#Oropouche virus #infection in #pregnant women in #Rio de Janeiro, #Brazil: a prospective cohort study

 

Summary

Background

Although adverse maternal and infant outcomes have been reported following Oropouche virus infection, the frequencies of these outcomes have not been compared with those in uninfected pregnancies. We followed up pregnant women from areas with Oropouche virus transmission in Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil, to evaluate potential adverse maternal and infant outcomes following Oropouche virus exposure.

Methods

In this prospective cohort study across the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, we included pregnant women receiving prenatal care in municipalities with or at high risk of Oropouche virus outbreaks. Inclusion criteria were: ongoing risk of Oropouche virus infection at the time of prenatal visit; prenatal care at one of the participating sites; and willingness and ability to consent to and participate in the study. Exclusion criteria included infection with other arboviruses and fetal chromosomal abnormalities. Maternal blood, urine, and saliva were collected and tested for Oropouche virus by RT-PCR at enrolment and pregnancy endpoints. IgG and IgM serologies from maternal blood, placental tissue PCR, and immunohistochemistry were done. Confirmed infections were defined by: positive Oropouche virus PCR in blood, urine, saliva, or placenta; positive Oropouche virus placental immunohistochemistry; or Oropouche virus-specific IgM or IgG seroconversion. Possible infection was defined as one positive IgM result without a positive PCR. Negative results ruled out infection. Adverse maternal outcomes (reported by study investigators following up participants at study sites) were maternal death or disability, fetal loss, or haemorrhage; adverse infant outcomes were neonatal death or malformations. Relative risks adjusted for maternal age, other congenital infections, and use of tobacco, alcohol, and drugs during pregnancy for adverse maternal and infant outcomes were calculated.

Findings

Between Nov 29, 2024, and Oct 8, 2025, 544 participants were enrolled: 130 (24%) with confirmed, 143 (26%) with possible, and 271 (50%) with no Oropouche virus infection. The median cycle threshold value of RT-PCR was 29·7 (IQR 25·8–34·9). Among the 130 women with confirmed infection, 104 (80%) developed detectable IgG antibodies. Symptoms were present in 80 (62%) women with confirmed infection, not necessarily associated with adverse outcomes (adjusted relative risk [aRR] 0∙84 [95% credible interval 0∙51–1∙21]). By the end of follow-up, the pregnancies of 119 women with confirmed infection and 193 with no infection had resulted in livebirth, stillbirth, or miscarriage; 105 (88%) women with confirmed infection had livebirths and 187 (97%) women without infection had livebirths. Adverse maternal outcomes occurred in 21 (18%) women with confirmed infection and 14 (7%) women with no infection (aRR 2∙90 [1∙52–5∙35]). Fetal loss and haemorrhage risk were three times higher in women with confirmed infection than in those with no infection (aRR 3∙08 [1∙28–7∙29] for fetal loss and 2∙79 [1∙22–6∙21] for haemorrhage). The aRR for adverse infant outcomes was 9∙18 (1∙89–47∙88). CNS abnormalities occurred in eight (8%) infants of mothers with confirmed infection and in no infants of mothers with no infection.

Interpretation

Oropouche virus infection during pregnancy is associated with severe maternal and infant outcomes, including maternal haemorrhage, fetal loss, and infant CNS abnormalities.

Funding

The Carlos Chagas Filho Foundation for Research Support of the State of Rio de Janeiro (FAPERJ), the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq), the Brazilian Ministry of Health, the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), and the European Health and Digital Executive Agency.

Translation

For the Portuguese translation of the abstract see Supplementary Materials section.

Source: 

Link: https://doi.org/10.1016/S1473-3099(26)00493-7

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Effects of prolonged #SARS-CoV2 #spike protein #exposure in #longCOVID and a mouse model of the disease

 

