{Summary}
Time Period: July 27, 2025 - August 02, 2025
-- H5 Detection: 4 sites (0.9%)
-- No Detection: 430 sites (99.1%)
-- No samples in last week: 24 sites
(...)
Source: US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, https://www.cdc.gov/nwss/rv/wwd-h5.html
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I am an Italian blogger, active since 2005 with main focus on emerging infectious diseases such as avian influenza, SARS, antibiotics resistance, and many other global Health issues. Other fields of interest are: climate change, global warming, geological and biological sciences. My activity consists mainly in collection and analysis of news, public services updates, confronting sources and making decision about what are the 'signals' of an impending crisis (an outbreak, for example). When a signal is detected, I follow traces during the entire course of an event. I started in 2005 my blog ''A TIME'S MEMORY'', now with more than 40,000 posts and 3 millions of web interactions. Subsequently I added an Italian Language blog, then discontinued because of very low traffic and interest. I contributed for seven years to a public forum (FluTrackers.com) in the midst of the Ebola epidemic in West Africa in 2014, I left the site to continue alone my data tracking job.
I am an Italian blogger, active since 2005 with main focus on emerging infectious diseases such as avian influenza, SARS, antibiotics resistance, and many other global Health issues. Other fields of interest are: climate change, global warming, geological and biological sciences. My activity consists mainly in collection and analysis of news, public services updates, confronting sources and making decision about what are the 'signals' of an impending crisis (an outbreak, for example). When a signal is detected, I follow traces during the entire course of an event. I started in 2005 my blog ''A TIME'S MEMORY'', now with more than 40,000 posts and 3 millions of web interactions. Subsequently I added an Italian Language blog, then discontinued because of very low traffic and interest. I contributed for seven years to a public forum (FluTrackers.com) in the midst of the Ebola epidemic in West Africa in 2014, I left the site to continue alone my data tracking job.
Summary
Background
Rabies is almost invariably fatal. A rabies monoclonal antibody (RmAb) was approved in India in 2016 for passive prophylaxis. This post-marketing study aimed to evaluate the long-term safety, immunogenicity, and efficacy of a post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) regimen containing RmAb.
Methods
This phase 4, open-label, randomised, active-controlled study was conducted at 15 tertiary care hospitals in India. Patients aged 2 years or older with WHO category 3 rabies exposure by a suspected rabid animal were eligible if the exposure occurred less than 72 h before enrolment, or less than 24 h before enrolment for exposures to the face, neck, hand, or fingers. Participants were randomly assigned (3:1) to receive either RmAb (Rabishield; Serum Institute of India, Pune, India) plus a purified Vero cell rabies vaccine (PVRV; Rabivax-S) or equine rabies immunoglobulin (ERIG; Equirab) plus PVRV as PEP. In each treatment group, patients were further randomly assigned (1:1) to receive PVRV either intradermally or intramuscularly. Study group allocation was done using a permuted block design with random block sizes of eight. A central randomisation list was generated before the study start and randomisation was performed with an interactive web response system. Participants and site personnel were not masked to group assignment. RmAb (3·33 IU/kg) and ERIG (40 IU/kg) were infiltrated into and around the wounds only on day 0 as per WHO 2018 recommendations. PVRV was administered 1·0 mL intramuscularly (days 0, 3, 7, 14, and 28) or 0·1 mL plus 0·1 mL intradermally (days 0, 3, 7, and 28). The primary outcome was treatment-related serious adverse events up to 365 days after immunisation, analysed in the safety analysis set (all participants who received at least one dose of vaccine with treatment). Geometric mean concentrations of rabies virus neutralising antibody were measured in a subset of patients. This study is registered with Clinical Trial Registry–India (CTRI/2019/06/019622) and is completed.
Findings
4059 participants were enrolled between Aug 21, 2019, and March 31, 2022, and randomly assigned. A total of 3994 participants (3001 male, 993 female) were treated (2996 RmAb plus PVRV, 998 ERIG plus PVRV), of which 3622 (90·7%) participants completed the 1-year follow-up. 11 adverse events were considered causally related to RmAb plus PVRV and 17 were considered causally related to the ERIG plus PVRV regimen. Most adverse events were mild and transient. Seven serious adverse events occurred in the RmAb group and all were causally unrelated. One causally related serious adverse event was reported in the ERIG group. On day 14, the geometric mean concentrations increased to 16·05 IU/mL (95% CI 13·25–19·44) in the RmAb group and 13·48 IU/mL (9·51–19·11) in the ERIG group (point estimate 1·19 [95% CI 0·82–1·72]). No patient developed rabies during the 1-year follow-up period.
Interpretation
RmAb was safe and well tolerated and showed protective efficacy against rabies. A PEP regimen containing RmAb plus PVRV was immunogenic with long-term persistence of immune response.
Funding
Serum Institute of India.
Source: Lancet, https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)00735-4/abstract?rss=yes
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I am an Italian blogger, active since 2005 with main focus on emerging infectious diseases such as avian influenza, SARS, antibiotics resistance, and many other global Health issues. Other fields of interest are: climate change, global warming, geological and biological sciences. My activity consists mainly in collection and analysis of news, public services updates, confronting sources and making decision about what are the 'signals' of an impending crisis (an outbreak, for example). When a signal is detected, I follow traces during the entire course of an event. I started in 2005 my blog ''A TIME'S MEMORY'', now with more than 40,000 posts and 3 millions of web interactions. Subsequently I added an Italian Language blog, then discontinued because of very low traffic and interest. I contributed for seven years to a public forum (FluTrackers.com) in the midst of the Ebola epidemic in West Africa in 2014, I left the site to continue alone my data tracking job.
