ETIDIOH - NEW

 {Excerpt} -- Avian influenza A(H9N2) : -- 1) Chongqing Municipality : An one-year-old girl with onset on December 13, 2024.  -- 2) Hubei  An eight-year-old girl with onset on November 27, 2024.  -- Avian influenza A(H10N3) :  -- 1) Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region : A 23-year-old woman with onset on December 12, 2024.  Source: Centre for Health Protection, Hong Kong PRC SAR,  https://www.chp.gov.hk/files/pdf/2025_avian_influenza_report_vol21_wk02.pdf _____

Abstract Understanding wildlife-pathogen interactions is crucial for mitigating zoonotic risk . Through meta-transcriptomic sequencing we profiled the infectomes of 1,922 samples from 67 mammalian species across China , uncovering a remarkable diversity of viral, bacterial, fungal, and parasitic pathogens. Of the 195 pathogens identified , 62 were novel , including a bi- segmented coronavirus in diseased lesser pandas, which we propose represents a new genus – Zetacoronavirus . The orders Carnivora and Rodentia exhibited the highest pathogen diversity and were implicated in numerous host-jumping events. Comparative analysis of diseased versus healthy animals revealed a trend of higher pathogen loads in the former, with possible differences in tissue tropisms. In total, 48 zoonotic and 17 epizootic pathogens were identified, with frequent cross-species transmission , emphasizing the potential for emerging public health threats. This study highlights the urgent need for wildlife pathogen...

Situation at a glance In many countries of the Northern Hemisphere , trends in acute respiratory infections increase at this time of year.  These increases are typically caused by seasonal epidemics of respiratory pathogens such as seasonal influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and other common respiratory viruses , including human metapneumovirus (hMPV), as well as mycoplasma pneumoniae .  Many countries conduct routine surveillance for acute respiratory infections and common respiratory pathogens.  Currently, in some countries in the temperate Northern hemisphere, influenza-like illness (ILI) and/or acute respiratory infection (ARI) rates have increased in recent weeks and are above baseline levels, following usual seasonal trends.  Seasonal influenza activity is elevated in many countries in the Northern hemisphere.  Where surveillance data is available , trends in RSV detections currently vary by region with decreases reported in most regions except ...

7 January 2025  A day after the United States reported its first human death from avian flu, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) insisted on Tuesday that the risk to the wider population remains “low”.  WHO spokesperson Dr. Margaret Harris told reporters in Geneva that the H5N1 virus causing the disease is “ not circulating in humans but jumping into humans ” who are exposed to poultry or dairy cattle. “ We’re not seeing sustained circulation ,” she insisted. Underlying conditions The man who died of the disease in Louisiana was over 65 and reportedly had underlying medical conditions, Dr. Harris said.  According to the health authorities , he had been exposed to chickens and wild birds . Several dozen people in the US have contracted avian influenza – commonly referred to as bird flu – during the current outbreak, mainly farmworkers in close contact with poultry flocks and cattle herds. Dr. Harris stressed that WHO’s assessment of the risk to the general population “i...

{Excerpt} In the 52nd week of 2024 ( December 23rd to December 29th ), respiratory samples from outpatient influenza-like cases and hospitalized severe acute respiratory infection cases collected in sentinel hospitals across the country (excluding Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan) were tested for 10 viruses including the new coronavirus, influenza virus, respiratory syncytial virus, adenovirus, human metapneumovirus, parainfluenza virus, common coronavirus, bocavirus, rhinovirus and enterovirus , as well as multiple respiratory pathogens including Mycoplasma pneumoniae. 1. Test results The pathogens detected positive in respiratory samples of influenza-like cases in outpatient and emergency departments of sentinel hospitals were mainly influenza virus, human metapneumovirus, and rhinovirus ; the pathogens detected positive in respiratory samples of hospitalized severe acute respiratory infection cases were mainly influenza virus, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, and human metapneumovirus . The specif...