ABSTRACT

We addressed the question: can the SARS-CoV2 spike protein persist in ACE2+ endothelia in the CNS/other sites and induce a prolonged microvasculature injury syndrome? People who died from COVID-19, with age-matched controls, and people with long COVID with symptoms persisting from 1-5 years, with controls of people who had recovered from COVID-19, were studied. Also compared were WT mice injected with the spike protein sacrificed at day 5 versus 1.5 months. The ACE2+ microvasculature density in the CNS increased 19-fold in the mice exposed to spike for 1.5 months. Human fatal COVID-19 cases showed an ACE2+ CNS density of 13.2/3.9 versus 2.1/0.9 for the controls. Long Covid cases showed an ACE2 microvasculature density of 11.9/3.0 versus 3.5/0.9 for the people who recovered from COVID (each p value < 0.001). Viral spike microvasculature density in the CNS was similar in the fatal COVID-19 cases (6.9/2.1) and mice (7.0/4.0) and in the skin of long-COVID cases (6.0/1.9) and less in people who recovered from COVID-19 (0.9/0.3) (each p < 0.001). Microvasculature collagen 1 deposition was only evident in fatal COVID, long COVID, and in the mice exposed to S1 for 1.5 mo. Thus, SARS-CoV2 spike (S1) protein can persist for months/years with an associated microvasculature pro-inflammatory state and a restrictive fibrosing microangiopathy; and exposure to high dose S1 markedly increases ACE2 endothelial density.

Source: 

Link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajpath.2026.09.009

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#Bat-borne #influenza A #H9N2 virus shows species-specific #replication and #transmission

 

Abstract

Bat-borne H9N2 IAV (bat H9N2), initially detected in bat feces in Egypt in 2017, has recently attracted attention because of its unexpected pre-pandemic properties, including airborne transmission between ferrets and efficient replication in human lung explant cultures. However, its host range and potential reservoir hosts remain poorly defined, particularly with respect to additional bat hosts and mammalian or avian mixing-vessel species. Here, we compare the susceptibility of two pteropodid bat species, Rousettus aegyptiacus and Eidolon helvum, and additionally assessed pigs and quails following intranasal inoculation with bat H9N2. Juvenile R. aegyptiacus showed only low-level viral replication and shedding, largely restricted to the upper respiratory tract, and did not show transmission to contact bats. In contrast, both juvenile and adult E. helvum, despite showing no clinical signs, showed high-level viral replication and shedding in the upper respiratory tract, with efficient and early transmission to contact bats. Viral RNA was most abundant in the respiratory turbinates, the nasopharyngeal meatus and the tracheal epithelium, where it was associated with moderate to severe necrotizing rhinitis and tracheitis. The lower respiratory tract was less involved, with viral RNA confined to scattered bronchioles and associated with focal necrotizing bronchiolitis. Other organs, including the gastrointestinal tract, lacked histologic lesions and viral RNA labeling. In pigs and quails, intranasal inoculation did not result in detectable replication, transmission, or seroconversion. Our findings demonstrate marked differences in the susceptibility to bat H9N2 between the two fruit bat species tested and identify E. helvum as a highly susceptible host capable of rapid and efficient transmission. Conversely, pigs and quails were not susceptible, suggesting that additional viral adaptations may be required to allow for a productive infection in these species.

Competing Interest Statement

The authors have declared no competing interest.

Source: 

Link: https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.10.15.759517

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Emergence of #Shamonda #Orthobunyavirus, Central #Europe, 2026

 

Abstract

Since mid-June 2026, an acute, nonfatal syndrome characterized by high herd illness rate, reduced milk yield, diarrhea, fever, and lethargy has affected dairy cattle in southern Germany and Switzerland. After major viral pathogens were excluded, pan-Simbuvirus reverse transcription PCR detected an orthobunyavirus, confirmed by metagenomic sequencing, enabling recovery of a complete Shamonda virus genome.

Source: 

Link: https://doi.org/10.3201/eid3212.261496

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Assessing evidence of immune #imprinting in serological #patterns of #influenza immune response

 

Abstract

The subtype of the first influenza infection shapes infection risk, illness and mortality associated with subsequent infection subtypes, as well as vaccine efficacy. This phenomenon, termed 'immune imprinting', may result from immune recognition rooted in structural similarity of the hemagglutinin protein within subtypes of influenza viruses. However, it is difficult to isolate from cohort effects resulting from the annual dominance of specific influenza subtypes. We used a long-term cohort study in southern China to examine whether hemagglutination inhibition responses show evidence of imprinting, and explore whether such patterns could emerge in the absence of imprinting using simulations. Our statistical analysis reveals patterns consistent with immune imprinting. However, simulations showed that similar patterns can emerge without an imprinting mechanism, meaning these may partly be due to age-related variations in immune responses driven by other factors. This work lays the foundations for further research into immune imprinting while accounting for cohort effects.