Highlights
• MjHKU4r-CoV-1 with high fusogenicity induces inflammatory responses in human cells
• 6-HB structure determination unveils MjHKU4r-S-mediated membrane fusion mechanism
• MjHKU4r-CoV-1 HR2 peptides exhibit potent activity by targeting viral HR1 domain
• Stapled peptide MjHKU4r-HR2P10 shows potent and broad-spectrum anti-CoV activity
Summary
Unlike preceding MERS-related coronaviruses, the recently identified MjHKU4r-CoV-1 strain can directly infect human cells. Nonetheless, its potential pathogenic attributes and underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. We find that MjHKU4r-CoV-1 induces significant inflammation, including interleukin (IL)-6 and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), and exhibits pronounced fusogenicity mediated by its spike (S) protein, leading to extensive syncytium formation. This suggests the possibility that MjHKU4r-CoV-1 possesses strong pathogenic potential in humans. Further, we successfully reveal the molecular mechanism of MjHKU4r-S-driven membrane fusion by crystallizing the six-helix bundle (6-HB) structure, a fusion apparatus composed of HR1 and HR2 domains. Concurrently, we develop a series of peptide-based fusion inhibitors that target the viral HR1 domain to impede the formation of viral 6-HB. Among these fusion inhibitors, a stapled peptide, MjHKU4r-HR2P10, shows the most potent inhibitory activity against MjHKU4r-CoV-1, MERS-CoV, SARS-CoV-2, and HCoV-OC43 infections at nanomolar level and thus holds considerable promise for further development as effective antiviral agents in clinic.
Source: Cell Reports Medicine, https://www.cell.com/cell-reports-medicine/fulltext/S2666-3791(25)00350-7?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS2666379125003507%3Fshowall%3Dtrue
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I am an Italian blogger, active since 2005 with main focus on emerging infectious diseases such as avian influenza, SARS, antibiotics resistance, and many other global Health issues. Other fields of interest are: climate change, global warming, geological and biological sciences. My activity consists mainly in collection and analysis of news, public services updates, confronting sources and making decision about what are the 'signals' of an impending crisis (an outbreak, for example). When a signal is detected, I follow traces during the entire course of an event. I started in 2005 my blog ''A TIME'S MEMORY'', now with more than 40,000 posts and 3 millions of web interactions. Subsequently I added an Italian Language blog, then discontinued because of very low traffic and interest. I contributed for seven years to a public forum (FluTrackers.com) in the midst of the Ebola epidemic in West Africa in 2014, I left the site to continue alone my data tracking job.
Highlights
• Conserved T cell epitope regions elicit strong CD4+ and CD8+ T cell responses in SARS2-exposed
• CTERs enhance cross-reactivity across multiple Betacoronaviruses
• Targeting non-spike proteins expands immune breadth and HLA coverage
• Removing low population coverage regions preserves cross-reactivity
Summary
The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the critical need for vaccine strategies capable of addressing emerging viral threats. Betacoronaviruses, including severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV), Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), and SARS-CoV-2, present significant pandemic risks due to their zoonotic potential and genetic diversity. T cell-mediated immunity has demonstrated durable responses and strong cross-reactivity, offering a promising avenue for achieving broad immunity within a viral family. In this study, we combined comprehensive epitope mapping with sequence conservation analyses to identify conserved T cell epitope regions (CTERs), which constitute 12% of the complete SARS-CoV-2 proteome. We showed that SARS-CoV-2 CTER-specific T cells cross-reactively recognize sequences from multiple Betacoronavirus subgenera. Importantly, incorporating CTERs from non-spike proteins significantly enhanced T cell cross-reactivity potential and human leukocyte antigen (HLA) coverage compared with T cells targeting only spike proteins. Our findings lay the groundwork for a multi-antigen vaccine strategy that includes non-spike proteins to expand cross-reactive immunity across a broader spectrum of Betacoronaviruses.
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I am an Italian blogger, active since 2005 with main focus on emerging infectious diseases such as avian influenza, SARS, antibiotics resistance, and many other global Health issues. Other fields of interest are: climate change, global warming, geological and biological sciences. My activity consists mainly in collection and analysis of news, public services updates, confronting sources and making decision about what are the 'signals' of an impending crisis (an outbreak, for example). When a signal is detected, I follow traces during the entire course of an event. I started in 2005 my blog ''A TIME'S MEMORY'', now with more than 40,000 posts and 3 millions of web interactions. Subsequently I added an Italian Language blog, then discontinued because of very low traffic and interest. I contributed for seven years to a public forum (FluTrackers.com) in the midst of the Ebola epidemic in West Africa in 2014, I left the site to continue alone my data tracking job.
{Summary}
-- Since the last update (July 31), eighty-four new confirmed cases of human infection with West Nile Virus have been reported.
-- Since the start of epidemic season, there were 173 confirmed WNV cases, of which:
- 72 were West Nile Neuroinvasive Disease (WNND): (2 in Piedmont, 2 Lombardy, 4 Veneto, 1 Friuli-Venezia Giulia, 2 Emilia-Romagna, 37 Latium, 21 Campania, 1 Basilicata, 1 Sardegna),
- 14 were asymptomatic cases in blood donors,
- 85 were West Nile Fever cases,
- 1 was an asymptomatic case
-- Among the confirmed cases, there were eleven fatalities: 1 in Piedmont, 4 Latium, 6 .
- The case-fatality rate among WNND cases is at 15% (during 2018 season it was 20%, whereas in 2024 it was 14%).
-- No new confirmed cases of Usutu Virus human infection have been reported during current surveillance week.
(...)
