ETIDIOH - NEW

 A wild whooper swan in Bacău Region. Source: WOAH,  https://wahis.woah.org/#/in-review/6199 _____

Dodoma, 20 January 2025 – Tanzania today confirmed an outbreak of Marburg virus disease in the northwestern Kagera region after one case tested positive for the virus following investigations and laboratory analysis of suspected cases of the disease . President of the Republic of Tanzania, Her Excellency Samia Suluhu Hassan , made the announcement during a press briefing alongside World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus , in the country’s administrative capital Dodoma. “Laboratory tests conducted in Kabaile Mobile Laboratory in Kagera and later confirmed in Dar es Salaam identified one patient as being infected with the Marburg virus. Fortunately, the remaining suspected patients tested negative ,” the president said. “We have demonstrated in the past our ability to contain a similar outbreak and are determined to do the same this time around.” A total of 25 suspected cases have been reported as of 20 January 2025 , all of whom have tested negati...

  J Infect NURMI V, Mayne R, Knight C, Almonacid-Mendoza HL, et al Individual patient and donor seroprofiles in convalescent plasma treatment of COVID-19 in REMAP-CAP clinical trial. J Infect. 2025 Jan 9:106412. doi: 10.1016/j.jinf.2025.106412. PubMed           Abstract available RJOOB K, Antonelli M, Murray B, Molteni E, et al Symptom Evolution in Individuals with Ongoing Symptomatic COVID-19 and Post COVID-19 Syndrome After SARS-CoV-2 Vaccination Versus Influenza Vaccination. J Infect. 2025 Jan 10:106406. doi: 10.1016/j.jinf.2024.106406. PubMed           Abstract available WENDEL-GARCIA PD, Ceccato A, Motos A, Franch-Llasat D, et al Empirical antibiotic therapy improves outcomes in mechanically ventilated patients with COVID-19: An emulated targeted trial within a prospective, multicentre cohort study. J Infect. 2025 Jan 13:106411. doi: 10.1016/j.jinf.2025.106411. PubMed    ...

  Biochem Biophys Res Commun DU S, Yang L, Chen X, Chen Y, et al Engineering mRNA vaccine with broad-spectrum protection against SARS-cov-2 variants. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2025;746:151224. PubMed           Abstract available BMC Pediatr YANG SI, Choi CH, Lee EJ, Jee SH, et al Impact of pediatric COVID-19 isolation on children's well-being and caregiver mental health. BMC Pediatr. 2025;25:37. PubMed           Abstract available Epidemiol Infect NOSTAEVA A, Shimansky V, Apalko S, Kuznetsov I, et al Case-control association study between polygenic risk score and COVID-19 severity in a Russian population using low-pass genome sequencing. Epidemiol Infect. 2024;153:e13. PubMed           Abstract available J Infect RJOOB K, Antonelli M, Murray B, Molteni E, et al Symptom Evolution in Individuals with Ongoing Symptomatic COVID-19 and Post COVID-19 Sy...

 Aztec Art, Postclassic (ca. 900-1580), basalt. Public Domain. Source: WikiArt,  https://www.wikiart.org/en/aztec-art/seated-deity-macuilcoatl# _____

Abstract Background Our study aims to enhance future pandemic preparedness by integrating lessons from historical pandemics, focusing on the multidimensional analysis of past outbreaks. It addresses the gap in existing modelling studies by combining various pandemic parameters in a comprehensive setting. Using Zurich as a case study, we seek a deeper understanding of pandemic dynamics to inform future scenarios. Data and methods We use newly digitized weekly aggregated epidemic/pandemic time series (incidence, hospitalisations, mortality and sickness absences from work) to retrospectively model the 1918–1920 pandemic in Zurich and investigate how different parameters correspond, how transmissibility changed during the different waves, and how public health interventions were associated with changes in these pandemic parameters. Results In general, the various time series show a good temporal correspondence , but differences in their expression can also be observed. The first wave in th...

ABSTRACT The host range of HPAIV H5N1 was recently expanded to include ruminants , particularly dairy cattle in the United States (US). Shortly after, human H5N1 infection was reported in a dairy worker in Texas following exposure to infected cattle. Herein, we rescued the cattle-origin influenza A/bovine/Texas/24-029328-02/2024(H5N1, rHPbTX) and A/Texas/37/2024(H5N1, rHPhTX) viruses, identified in dairy cattle and human, respectively, and their low pathogenic forms , rLPbTX and rLPhTX, with monobasic HA cleavage sites . Intriguingly, rHPhTX replicated more efficiently than rHPbTX in mammalian and avian cells . Still, variations in the PA and NA proteins didn’t affect their antiviral susceptibility to PA and NA inhibitors. Unlike rHPbTX and rLPbTX, both rHPhTX and rLPhTX exhibited higher pathogenicity and efficient replication in infected C57BL/6J mice . The lungs of rHPhTX-infected mice produced higher inflammatory cytokines/chemokines than rHPbTX-infected mice. Our results highlight ...