Competing Interest Statement

B.G.-C., M.D.T.H., and D.A.T.C. received financial research support through their institution from Merck for unrelated work; D.A.T.C. receives financial research support through a grant to his institution from Pfizer for unrelated work; J.L. receives research support from CDC and NIH-NIGMS for unrelated work; S.R. receives grants from the Wellcome Trust; The other authors declare no competing interests.

Source: 

Link: https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.10.28.25338971

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The #Risk of an #H5N1 #Influenza #Pandemic

 

Abstract

The last 110 years have seen four influenza A pandemics, where viruses have emerged from mammals or birds with the ability to transmit and cause disease in human populations. Since 2021, a high-pathogenicity strain of avian influenza, H5N1, has caused a panzootic (pandemic of animals), with global spread in wild birds, resulting in frequent spillovers into farmed poultry and into mammals, including mammal species not previously known to be affected by influenza A. This has created increased opportunity for reassortment, mutation, human infection, and potential adaptation to transmit. The risk to humans and the impact are difficult to quantify but of mounting concern to public health bodies. Here, we examine the risk of an H5N1 pandemic emerging and spreading in humans and the potential impact of an H5N1 pandemic.

Source: 

Link: https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-med-042525-092552

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#MERS #Coronavirus in #Camels, #Kazakhstan, 2025

 

Abstract

In 2025, a respiratory disease outbreak occurred among camels in Kazakhstan. We detected Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus by using quantitative reverse transcription PCR in 38 symptomatic camels, demonstrating active circulation in Central Asia. Our findings highlight the need for enhanced surveillance to assess zoonotic transmission risk.

Source: 

Link: https://doi.org/10.3201/eid3211.260394

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#Andes virus from the MV #Hondius #outbreak is highly #pathogenic in hamsters and #airborne shed

 

Abstract

In May 2026, an outbreak of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) caused by Andes virus (ANDV) was detected aboard the cruise ship MV Hondius, sparking public health measures in multiple countries. ANDV infections in humans are mostly sporadic, most often linked to exposure to infected rodents in South America, although small clusters of human cases, like the 2026 outbreak on the MV Hondius occur as well. It is not known whether virological factors may contribute to this distinct epidemiology, and no phenotypic characterisation of the newly emerged ANDV (ANDV2026) has been carried out to date. Here, using an ANDV isolate from a presymptomatic patient from the MV Hondius, we studied pathogenesis, identified sites of viral replication, characterized innate and adaptive immune responses, and quantified shedding in golden Syrian hamsters. ANDV2026 proved to be highly pathogenic in hamsters, causing severe pulmonary disease reminiscent of HPS. ANDV2026 triggered a delayed type-I IFN response and inflammatory response in the lungs consistent with the key pathological features of HPS, and we detected viral replication in both respiratory and extra-respiratory tissues, including the brain. Infected animals mounted neutralising antibodies and T cell responses, the latter directed predominantly against the L and N proteins. Importantly, ANDV2026-infected animals shed virus through multiple routes, and we detected infectious virus in air samplers connected to cages housing ANDV2026-infected hamsters. In contrast, control hamsters infected with a rodent-derived ANDV isolate (ANDV9717869) shed little virus and air samples were consistently negative. These findings consolidate established features of ANDV pathogenesis, while revealing properties not previously described. Phenotypic characterisation of patient-derived ANDV isolates in animal models can strengthen outbreak preparedness, identify markers of disease severity, and support the development of medical countermeasures.

Competing Interest Statement

AS is a consultant for AstraZeneca, Darwin Health, Desna Therapeutics, Geovax, RiverVest Venture Partners and Wugen and he has equity interest in Sanofi. AG is a consultant for Sanofi.

Funder Information Declared

Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek, 09150182110054

Pandemic and Disaster Preparedness Centre (PDPC), 2022.002

HERA EU4Health DURABLE, 101102733

European Union's Horizon Europe research and innovation programme, 101137506

Medical Research Council (MRC)

Wellcome Trust, https://ror.org/029chgv08, 226141/Z/22/Z

Source: 

Link: https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.10.12.758426

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#Community #Transmission of Pneumonic #Plague, Fenoarivobe, #Madagascar, 2022

 

Abstract

The results of an outbreak investigation of pneumonic plague conducted in the plague-endemic district of Fenoarivobe, Madagascar, revealed a familial cluster of plague. Transmission was aided by intrahousehold contact or gatherings and was amplified by delayed plague treatment, highlighting the need for early diagnosis and rapid initiation of appropriate therapy.