Source: High Institute of Health, https://www.epicentro.iss.it/westnile/bollettino/Bollettino_WND_2025_04.pdf
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I am an Italian blogger, active since 2005 with main focus on emerging infectious diseases such as avian influenza, SARS, antibiotics resistance, and many other global Health issues. Other fields of interest are: climate change, global warming, geological and biological sciences. My activity consists mainly in collection and analysis of news, public services updates, confronting sources and making decision about what are the 'signals' of an impending crisis (an outbreak, for example). When a signal is detected, I follow traces during the entire course of an event. I started in 2005 my blog ''A TIME'S MEMORY'', now with more than 40,000 posts and 3 millions of web interactions. Subsequently I added an Italian Language blog, then discontinued because of very low traffic and interest. I contributed for seven years to a public forum (FluTrackers.com) in the midst of the Ebola epidemic in West Africa in 2014, I left the site to continue alone my data tracking job.
Summary
Background
The Pandemic Response Repository through Microbial and Immune Surveillance and Epidemiology (PREMISE) programme was established to translate knowledge gained from global immunoepidemiological surveillance into a better understanding of population-level dynamics of emerging and re-emerging infections, as well as into the discovery and development of biomedical countermeasures against potential pandemic threats. As proof of principle for this approach, we conducted a longitudinal immunoepidemiological study in children in the USA, focusing on enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) infection dynamics but also capturing surveillance of a broad array of other endemic respiratory pathogens. Serendipitously, our sampling spanned the lifting of widespread COVID-19 non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) in 2022–23, following a unique period during which virus exposure markedly diminished.
Methods
This prospective, multicentre, longitudinal, immunoepidemiological surveillance study enrolled children aged 10 years or younger and weighing at least 8 kg at three US university sites. Blood specimens collected from January to June, 2022 (visit 1; pre-enterovirus season), and from January to June, 2023 (visit 3; post-enterovirus season), were tested in a multiplex assay for antibody binding to EV-D68 (prespecified primary objective) and a panel of 15 other respiratory viruses (exploratory objectives), and for neutralising activity against EV-D68, enterovirus A71, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV; for antibody binding assay validation). Respiratory mid-turbinate swabs collected from children with symptomatic illness who participated in symptom surveys during July–December, 2022 (visit 2; enterovirus season), underwent metagenomic sequencing for pathogen detection. Serological data for EV-D68 were incorporated into epidemiological models based on case data from national surveillance to predict future transmission dynamics.
Findings
Of 488 eligible children approached, 174, with a median age of 3·4 years (IQR 1·9–6·4), were enrolled and followed up longitudinally from January, 2022, to June, 2023. Three children withdrew before study completion and 51 were lost to follow-up between visits 1 and 3. 90 paired serological samples and 73 respiratory swabs were tested. Mean antibody binding and neutralisation titres against all viruses tested increased over the study period, most notably in younger children with lower initial titres. The highest exposure rates (seroconversion or antibody boosting) were seen with SARS-CoV-2 (51 [59%] of 87), EV-D68 (36 [41%] of 87), RSV (36 [41%] of 87), and influenza (35 [40%] of 87), whereas the pathogens most frequently detected by respiratory swab sequencing were EV-D68 (clade B3), rhinovirus A, and rhinovirus C (n=7 each). Incorporating EV-D68 serological data into epidemiological models resulted in an 82% reduction in the range of prediction errors and a 33% reduction in median prediction errors for longer-term EV-D68 circulation dynamics compared with national pathogen surveillance data alone.
Interpretation
In this study, we captured immunological evidence of endemic virus re-emergence in children following lifting of pandemic NPIs, which revealed high rates of exposure to endemic respiratory pathogens in a large group of seronegative, predominantly younger, children. This study demonstrates the feasibility and utility of immunoepidemiological surveillance to enable more precise and accurate modelling of pathogen circulation dynamics to predict and prepare for future waves of disease.
Funding
Intramural Research Program of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases–Vaccine Research Center, and the National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health.
Source: Lancet Infectious Diseases, https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473-3099(25)00349-4/fulltext?rss=yes
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I am an Italian blogger, active since 2005 with main focus on emerging infectious diseases such as avian influenza, SARS, antibiotics resistance, and many other global Health issues. Other fields of interest are: climate change, global warming, geological and biological sciences. My activity consists mainly in collection and analysis of news, public services updates, confronting sources and making decision about what are the 'signals' of an impending crisis (an outbreak, for example). When a signal is detected, I follow traces during the entire course of an event. I started in 2005 my blog ''A TIME'S MEMORY'', now with more than 40,000 posts and 3 millions of web interactions. Subsequently I added an Italian Language blog, then discontinued because of very low traffic and interest. I contributed for seven years to a public forum (FluTrackers.com) in the midst of the Ebola epidemic in West Africa in 2014, I left the site to continue alone my data tracking job.
Situation at a glance
Between 17 May and 12 July 2025, the Information and Public Relations Department, Government of Kerala informed through a series of official press releases about four confirmed cases, including two deaths, due to Nipah virus (NiV) infection in two districts of Kerala State.
NiV infection is a bat-borne disease transmitted to humans through infected animals (such as bats or pigs), contaminated food or, less commonly, through close contact with infected individuals.
Since 1998 NiV outbreaks have been reported in Bangladesh, India, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Singapore.
In India, NiV infections have occurred multiple times since 2001 with outbreaks in West Bengal State in 2001 and 2007, and in Kerala State regularly since 2018.
Since 2018, Kerala has reported a total of nine NiV outbreaks. While the state has a strong healthcare system and improved infection control measures since 2023, it is advisable to maintain strong preparedness and surveillance efforts while ensuring continued care for patients.
At the same time, States that may be at risk should be encouraged to continue strengthen their detection systems and response capacities.
With no licensed vaccine or treatment available, public health efforts should focus on raising awareness of risk factors and promoting preventive measures to reduce exposure to the virus, and on early case detection supported by adequate intensive supportive care.