 {Summary} Swine influenza virus (SIV) is a highly contagious pathogen that poses significant economic challenges to the swine industry and carries zoonotic potential , underscoring the need for vigilant surveillance. In this study, we performed a comprehensive genetic and molecular analysis of H3N2 SIV isolates obtained from 372 swine samples collected in Shandong Province, China . Phylogenetic analysis revealed two distinct genotypes . The surface genes of both genotypes clustered with the human-like H3N2 lineage , while the internal genes of one genotype clustered with the 2009 pandemic H1N1 (pdm/09) lineage . In the second genotype, the NS gene clustered with the classical swine (CS) H1N1 lineage , while the remaining internal genes clustered with pdm/09, suggesting stable integration of pdm/09 gene segments into H3N2 SIV. Homology analysis showed over 96% genetic similarity between the isolates and reference strains from China and Brazil , suggesting potential transmission thr...

Abstract The H9N2 subtype of avian influenza viruses (AIVs) is widely prevalent in poultry and wild birds globally , with occasional transmission to humans . In comparison to other H9N2 lineages, the BJ/94 lineage has raised more public health concerns; however, its evolutionary dynamics and transmission patterns remain poorly understood. In this study, we demonstrate that over three decades (1994–2023), BJ/94 lineage has undergone substantial expansion in its geographical distribution , interspecies transmission , and viral reassortment with other AIV subtypes, increasing associated public health risks . These changes were primarily driven by the emergence of a dominant genotype G57. In the first decade, G57 emerged in East China and rapidly adapted to chickens and spread across China . Since 2013, the G57 genotype has expanded beyond China into eight other countries and reassorted with various AIV subtypes to form new zoonotic reassortants . Chickens have played a key role in the gen...

Abstract The H3 subtype of avian influenza virus (AIV) stands out as one of the most prevalent subtypes, posing a significant threat to public health . In this study, a novel triple-reassortant H3N3 AIV designated A/chicken/China/16/2023 (H3N3), was isolated from a sick chicken in northern China . The complete genome of the isolate was determined using next-generation sequencing, and the AIV-like particles were confirmed via transmission electron microscopy. Subsequent phylogenetic analyses revealed that HA and NA genes of the H3N3 isolate clustered within the Eurasian lineage of AIVs, exhibiting the closest genetic relationship with other H3N3 AIVs identified in China during 2023. Interestingly, the HA and NA genes of the nove H3N3 isolate were originated from H3N8 and H10N3 AIVs , respectively, and the six internal genes originated from prevalent H9N2 AIVs. These findings indicated the novel H3N3 isolate possesses a complex genetic constellation , likely arising from multiple reassor...

Abstract On 30 January 2024, China announced the first human case of H10N5 influenza infection . Prior to this, human cases of H10N7 and H10N8 had been reported. It is now appropriate to re-examine the evolution and future epidemiological trends of the H10 and N5 subtypes of avian influenza viruses (AIVs). In this study, we analyzed the reassortment characteristics of the first human-derived H10N5 AIV (A/Zhejiang/ZJU01/2023), as well as the evolutionary dynamics of the wild bird-derived H10 and N5 subtypes of AIVs over the past decade. Our findings indicate that the human-derived H10N5 AIV exhibited low pathogenicity . A/bean_goose/Korea/KNU-10/2022(H10N7) and A/mallard/Novosibirsk_region/962k/2018(H12N5) were identified as the potential reassortment parents. The virus has existed since 2022 and several isolations have been reported in Bangladesh . Phylogenetic analysis showed that H10Ny and HxN5 AIVs in China are clustered differently based on the East Asian-Australian (eastern) and C...

ABSTRACT Following two human infections with the H10N3 avian influenza virus (AIV) in 2021 and 2022, a third case was discovered in Yunnan, China , in 2024, raising concerns about the potential for future pandemics . Recent studies have indicated that novel H10N3 viruses are highly pathogenic in mice and can be transmitted between guinea pigs via respiratory droplets without prior adaptation. However, the biological characteristics of novel H10N3 in poultry have not been fully elucidated. Our findings revealed that H10 subtype AIVs are predominantly prevalent in waterfowl . Notably, H10N8 and H10N3 viruses that have infected humans were primarily isolated from chickens . For the first time, double basic hemagglutinin cleavage sites (motif PEIKQGR↓GL) were identified in novel H10N3 AIVs, which exhibit enhanced replication in chickens , and can be transmitted between chickens through direct contact and respiratory droplets . Animal experimental studies demonstrated that ducks are also su...