Source: 

Link: https://doi.org/10.3201/eid3211.260549

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Differentiating #Avian and Seasonal #Influenza Viruses in #Wastewater by Digital #PCR

 

Abstract

Highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5Nx) viruses, particularly clade 2.3.4.4b, pose substantial global health risks. We combined and piloted 2 duplex reverse transcription digital PCRs to discriminate between avian and seasonal influenza viruses in wastewater. This approach enabled rapid, strain-specific detection to reduce ambiguity in environmental surveillance for influenza viruses.

Source: 

Link: https://doi.org/10.3201/eid3211.261234

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Effectiveness of #Diphtheria and #Tetanus Toxoids and Acellular #Pertussis #Vaccine in #Children Aged 6 Months–6 Years During a Statewide Pertussis Outbreak — #Alaska, May–November 2024

 

Abstract

Widespread use of pertussis vaccines in children has resulted in a >90% reduction in the number of annual pertussis cases in the United States. After a period of low U.S. pertussis incidence during and shortly after the COVID-19 pandemic, incidence increased in 2024. Data on the real-world effectiveness of diphtheria and tetanus toxoids and acellular pertussis vaccine (DTaP) against pertussis during this disease resurgence are limited. In response to documentation of a record high pertussis incidence in Alaska during May–November 2024, DTaP vaccine effectiveness (VE) against pertussis in Alaska children aged 6 months–6 years was evaluated. Adjusted VE was 96.2% among children who had completed the 3-dose primary DTaP series and 85.3% among those who were partially vaccinated. Compared with children who had received ≥3 DTaP doses, the odds of laboratory-confirmed pertussis were approximately 26 times as high in unvaccinated children (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 26.1), and approximately 4 times as high in those who had received 1–2 DTaP doses (adjusted OR = 3.8). These findings reinforce the importance of following pertussis vaccination recommendations to protect for children from the disease and reduce the occurrence of pertussis outbreaks.

Source: 

Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7540a1

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#Epidemiology and #Economic Burden of #Puumala Virus #Infection in Styria, #Austria, 2003 to 2024

 

Abstract

Background

Hantavirus infections cause hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome and impose a potential burden on healthcare systems. However, comprehensive economic data remain scarce. We quantified the inpatient economic burden of hospitalized patients with Puumala virus (PUUV) infections in Styria, Austria’s primary endemic region, to identify hospitalization costs and early admission predictors of costs.

Methods

This retrospective cost-of-illness study analyzed 1049 serologically confirmed PUUV hospitalizations across 20 public hospitals in Styria, Austria between September 2003 and March 2024. Costs were estimated using the Austrian performance-oriented hospital financing (Leistungsorientierte Krankenanstaltenfinanzierung) diagnosis-related group system, standardized to 2024-equivalent Euros using consumer price index deflation. Admission predictors of cost were assessed using multivariable γ-generalized linear modeling with multiple imputations. Temporal trends in length of stay were analyzed using weighted segmented linear regression.

Results

Cumulative inpatient cost was ∼€10.3 million (mean per-case: €9788) for the entire study period of 21 years. Three epidemic years (2012, 2019, and 2021) accounted for 53.6% of cases and over €5.2 million in expenditure, with peak annual costs reaching €1.93 million (0.274% of total Styrian inpatient expenditure) in 2012. Prolonged activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT; cost-ratio 1.024 per second, 95% CI 1.019–1.030) and older age (CR 1.004 per year, 95% CI 1.001–1.008) were independent admission-level predictors of higher cost. Median hospital length of stay declined by ∼50% over the study period.

Conclusions

PUUV hospitalizations impose a sharply episodic but recurrent economic burden on regional healthcare systems. Admission aPTT and age independently predicted cost, but clinical outcomes were not modeled and these variables do not constitute a triage tool. Epidemic preparedness strategies are warranted.