Currently, the risk of international disease spread is considered low. There is no evidence of human-to-human transmission of NiV internationally in this event.
Description of the situation
Between 17 May and 12 July 2025, the Information and Public Relations Department, Government of Kerala through a series of official press releases informed about four confirmed NiV cases, including two deaths, due to NiV infection from two districts of Kerala State.
Of the four cases, two were reported from Malappuram and two from Palakkad district.
This marks the first-ever outbreak in Palakkad District.
Of the four cases, one case was reported in May (with symptom onset in April) and three in July with symptom onset June (two cases), and July (one case).
The first patient was an adult woman from Malappuram district with symptom onset on 25 April. The patient was admitted in critical condition to a local hospital in Malappuram with fever, cough, and respiratory distress due to worsening of symptoms. She was transferred to intensive care on 2 May due to acute encephalitis syndrome. Samples were collected and tested positive for NiV at Calicut Medical College on 6 May. Confirmatory testing was conducted by the National Institute of Virology, Pune, and results confirmed on 8 May.
The second patient, also an adult woman from Malappuram district developed symptoms on 23 June and died on 1 July. She visited multiple healthcare facilities, before being transferred to a government medical facility, where clinical suspicion of NiV led to sample collection and laboratory testing.
The third patient is an adult woman from Palakkad district who developed symptoms on 25 June. She sought care at several healthcare facilities, before being admitted to a multi-specialty hospital, where she remains in critical condition on ventilator support. This is the first confirmed NiV case in Palakkad district.
The fourth case was an adult male also from Palakkad district, who developed symptoms on 6 July 2025. He sought initial medical care on the same day, was admitted to a private hospital on 10 July, and transferred to a multi-specialty hospital on 11 July. On 12 July, he died and was confirmed with NiV infection. This is the second confirmed case in Palakkad district.
The sources of infection of the cases remain under investigation.
None of these cases appear to be linked to each other, suggesting independent spillover events from the natural reservoir.
A significant presence of fruit bats, the known reservoir for NiV has been observed in the affected areas.
Epidemiology
NiV infection is a bat-borne zoonotic disease transmitted to humans through infected animals (such as bats or pigs), or food contaminated with saliva, urine, and excreta of infected animals. It can also be transmitted directly from person to person through close contact with an infected person (although less common). Fruit bats or flying foxes (Pteropus species) are the natural hosts for the virus.
The incubation period ranges on average from 4 to 14 days. However, an incubation period of up to 45 days has been reported once. Laboratory diagnosis of a patient with a clinical history of NiV infection can be made during the acute and convalescent phases of the disease by using a combination of tests. The main tests used are Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) from bodily fluids and antibody detection via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).
Symptoms range from acute respiratory infection and fatal encephalitis. Further information about NiV infection can be found here.
The case-fatality rates in outbreaks across Bangladesh, India, Malaysia, and Singapore typically range from 40% to 100%, depending on local capabilities for early detection and clinical management. Although candidate products are in development, there are no licensed vaccines or therapeutics available for the prevention or treatment of NiV infection.
Public health response
Several public health measures have been implemented by local authorities including:
-- The Kerala state health minister chaired an emergency meeting to assess the situation and confirmed that preventive measures have been strengthened in accordance with the established NiV protocol.
-- As of 17 July, contact tracing is intensively implemented. A total of 723 individuals have been identified as contacts of confirmed Nipah virus (NiV) cases across several districts: Palakkad (394), Malappuram (212), Kozhikode (114), Ernakulam (2), and Thrissur (1).
-- Based on an in-depth investigation, Kerala health authorities have released route maps for the movement of three confirmed NiV cases reported in July, to trace potential community exposures.
-- Alerts have been issued by health authorities in Kozhikode, Malappuram, and Palakkad districts. In response, 26 special teams were deployed to carry out contact tracing, monitor symptoms among contacts and inform the public.
-- Additionally, a special alert has been issued to hospitals in Kannur, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Palakkad, Thrissur and Wayanad districts, instructing them to remain vigilant and promptly report any suspected cases with NiV symptoms.
-- The public has been advised to avoid non-essential visits to healthcare facilities to minimize the risk of transmission.
-- WHO is closely coordinating with the National Centre for Disease Control on One Health and capacity building for high threat pathogens including NiV.
WHO risk assessment
As of July 2025, a total of nine NiV outbreaks have been reported in Kerala State. Recent case numbers reported in Kerala State are consistent with trends observed in previous years and are therefore not entirely unexpected.
However, they continue to highlight a localized risk associated with NiV in that area.
At this time, the overall risk to the broader national and regional population remains low.
The first outbreak was reported in 2018 (23 cases including confirmed and probable; CFR: 91%), followed by subsequent outbreaks in 2019 (a single case who survived), 2021 (one case; CFR: 100%), 2023 (six cases including two deaths; CFR: 33%), 2024 (two cases; CFR 100%), and 2025.
So far in 2025, four confirmed cases of NiV, have been reported, all from Kerala State, with the symptom onset in April (one case), June (two cases) and July (one case).
These recurrent spillover events highlight the ongoing risk of NiV in Kerala. In addition, studies indicated that fruit bats tested positive for NiV antibodies in several other Indian states, suggesting that NiV infection may potentially emerge in other States.
Kerala State has a robust healthcare system. While nosocomial transmission was confirmed during the 2023 outbreak, the Infection Prevention and Control (IPC), and waste management practices have since been strengthened and audited.
The sources of infection for the 2025 cases are yet to be confirmed.
WHO advice
In the absence of a vaccine or licensed treatment available for NiV disease, the only way to reduce or prevent infection in people is by raising awareness of the risk factors and supporting people with measures they can take to reduce exposure to the virus.
Case management should focus on the delivery of timely, supportive care and be supported by a good laboratory system. Intensive supportive care is recommended to treat severe respiratory and neurologic complications.
