs increased the infectivity of Thogoto and Dhori viruses , as well as pseudotypes carrying the glycoproteins of Oz, Sinu, and Wellfleet Bay viruses . A similar effect on pseudotype infectivity was observed following the binding of specific lectins to SAs. These findings indicate that, in contrast to influenza viruses, SAs act as a barrier to the entry of these orthomyxoviruses . Experimental evolution of the Sinu and Wellfleet Bay virus glycoproteins revealed point mutations that partially overcame this barrier . Given the abundance of sialic acids in mucosal tissues, we speculate that SAs may contribute to the inabili...

  Summary Highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) viruses have been circulating among wild birds and are enzootic in poultry in some areas of the world with spillover to a wide range of terrestrial and marine mammals. Since 1997, sporadic animal to human , primarily poultry to human, transmission of highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) viruses has been reported in 25 countries . More recently there have been locally acquired infections in the Americas due to the 2.3.4.4b clade of the virus. Most of the recently detected human infections in the USA have been relatively mild but there have been cases of critical illness reported in several countries. In this Grand Round we present the first locally acquired highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) virus infection in Canada , which was in a 13-year-old female, who developed severe disease requiring prolonged critical care . She was infected with a clade 2.3.4.4b, genotype D1.1 virus and developed evidence of cytokine storm and...

  Abstract Objective :  This systematic review aimed to assess the clinical effectiveness and safety profile of baloxavir marboxil for managing influenza in pediatric populations . Methods :  This review has been registered on the INPLASY platform (INPLASY2025110063). Designed in accordance with the PRISMA 2020 guidelines, we searched four major biomedical databases (PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library) covering publications from January 1, 2015, to January 30, 2025 . Eligibility criteria encompassed both randomized controlled trials and observational cohort studies evaluating this antiviral agent in children with laboratory-confirmed influenza. Methodological rigor was appraised using the Cochrane Collaboration's risk of bias instrument for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale for cohort studies. Statistical synthesis was conducted using RevMan 5.3 software (Version 5.3.5) with metafor package implementation. ...

  Abstract Ebola virus (EBOV) is the causative agent of Ebola disease (EBOD), a viral hemorrhagic fever with a notably high case fatality rate . Current treatments for EBOD are limited to monoclonal antibodies or two licensed viral vector vaccines , a recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus (rVSV)-vectored vaccine or an adenovirus and modified vaccinia Ankara regimen. However, comparisons of protection, efficacy, and durability with alternative nucleotide platforms remain understudied . Here, we evaluated the immunogenicity of an mRNA vaccine expressing the EBOV glycoprotein (GP) in parallel with rVSV- and DNA-based vaccine platforms . The mRNA EBOV-GP vaccine , formulated in lipid nanoparticles , elicited significantly higher levels of total IgG and neutralizing antibody titers compared to the rVSV-EBOV-GP vaccine. Linear antibody epitope analysis indicated a preference for targeting the mucin-like domain in EBOV-GP1 following rVSV-based vaccination, while the mRNA platform distinc...