(HARTFORD, CT) – Connecticut Department of Agriculture (CT DoAg) advises that Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) H5N1, or bird flu, was confirmed in a backyard flock located in New London County on Wednesday, January 15, 2025 .  The backyard flock, consisting of chickens, ducks, and peacocks , were family pets , not commercial poultry, and had close contact with wild waterfowl in a nearby pond . Samples were sent to the Connecticut Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (CVMDL) for testing. The results from CVMDL were then confirmed by the United States Department of Agriculture National Veterinary Services Laboratory (NVSL) in Ames, Iowa. H5N1 is highly contagious among domestic poultry, and at this time there is no effective treatment or approved vaccine for the virus in poultry. The infected flock has been depopulated to prevent spread of the disease. “Collaboration between state and federal partners is essential in preventing the spread of highly pathogenic avian influe...

Atlanta, Ga – Today, the Georgia Department of Agriculture and the United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service confirmed a positive case of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in a commercial poultry operation located in Elbert County, Georgia .  This is the first confirmed HPAI case in a commercial poultry operation in Georgia, and the fifth detection in the state of Georgia .  As a result of this detection , effective immediately, all in-state poultry exhibitions, shows, swaps, meets, and sales are suspended until further notice.   "For the first time since the ongoing, nationwide outbreak began in 2022, HPAI has been confirmed in a commercial poultry operation in the state of Georgia," said Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper.  "This is a serious threat to Georgia’s #1 industry and the livelihoods of thousands of Georgians who make their living in our state’s poultry industry. We are working around the c...

WASHINGTON, January 17, 2025—As part of its ongoing, multi-faceted efforts to combat the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) today is updating its policy for pre-slaughter surveillance to enhance testing of turkey flocks in affected states .  In late December 2024, APHIS became aware of a genetic link between turkeys potentially infected with HPAI H5N1, virus detected in raw pet food, and an infected household cat . Out of an abundance of caution, and to remove a potential avenue for ongoing disease spread as well as to bolster consumer and trading partner confidence, APHIS collaborated with state animal health officials and the poultry industry to update its guidance for existing pre-slaughter surveillance steps to further ensure that affected poultry does not enter the food system. APHIS will continue to report confirmed HPAI detections to the World Organisation for Animal Health and on the APHIS website (m...

January 17, 2025 The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has determined that it is necessary for manufacturers of cat and dog foods who are covered by the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act Preventive Controls for Animal Food (PCAF) rule and using uncooked or unpasteurized materials derived from poultry or cattle (e.g., uncooked meat, unpasteurized milk or unpasteurized eggs) to reanalyze their food safety plans to include Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza virus (specifically H5N1) as a known or reasonably foreseeable hazard .  Furthermore, the FDA is issuing this update to ensure that cat and dog food manufacturers are aware of information about the new H5N1 hazard associated with their pet food products, which is an additional reason that manufacturers must conduct a reanalysis of their food safety plans. The FDA is tracking cases of H5N1 in domestic and wild cats in California, Colorado, Oregon and Washington State that are associated with eating contaminated food products.  S...

{Original Article in Italian, edited and translated}  17/01/2025 13:28 Bologna – In Valsamoggia (Bo) a case of avian influenza was found in a cat . The animal lived in close contact with the poultry of a small family farm where the avian infection had already been identified which had led, as required by law, to the suppression of all the poultry present. The positivity in the cat was diagnosed by the Forlì branch of the Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna and confirmed by the National Reference Center for Avian Influenza. “Nothing new and no alarm,” commented Pierluigi Viale , professor of Infectious Diseases at the Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences at the University of Bologna and director of the Infectious Diseases Unit at the Sant’Orsola Polyclinic.  “The circulation of avian influenza is well known. Cats are already described in scientific literature as animals quite prone to contracting the ‘bird flu’ and there have been severa...

 Wild Laridae birds in Schleswig-Holstein Region. Source: WOAH,  https://wahis.woah.org/#/in-review/6196 _____

Abstract Human outbreaks of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) are more common in Middle Eastern and Asian human populations , associated with clades A and B . In Africa , where clade C is dominant in camels , human cases are minimal. We reviewed 16 studies (n = 6198) published across seven African countries between 2012 and 2024 to assess human MERS-CoV cases. We also analyzed data from four cohort studies conducted in camel-keeping communities between 2018 and 2024 involving camel keepers, camel slaughterhouse workers , and hospital patients with acute respiratory illness (ARI). The analysis showed a pooled MERS-CoV prevalence of 2.4% (IQR: 0.6, 11.4) from 16 publications and 1.14% from 4 cohort studies (n = 2353). Symptomatic cases were rarely reported, with most individuals reporting camel contact, and only 12% had travel history to the Middle East. There was one travel-associated reported death , resulting in a mortality rate of 0.013%. The findings suggest a ...