Public health educational messages should focus on:
-- Reducing the risk of bat-to-human transmission
-- Efforts to prevent transmission should first focus on decreasing bat access to date palm sap and other fresh food products. Freshly collected date palm juice should be boiled, and fruits should be thoroughly washed and peeled before consumption. Fruits with signs of bat bites should be discarded. Areas where bats are known to roost should be avoided.
-- Reducing the risk of human-to-human transmission.
-- Close unprotected physical contact with NiV-infected people should be avoided. Regular hand washing should be carried out after caring for or visiting sick people.
-- Controlling infection in health care settings
-- Health-care workers caring for patients with suspected or confirmed infection, or handling specimens from them, should implement standard infection control precautions at all times.
-- As human-to-human transmission has been reported, in particular in health-care settings, contact and droplet precautions should be used in addition to standard precautions. Airborne precautions may be required in certain circumstances.
-- Samples taken from people and animals with suspected NiV infection should be handled by trained staff working in suitably equipped laboratories.
-- WHO does not recommend any travel and/or trade restrictions toward India based on the currently available information.
Further information
- Department of Public Relations, Government of Kerala. https://www.prd.kerala.gov.in/ml/node/307801
- Directorate of Health Services, Kerala. IDSP Daily Report 1 August 2025. Thiruvananthapuram: DHS Kerala; 2025. Available from: https://dhs.kerala.gov.in/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/IDSP-Daily-Report-01.08.2025.pdf
- Information & Public Relations Department, Government of Kerala 29 May 2025. Relief in Nipah: A total of 114 people tested negative after the quarantine period of all those on the contact list was over. Available from: https://prd.kerala.gov.in/index.php/ml/node/300946
- Public Relations Department, Government of Kerala. Nipah virus infection updated official report, May 2025. Thiruvananthapuram: Government of Kerala; 2025 [cited 2025 May 12]. Available from: https://prd.kerala.gov.in/ml/node/297643
- Public Relations Department, Government of Kerala. Nipah virus infection updated official report, May 2025. Thiruvananthapuram: Government of Kerala; 2025 [cited 2025 May 12]. Available from: https://prd.kerala.gov.in/ml/node/297971
- Department of Public Relations, Government of Kerala. Confirmed Nipah Cases in Malappuram and Palakkad Districts [press release]. Thiruvananthapuram: DPR Kerala; 4 July 2025. Available from: https://www.prd.kerala.gov.in/ml/node/307104.
- Department of Public Relations, Government of Kerala. Nipah Virus Infection: Health Department Intensifies Surveillance and Containment Measures [press release]. Thiruvananthapuram: DPR Kerala; 2 July 2025. Available from: https://www.prd.kerala.gov.in/ml/node/306853.
- Department of Public Relations, Government of Kerala. Health Department Issues Nipah Virus Alert in Palakkad and Malappuram [press release]. Thiruvananthapuram: DPR Kerala; 1 July 2025. Available from: https://www.prd.kerala.gov.in/ml/node/306653.
- Department of Public Relations, Government of Kerala. A total of 499 people are on the Nipah contact list; 10 July. https://www.prd.kerala.gov.in/ml/node/307528
- Department of Public Relations, Government of Kerala. A total of 609 people are on the Nipah contact list in the state; 14 July https://www.prd.kerala.gov.in/ml/node/307873
- Department of Public Relations, Government of Kerala; 17 July: https://www.prd.kerala.gov.in/ml/node/308413
- Department of Public Relations, Government of Kerala. High-level meeting convened in connection with the spread of Nipah virus [press release]. Thiruvananthapuram: DPR Kerala; 11 July 2025. Available from: https://prd.kerala.gov.in/ml/node/307707
- World Health Organization, Regional Office for South-East Asia. Regional strategy for the prevention and control of Nipah virus infection: 2023 2030. New Delhi: WHO SEARO; 2023. Available from: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789290210849
- World Health Organization. Technical brief: Enhancing readiness for a Nipah virus event in countries not reporting a Nipah virus event: interim document. Geneva: WHO; 2024 Feb. Available from: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789290211273
- World Health Organization. Nipah virus [Fact sheet]. Geneva: WHO; 2018. Available from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/nipah-virus
- 10th edition, Epidemiological Bulletin WHO Health Emergencies Programme WHO Regional Office for South-East Asia , 21 May 2025 Reporting period: 05 - 18 May 2025 Available from: https://www.who.int/southeastasia/publications/i/item/9789290220831
Citable reference: World Health Organization (6 August 2025). Disease Outbreak News; Nipah virus infection – India. Available at: https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease-outbreak-news/item/2025-DON577
Source: World Health Organization, https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease-outbreak-news/item/2025-DON577
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I am an Italian blogger, active since 2005 with main focus on emerging infectious diseases such as avian influenza, SARS, antibiotics resistance, and many other global Health issues. Other fields of interest are: climate change, global warming, geological and biological sciences. My activity consists mainly in collection and analysis of news, public services updates, confronting sources and making decision about what are the 'signals' of an impending crisis (an outbreak, for example). When a signal is detected, I follow traces during the entire course of an event. I started in 2005 my blog ''A TIME'S MEMORY'', now with more than 40,000 posts and 3 millions of web interactions. Subsequently I added an Italian Language blog, then discontinued because of very low traffic and interest. I contributed for seven years to a public forum (FluTrackers.com) in the midst of the Ebola epidemic in West Africa in 2014, I left the site to continue alone my data tracking job.