Source: 

Link: https://doi.org/10.1093/ofid/ofag607

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Evaluating the effects of #population #mobility on #transmission during the #COVID19 #pandemic

 

Abstract

Changes to community mobility during the COVID-19 pandemic, together with unprecedented availability of surveillance and mobility data, provide a unique opportunity to quantify the effect of mobility on respiratory infection transmission. We present a renewal model that incorporates epidemiological mechanisms influencing SARS-CoV-2 transmission along with a non-mechanistic scaling process. We compare models with and without mobility using epidemic data from 122 countries and quantify the influence of mobility through reductions in non-mechanistic scaling. In several countries, this non-mechanistic process closely tracks mobility trends and varies substantially less when mobility is incorporated. This is especially evident in Western Europe and North America, but not in several countries of West Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. Google and Facebook data produce similar findings, and parks is frequently assigned the lowest weight in the multi-location Google analysis. Mobility trends are strongly aligned with short-term transmission dynamics in many high-income settings, although between-country heterogeneity remains.

Source: 

Link: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-78247-9

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Mice immunized with #N1 NA in a single cycle infectious virus or in a recombinant nanoparticle #vaccine are protected against lethal challenge with HPAI #H5N1 influenza

 

Abstract

The recent spillover of highly pathogenic (HP) H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b into dairy cattle and other mammalian species has been concerning. Vaccine candidates that can be rapidly synthesized and implemented are key countermeasures for protecting the human population against emerging pathogens. Here we examine the use of a pH1N1 virus lacking the genetic material for hemagglutinin (HA), limiting the infection to a single cycle (sciIAV) or Cobalt lipid-porphyrin nanoparticles decorated with neuraminidase (NA) of HPAI H5N1 (N1-CoPoP) as vaccine candidates. C57BL/6 mice that were inoculated intranasally with a single dose of pH1N1 sciIAV did not differ in serum NA antibody compared to uninoculated mice. However, mice that were inoculated intramuscularly with the N1-CoPoP alone or in combination with pH1N1 sciIAV had increased N1 IgG antibodies. Upon lethal challenge with HPAIV H5N1, all mice inoculated with either pH1N1 sciIAV or N1-CoPoP were protected from weight loss, unlike unvaccinated mice with substantial body weight losses that succumb to viral infection between 7 and 10 days post infection (dpi). Both pH1N1 sciIAV and N1-CoPoP immunization minimized viral infection such that only one mouse receiving pH1N1 sciIAV had detectable viral titer in the lungs at 4 dpi. By 6 dpi, no mouse inoculated with pH1N1 sciIAV and/or N1-CoPoP had detectable virus in nasal turbinates, lungs or the brain, unlike the high viral titers found in uninoculated mice. Both pH1N1 sciIAV and N1-CoPoP were protective and should be investigated further as alternative vaccine candidates.

Competing Interest Statement

J.F.L. holds interest in POP Biotechnologies. Other authors declare no competing interests.

Funder Information Declared

American Lung Association, https://ror.org/01p3rh655

Texas Biomedical Research Institute

Douglass Foundation

Source: 

Link:  https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.10.11.758125

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Cross-reactive T-cell responses against #BDBV in #humans after rVSVΔG-ZEBOV-GP #vaccination

 

{Excerpts}

(...)

Our study shows that a single immunisation with the available, licensed EBOV vaccine induces T-cell cross-reactivity against BDBV and to a lesser extent against SUDV. Although it is not known whether these T cells contribute to improved clinical outcomes upon BDBV exposure in humans, preclinical studies show that T-cell responses are required for vaccine-mediated protection in non-human primates: CD4 T cell help to B cells is required for protection against disease caused by EBOV,10 and depletion studies have also shown a protective role of CD8 T cells.11

Our study has limitations. Due to the small sample size and single measured timepoint, dose–response differences and long-term persistence of the cross-reactive T-cell response could not be assessed. This study was performed in healthy adults in Germany, thus representativeness of populations in areas affected by the BDBV outbreak is limited.

Although a correlate of protection against disease caused by BDBV has not been defined, our findings provide first evidence that rVSVΔG-ZEBOV-GP vaccination against EBOV induces BDBV-cross-reactive T-cell responses. In the absence of a BDBV-specific vaccine, these data support the systematic evaluation of the available EBOV vaccine within clinical trials during the current outbreak.

