ETIDIOH - NEW

  ABSTRACT Vaccinia virus (VACV) confers cross-protective immunity against monkeypox virus (MPXV), the causative agent of mpox, and has therefore been extensively exploited as a preventive vaccine . VACV Tiantan strain (VTT) is a second-generation smallpox vaccine used in China in the last century, and there are consistent efforts to minimize its virulence and ensure its best safety for potential clinical applications. In this study, an attenuated VACV rVTT△C12K2△A45 was constructed by deletion of gene segments related to virulence genes , host range genes, immune regulatory genes, and other functional genes from the VTT genome by genetic engineering. Attenuation characteristics of rVTT△C12K2△A45 were confirmed by smaller plaque size, lower replication capacity in various mammalian cell lines along with tests for neurotoxicity in mice , and lesion formation on rabbit skin . Immunization in BALB/c mice with rVTT△C12K2△A45 induced both anti-MPXV and anti-VACV neutralizing antibodies ...

  • New human cases {2}:  -- From 20 December 2025 to 22 January 2026 , based on reporting date, the detection of A(H9N2) in three humans was reported officially.  • Circulation of influenza viruses with zoonotic potential in animals :  -- High pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI) events in poultry and non-poultry animal species continue to be reported to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH).{3}  -- The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) also provides a global update on avian influenza viruses with pandemic potential.{4}  -- Additionally, low pathogenicity avian influenza viruses as well as swine influenza viruses continue to circulate in animal populations.  • Risk assessment {5}:  -- Sustained human to human transmission has not been reported associated with the above-mentioned human infection events.  -- Based on information available at the time of this risk assessment update, the overall public hea...

  A wild Greylag Goose in Lubelskie Region. Source:  Link:  https://wahis.woah.org/#/in-review/7227 ____

  Poultry farms in Békés Region. Source:  Link:  https://wahis.woah.org/#/in-review/7228 ____

  Abstract Comparably few lineages of influenza A virus (IAV) have evolved long-term sustained transmission in mammals . The reasons remain largely unknown , and the possibility of avian IAVs evolving sustained mammalian transmission is an ongoing concern . Here we measured the GC content and frequency of GC dinucleotides in 115,520 whole genomes of IAVs using bioinformatic analyses . We found that persistent mammalian lineages showed declining trends in GC-related content and could be reliably separated from IAVs circulating only in birds and those sporadically infecting mammals. Similarly, the earliest viruses of persistent mammalian lineages showed reduced GC-related content , suggesting that this trait might in part contribute to their eventual persistence . Recent highly pathogenic 2.3.4.4b H5 viruses that spread in mink, foxes and humans were also characterized by reduced GC-related content . While not sufficient, reduced GC-related content may be a necessary condition for su...

  Abstract The Caucasus region, including Georgia, is an important intersection for migratory waterbirds , offering potential for avian influenza virus (AIV) transmission between populations from different geographic areas. In 2022 and 2023, wild ducks were sampled during autumn migration events in Georgia to study the genetic relationships and molecular characteristics of influenza strains. Sequencing and phylogenetic analysis were used to compare the sampled strains to reference sequences from Africa, Asia, and Europe , allowing assessment of genetic relationships and virus transmission between migratory birds. Protein language modeling identified potential co-infections. Of 225 duck samples, 128 tested positive for the influenza M gene . 55 influenza-positive samples underwent whole-genome sequencing, revealing significant diversity. Analysis of the hemagglutinin (HA) segment showed notable differences among subtypes. Most samples were H6N1 and H6N6 , but co-infections with comb...