BMJ
I am an Italian blogger, active since 2005 with main focus on emerging infectious diseases such as avian influenza, SARS, antibiotics resistance, and many other global Health issues. Other fields of interest are: climate change, global warming, geological and biological sciences. My activity consists mainly in collection and analysis of news, public services updates, confronting sources and making decision about what are the 'signals' of an impending crisis (an outbreak, for example). When a signal is detected, I follow traces during the entire course of an event. I started in 2005 my blog ''A TIME'S MEMORY'', now with more than 40,000 posts and 3 millions of web interactions. Subsequently I added an Italian Language blog, then discontinued because of very low traffic and interest. I contributed for seven years to a public forum (FluTrackers.com) in the midst of the Ebola epidemic in West Africa in 2014, I left the site to continue alone my data tracking job.
Am J Respir Crit Care Med
I am an Italian blogger, active since 2005 with main focus on emerging infectious diseases such as avian influenza, SARS, antibiotics resistance, and many other global Health issues. Other fields of interest are: climate change, global warming, geological and biological sciences. My activity consists mainly in collection and analysis of news, public services updates, confronting sources and making decision about what are the 'signals' of an impending crisis (an outbreak, for example). When a signal is detected, I follow traces during the entire course of an event. I started in 2005 my blog ''A TIME'S MEMORY'', now with more than 40,000 posts and 3 millions of web interactions. Subsequently I added an Italian Language blog, then discontinued because of very low traffic and interest. I contributed for seven years to a public forum (FluTrackers.com) in the midst of the Ebola epidemic in West Africa in 2014, I left the site to continue alone my data tracking job.
Abstract
Background
Dromedary camels are known carriers of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV). This study aimed to identify respiratory RNA viruses circulating in the nasal cavities of camels that could potentially cause disease in humans.
Methods
Shotgun metagenomic paired-end sequencing was performed on four pools of nasal swabs collected from 40 camels originating from Sudan and Djibouti, using the MiSeq platform.
Results
Alphacoronavirus 229E was commonly detected in the camel pools. MERS-CoV was found in both pools from Sudan and one from Djibouti. Camel parainfluenza virus 3 (PIV3) was detected in the male camel pool from Sudan. Furthermore, near-complete (99.9 %) metagenomic assembled genomes (MAGs) of alphacoronavirus 229E (SIAU MAG01) and MERS-CoV (SIAU MAG02) were retrieved from the female camel pool from Sudan. Another MAG of alphacoronavirus 229E (SIAU MAG03) was recovered from a male camel pool imported from Sudan. In the phylogenetic analysis, SIAU MAG02 clustered with MERS-CoV genome sequences retrieved from humans and camels in the Middle East. The alphacoronavirus 229E MAGs from camels formed a distinct clade separate from the human alphacoronavirus 229E lineage. SIAU MAG04 clustered with PIV3 sequences recovered from Camelus dromedarius in the United Arab Emirates.
Conclusions
Overall, respiratory viruses belonging to alpha and beta coronaviruses, notably MERS-CoV, recognized by the World Health Organization as an emerging infectious disease of critical concern, were observed in dromedary camels from African origins, potentially posing a risk of transmission to humans.
Source: Journal of Infection and Public Health, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1876034125002576?via%3Dihub
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I am an Italian blogger, active since 2005 with main focus on emerging infectious diseases such as avian influenza, SARS, antibiotics resistance, and many other global Health issues. Other fields of interest are: climate change, global warming, geological and biological sciences. My activity consists mainly in collection and analysis of news, public services updates, confronting sources and making decision about what are the 'signals' of an impending crisis (an outbreak, for example). When a signal is detected, I follow traces during the entire course of an event. I started in 2005 my blog ''A TIME'S MEMORY'', now with more than 40,000 posts and 3 millions of web interactions. Subsequently I added an Italian Language blog, then discontinued because of very low traffic and interest. I contributed for seven years to a public forum (FluTrackers.com) in the midst of the Ebola epidemic in West Africa in 2014, I left the site to continue alone my data tracking job.
Abstract
Highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) clade 2.3.4.4b virus infections have caused substantial mortality events in marine mammals in recent years. We hypothesized that the high number of infections and disease severity could be related to cell tropism in respiratory tracts. Therefore, we examined the attachment pattern of an H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b virus (H52022) as a measure for cell tropism in the respiratory tracts of harbor seals, gray seals, harbor porpoises, and bottlenose dolphins and compared it with an H5N1 clade 2.1.3.2 virus (H52005) and a human seasonal H3N2 virus using virus histochemistry. Both H5 viruses attached abundantly to olfactory and respiratory mucosa in the upper respiratory tract of both seal species. H52022 attached more abundantly than H52005 to epithelial cells in the lower respiratory tract of all species. The observed attachment possibly explains the susceptibility of marine mammal species for recent H5N1 viruses and the observed development of severe disease.
Source: US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/31/9/25-0499_article
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I am an Italian blogger, active since 2005 with main focus on emerging infectious diseases such as avian influenza, SARS, antibiotics resistance, and many other global Health issues. Other fields of interest are: climate change, global warming, geological and biological sciences. My activity consists mainly in collection and analysis of news, public services updates, confronting sources and making decision about what are the 'signals' of an impending crisis (an outbreak, for example). When a signal is detected, I follow traces during the entire course of an event. I started in 2005 my blog ''A TIME'S MEMORY'', now with more than 40,000 posts and 3 millions of web interactions. Subsequently I added an Italian Language blog, then discontinued because of very low traffic and interest. I contributed for seven years to a public forum (FluTrackers.com) in the midst of the Ebola epidemic in West Africa in 2014, I left the site to continue alone my data tracking job.