Source: 

Link: https://doi.org/10.1016/S1473-3099(26)00529-3

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Strong #Protein #Responses to Acute #Infection Control General Post-Viral #Sequelae and #SARS-CoV-2-specific #Neurocognitive Sequelae

 

Abstract

After serious infections, many survivors fully recover while others face persistent symptoms including neurocognitive dysfunction, cardiopulmonary instabilities and disabling fatigue, classified broadly as Post-Acute Infection Syndromes (PAIS). Post-Acute Sequelae of COVID19 (PASC) is one special case. To test whether acute infection initiates PAIS, we analyzed proteins in 173 saliva samples collected during severe respiratory viral infections and tracked patient outcomes for five years. We discovered 44 proteins, all derived from interferon stimulated genes, that respond strongly to acute infection. Rates of post-acute syndromes were similar regardless of infection, but the types of Sequelae differed by virus. High expression of 19 proteins predict low General Sequelae rates across all viruses. High expression of 23 overlapping proteins predict low Neurocognitive Sequelae rates only with SARS-CoV-2 infections. We propose that low expressions of these proteins, which control viral replication, innate immunity, and secondary autoimmunity, combine to precipitate PAIS and PASC.

Competing Interest Statement

Theodore G. Liou, Judy L Jensen and Kristyn A Packer received research funding from Anagram, Aridis, BioMX, Calithera, Clarametyx, Judy L Jensen and Kristyn A Packer received research funding from Anagram, Aridis, BioMX, Calithera, Clarametyx, Gilead, Insmed, Laurent, Novartis, Sionna, SpliSense, the US Cystic Fibrosis Foundation's Therapeutic Development Network and Vertex for performance of clinical studies during the study and manuscript preparation period. Theodore Liou is a member and Rhonda Szczesniak is vice-chair of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Clinical Research Committee. Theodore Liou and Frederick Adler, through the University of Utah, are named as inventors on the following patent applications related to the proteins identified in this manuscript: (1) a provisional patent application titled "DIAGNOSTICS AND TREATMENTS FOR ACUTE AND POST-VIRAL DISEASE BASED ON INNATE IMMUNE RESPONSES TO SARS-COV-2 INFECTION," serial number 63/792,687, filed 4/22/2025; (2) a provisional patent application titled "ADDITIONAL INNATE IMMUNE RESPONSES WITH DIAGNOSTIC AND TREATMENT POTENTIAL FOR POST-ACUTE SEQUELAE OF COVID19 SYNDROME AND FOR POST-ACUTE INFECTION SYNDROME," serial number 63/979,883, filed 2/10/2026; (3) a Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) application titled "METHODS FOR PREDICTING POST-ACUTE SEQUELAE OF VIRAL INFECTIONS USING INTERFERON STIMULATED GENE PROTEINS," serial number PCT/US2026/024520, filed 4/21/2026, which incorporates subject matter from (1) and (2); and (4) a provisional patent application titled "ADDITIONAL ACUTELY EXPRESSED PROTEINS PROTECTIVE AGAINST NEUROCOGNITIVE AND GENERAL POST-VIRAL SEQUELAE," serial number 64/102,461, filed 6/30/42026. The applicant on all applications is the University of Utah.

Source: 

Link: https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.08.27.26361488v2

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Serologic #Testing for #MERS #Coronavirus and #SARS-CoV-2 Cross-Reactive Immune Responses, the #Netherlands

 

Abstract

Cross-reactive SARS-CoV-2–specific antibodies could compromise the specificity of MERS-CoV serology, potentially leading to misclassification of infection history. SARS-CoV-2 exposure induced MERS-CoV antibodies primarily targeting the conserved S2 domain, with occasional neutralizing capacity. Combining MERS-CoV S1 binding with neutralization, however, limited the influence of SARS-CoV-2–induced cross-reactivity on MERS-CoV serology.

Source: 

Link: https://doi.org/10.3201/eid3211.260690

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#Global Genomic #Surveillance of #MERS #Coronavirus

 

Abstract

Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) is a persistent zoonotic and epidemic threat. We analyzed 807 publicly available human- and camel-derived MERS-CoV genomes collected during 2012–2024 to assess global genomic surveillance. Most sequences originated from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Major gaps in surveillance persist across Africa and South and Central Asia despite large camel populations, active trade, and evidence of viral circulation. Phylogenetic analysis confirmed predominance of clade B in the Arabian Peninsula and clade C in East Africa, consistent with regional patterns. We identified uneven sampling, incomplete metadata, and long delays between sample collection and public sequence submission, often spanning years. Those limitations reduce the value of genomic data for timely situational awareness. Integrating genomic with population and trade data supports timelier, more representative, and coordinated One Health surveillance for MERS-CoV but reveals major blind spots.

Source: 

Link: https://doi.org/10.3201/eid3211.260668

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