 {Excerpt} Time Period: January 05 - January 11, 2025 -- H5 Detection : 53 sites ( 15.8% ) -- No Detection : 282 sites ( 84.2% ) -- No samples in last week : 61 sites (...) Source: US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,  https://www.cdc.gov/bird-flu/h5-monitoring/index.html _____

 {Excerpt} One confirmed human infection with influenza A(H5) virus was reported to CDC this week. To date, human-to-human transmission of influenza A(H5) virus has not been identified in the United States. This case was reported by the California Department of Public Health and occurred in a child less than 18 years old with no known contact with influenza A(H5N1) virus-infected animals or humans . The investigation into the source of infection for this case is ongoing , and no human-to-human transmission has been identified. A specimen from the individual was tested at a public health laboratory using the CDC influenza A(H5) assay before being sent to CDC for further testing. The specimen was positive for influenza A(H5) virus using diagnostic RT-PCR at CDC. Additional analysis including genetic sequencing is underway. In response to this detection, additional case investigation and contact monitoring are being conducted by public health officials in California. There have now be...

Abstract The H9N2 subtype of avian influenza virus (AIV) is widely distributed among poultry and wild birds and is also a threat to humans . During AIV active surveillance in Liaoning province from 2015 to 2016, we identified ten H9N2 strains exhibiting different lethality to chick embryos . Two representative strains, A/chicken/China/LN07/2016 (CKLN/07) and A/chicken/China/LN17/2016 (CKLN/17), with similar genomic background but different chick embryo lethality, were chosen to evaluate the molecular basis for this difference. A series of reassortants between CKLN/07 and CKLN/17 were generated and their chick embryo lethality was assessed. We found that the isoleucine (I) residue at position 137 (H3 numbering) in the hemagglutinin (HA) was responsible for the chick embryo lethality of the H9N2 virus. Further studies revealed that the threonine (T) to I mutation at HA position 137 enhanced viral replication in vitro and in vivo . Moreover, the HA-T137I substitution in H9N2 avian influen...

Abstract Influenza vaccine effectiveness and immunogenicity can be compromised with repeated vaccination . We assessed immunological markers in a cohort of healthcare workers (HCW) from six public hospitals around Australia during 2020–2021. Sera were collected pre-vaccination and ~14 and ~180 days post-vaccination and assessed in haemagglutination inhibition assay against egg-grown vaccine and equivalent cell-grown viruses. Responses to vaccination were compared by the number of prior vaccinations. Baseline sera were available for 595 HCW in 2020 and 1031 in 2021. 5% had not been vaccinated during five years prior to enrolment and 55% had been vaccinated every year. Post-vaccination titres for all vaccine antigens were lowest among HCW vaccinated in all 5-prior years and highest among HCW with 0 or 1 prior vaccinations , even after adjustment. This was observed for both influenza A subtypes and was dependent on pre-vaccination titre. Expanded cohorts are needed to better understand ho...

Active surveillance for avian influenza was conducted in October 2024 at Ganga Lake , located in the eastern region of Mongolia along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway for migratory birds . During the surveillance period, no clinical signs of disease or mortality were observed among wild birds. However, qRT-PCR analysis using H5-specific primers for fecal samples , followed by sequencing, confirmed the detection of the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) H5N1 subtype. Source: WOAH,  https://wahis.woah.org/#/in-review/6193 _____

 {Excerpt} (...) Now to the global spread of H5 avian influenza . Last year, 66 cases of H5 were reported from the United States , plus 10 from Cambodia, 2 from Viet Nam and one each from Australia, Canada and China. This is the highest number of reported human cases since 2015. So far this year, 2 cases including 1 death have been reported in the United States, and 1 death in Cambodia. Almost all these cases are associated with infected dairy cattle or poultry . H5N1 is of particular concern because since the first human cases were reported in 2003, it has killed almost half of those it has struck. Fortunately, H5N1 has not yet developed the ability to transmit easily between humans. But that could be only a matter of time. Every transmission from one animal to another , or to a human, is an opportunity for the virus to mutate, or to mix with other influenza viruses. It’s therefore imperative that the virus is not allowed to spread unchecked in animals. WHO is working closely with...