Abstract
The zoonotic transmission of bat coronaviruses poses a threat to human health. However, the diversity of bat-borne coronaviruses remains poorly characterized in many geographical areas. Here, we recovered eight coronavirus genomes by performing a metagenomic analysis of fecal samples from hundreds of individual bats captured in Spain, a country with high bat diversity. Three of these genomes corresponded to potentially novel coronavirus species belonging to the alphacoronavirus genus. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that some of these viruses are closely related to coronaviruses previously described in bats from other countries, suggesting a shared viral reservoir worldwide. Using viral pseudotypes, we investigated the receptor usage of the identified viruses and found that one of them can use human ACE2, albeit with lower affinity than SARS-CoV-2. However, the receptor usage of the other viruses remains unknown. This study broadens our understanding of coronavirus diversity and identifies research priorities for the prevention of zoonotic viral outbreaks.
Author summary
Bats carry many different viruses, some of which can infect humans. Among these, bat coronaviruses are of particular concern. To be better prepared for future pandemics, it is important to understand how many of these viruses exist and their ability to infect different hosts. However, research in this area has often focused on certain parts of the world, while other regions remain underexplored. Spain has a rich diversity of bats, but very few studies have looked for coronaviruses in bats from the Iberian Peninsula. Here, we used viral metagenomics to test for the presence of coronaviruses in more than 200 bat samples collected across Spain. We identified eight coronavirus genomes, three of which may constitute new species. We also examined how closely related they are to previously known viruses, and whether they can use the same cellular receptors as known coronaviruses. Notably, we found that one of the viruses could use human ACE2, the SARS-CoV-2 receptor. Our findings reveal that bats in Spain host a diverse range of coronaviruses, including some that could potentially infect humans. This highlights the importance of studying coronavirus diversity more broadly worldwide.
Source: PLoS Pathogens, https://journals.plos.org/plospathogens/article?id=10.1371/journal.ppat.1013371
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I am an Italian blogger, active since 2005 with main focus on emerging infectious diseases such as avian influenza, SARS, antibiotics resistance, and many other global Health issues. Other fields of interest are: climate change, global warming, geological and biological sciences. My activity consists mainly in collection and analysis of news, public services updates, confronting sources and making decision about what are the 'signals' of an impending crisis (an outbreak, for example). When a signal is detected, I follow traces during the entire course of an event. I started in 2005 my blog ''A TIME'S MEMORY'', now with more than 40,000 posts and 3 millions of web interactions. Subsequently I added an Italian Language blog, then discontinued because of very low traffic and interest. I contributed for seven years to a public forum (FluTrackers.com) in the midst of the Ebola epidemic in West Africa in 2014, I left the site to continue alone my data tracking job.
On 30th July 2025 HPAI H5N1 was confirmed in a young chicken in a backyard flock in Co Donegal. The bird was submitted to the Regional Veterinary Laboratory and virological testing confirmed HPAI at the CVRL. Control measures were put in place following detection on 30th July 2025. The 7 remaining birds of the backyard flock were euthanised and have tested negative for AI PCR. Further results to follow. Update: report updated to reflect the control measures applied (stamping out applied) as per the above report.
Source: WOAH, https://wahis.woah.org/#/in-review/6691
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I am an Italian blogger, active since 2005 with main focus on emerging infectious diseases such as avian influenza, SARS, antibiotics resistance, and many other global Health issues. Other fields of interest are: climate change, global warming, geological and biological sciences. My activity consists mainly in collection and analysis of news, public services updates, confronting sources and making decision about what are the 'signals' of an impending crisis (an outbreak, for example). When a signal is detected, I follow traces during the entire course of an event. I started in 2005 my blog ''A TIME'S MEMORY'', now with more than 40,000 posts and 3 millions of web interactions. Subsequently I added an Italian Language blog, then discontinued because of very low traffic and interest. I contributed for seven years to a public forum (FluTrackers.com) in the midst of the Ebola epidemic in West Africa in 2014, I left the site to continue alone my data tracking job.
{Scotland, Aberdeenshire} Commercial layer flock with approx. 88,000 laying hens. Increased mortality and other clinical signs reported. Samples taken were found positive for HPAI H5N1.
Source: WOAH, https://wahis.woah.org/#/in-review/6695
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I am an Italian blogger, active since 2005 with main focus on emerging infectious diseases such as avian influenza, SARS, antibiotics resistance, and many other global Health issues. Other fields of interest are: climate change, global warming, geological and biological sciences. My activity consists mainly in collection and analysis of news, public services updates, confronting sources and making decision about what are the 'signals' of an impending crisis (an outbreak, for example). When a signal is detected, I follow traces during the entire course of an event. I started in 2005 my blog ''A TIME'S MEMORY'', now with more than 40,000 posts and 3 millions of web interactions. Subsequently I added an Italian Language blog, then discontinued because of very low traffic and interest. I contributed for seven years to a public forum (FluTrackers.com) in the midst of the Ebola epidemic in West Africa in 2014, I left the site to continue alone my data tracking job.
Abstract
Background:
The Liao ning virus (LNV), belonging to the genus Seadornavirus within the family Sedoreoviridae, is a mosquito-borne virus. It was originally isolated from Aedes dorsalis mosquitoes in China. The original LNV strain, LNVS-NE97-31, was reported to infect several mammalian cell lines and cause hemorrhagic symptoms in mice. Subsequently, another LNV strain, LNV NSW B115745, was isolated from Australian mosquitoes; it was reported to exhibit insect-specific infection.
Materials and Methods:
Virus isolation was performed on mosquitoes collected in northern Hokkaido, Japan, in 2022. The isolated virus was subjected to genomic and growth kinetics analyses.
Results:
A LNV strain was isolated from Aedes vexans mosquitoes. Genomic sequencing and phylogenetic analysis revealed the new strain as 22WN03, and it formed a robust clade with the original Chinese strain, LNVS-NE97-31. Growth kinetics analysis did not reveal any mammalian or avian cell line susceptible to infection by the strain 22WN03.
Conclusion:
Overall, the results suggested that the strain 22WN03 has insect-specific infection characteristics, similar to as the Australian strain. Taken together, our findings could expand our knowledge of not only the diversity and geographical distribution of seadornaviruses in Asia but also the ecology of LNV.
Source: Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases, https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/15303667251364143
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I am an Italian blogger, active since 2005 with main focus on emerging infectious diseases such as avian influenza, SARS, antibiotics resistance, and many other global Health issues. Other fields of interest are: climate change, global warming, geological and biological sciences. My activity consists mainly in collection and analysis of news, public services updates, confronting sources and making decision about what are the 'signals' of an impending crisis (an outbreak, for example). When a signal is detected, I follow traces during the entire course of an event. I started in 2005 my blog ''A TIME'S MEMORY'', now with more than 40,000 posts and 3 millions of web interactions. Subsequently I added an Italian Language blog, then discontinued because of very low traffic and interest. I contributed for seven years to a public forum (FluTrackers.com) in the midst of the Ebola epidemic in West Africa in 2014, I left the site to continue alone my data tracking job.
ABSTRACT
Seasonal influenza causes 290,000–650,000 deaths annually, with vaccination efficacy ranging from 10 to 60%. The emergence of drug-resistant and highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses underscores the urgent need for novel protective strategies. Epidemiological observations have long suggested that certain vaccines, such as Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG), can provide protection against diverse pathogens (S. Biering-Sørensen, P. Aaby, N. Lund, et al., Clin Infect Dis 65:1183–1190, 2017, https://doi.org/10.1093/cid/cix525; M.-L. Garly, C. L. Martins, C. Balé, et al., Vaccine 21:2782–2790, 2003, https://doi.org/10.1016/s0264-410x(03)00181-6; C. A. G. Timmermann, S. Biering‐Sørensen, P. Aaby, et al., Trop Med Int Health 20:1733–1744, 2015, https://doi.org/10.1111/tmi.12614). While the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying such protection remain incompletely understood, emerging research offers critical insights into innate immune system modulation (B. Cirovic, L. C. J. de Bree, L. Groh, et al., Cell Host Microbe 28:322–334, 2020, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chom.2020.05.014; L. Kong, S. J. C. F. M. Moorlag, A. Lefkovith, et al., Cell Rep 37:110028, 2021, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2021.110028; H. Mohammadi, N. Sharafkandi, M. Hemmatzadeh, et al., J Cell Physiol 233:4512–4529, 2018, https://doi.org/10.1002/jcp.26250; S. J. C. F. M. Moorlag, Y. A. Rodriguez-Rosales, J. Gillard, et al., Cell Rep 33:108387, 2021, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2020.108387). We investigated whether a trained innate immune system with non-replicating adenoviruses could provide protection against diverse influenza virus strains. We demonstrated that replication-defective human adenoviruses can effectively train the innate immune system, conferring protective immunity in mice against multiple influenza virus strains, including H1N1, H3N2, H5N2, H7N9, and H9N2. In addition, bovine and chimpanzee adenoviruses can also activate human innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) and confer protection against challenge with influenza H3N2 virus in mice. Remarkably, this protection occurs in the complete absence of influenza-specific adaptive immune responses (influenza virus-specific hemagglutination-inhibiting antibodies, neutralizing antibodies, and influenza nucleoprotein-specific CD8 T cells). Key protective mechanisms include increased activation of ILC1, ILC2, and ILC3 populations, enhanced expression of interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs), upregulation of antiviral signaling pathways, and metabolic reprogramming of ILC subsets. Adoptive transfer experiments demonstrated that trained ILCs were sufficient to protect against influenza H1N1 infection in ILC-deficient mice. This research establishes a novel strategy for enhancing innate antiviral immunity, offering broad-spectrum protection against diverse influenza strains, a promising approach for not only pandemic preparedness but also against emerging infectious diseases. Training innate lymphoid cells through non-replicating adenoviral vectors represents a promising approach to enhancing broad-spectrum antiviral immunity, complementing traditional vaccination strategies.
IMPORTANCE
The findings represent a potential game-changer for fighting influenza, which kills hundreds of thousands of people worldwide each year despite our best vaccination efforts. Current flu vaccines often provide limited protection because they must be reformulated annually to match circulating strains, and their effectiveness varies dramatically from year to year. The scientists discovered something remarkable: common adenoviruses (which typically cause mild cold-like symptoms) can essentially “train” our immune system’s first line of defense to recognize and fight off multiple types of flu viruses simultaneously. This protection works through a completely different mechanism than traditional vaccines—it does not rely on creating specific antibodies against flu proteins. Instead, the treatment activates special immune cells called innate lymphoid cells (ILCs), which act like the body’s rapid response team. These trained cells provide broad protection against various flu strains, including dangerous bird flu variants that could cause future pandemics. The significance lies in potentially creating a universal flu protection strategy that could work against unknown future flu strains, offering hope for better pandemic preparedness and reducing seasonal flu’s devastating global impact.
Source: Journal of Virology, https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/jvi.00532-25
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I am an Italian blogger, active since 2005 with main focus on emerging infectious diseases such as avian influenza, SARS, antibiotics resistance, and many other global Health issues. Other fields of interest are: climate change, global warming, geological and biological sciences. My activity consists mainly in collection and analysis of news, public services updates, confronting sources and making decision about what are the 'signals' of an impending crisis (an outbreak, for example). When a signal is detected, I follow traces during the entire course of an event. I started in 2005 my blog ''A TIME'S MEMORY'', now with more than 40,000 posts and 3 millions of web interactions. Subsequently I added an Italian Language blog, then discontinued because of very low traffic and interest. I contributed for seven years to a public forum (FluTrackers.com) in the midst of the Ebola epidemic in West Africa in 2014, I left the site to continue alone my data tracking job.
