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  Am J Respir Crit Care Med KERWIN E, Yang T, Su N, Guo J, et al Rademikibart Treatment for Moderate-to-Severe, Uncontrolled Asthma: A Phase 2B Randomized Trial. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2025 Feb 25. doi: 10.1164/rccm.202409-1708. PubMed           Abstract available Antiviral Res BRUN J, Arman BY, Hill ML, Kiappes JL, et al Assessment of repurposed compounds against coronaviruses highlights the antiviral broad-spectrum activity of host-targeting iminosugars and confirms the activity of potent directly acting antivirals. Antiviral Res. 2025 Feb 23:106123. doi: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2025.106123. PubMed           Abstract available BMJ MACINTYRE CR, Chughtai AA, Kunasekaran M, Tawfiq E, et al The role of masks and respirators in preventing respiratory infections in healthcare and community settings. BMJ. 2025;388:e078573. PubMed           Abstract avai...

BMC Pediatr MEHDIZADEGAN N, Omidbakhsh S, Shorafa E, Hosseini H, et al Speckle-tracking and conventional echocardiography in MIS-C: tracking cardiac involvement and recovery. BMC Pediatr. 2025;25:137. PubMed           Abstract available BMJ MACINTYRE CR, Chughtai AA, Kunasekaran M, Tawfiq E, et al The role of masks and respirators in preventing respiratory infections in healthcare and community settings. BMJ. 2025;388:e078573. PubMed           Abstract available Epidemiol Infect LIN W, Kung KH, Chan CL, Chuang SK, et al Characteristics and risk factors associated with COVID-19 reinfection in Hong Kong: a retrospective cohort study. Epidemiol Infect. 2025;153:e30. PubMed           Abstract available HOEVE CE, Neppelenbroek N, Vos ERA, Huiberts AJ, et al Using SARS-CoV-2 nucleoprotein antibodies to detect (re)infection. Epidemiol Infect. 2025;153:e38. PubM...

Significance The dominance of the H9N2 subtype of avian influenza virus (AIV) within the influenza A virus family has raised questions regarding the factors influencing its epidemiological dominance . This study concentrates on the role of five major evolutionary patterns of the matrix protein M1 in the replication and transmission of H9N2 AIVs. The findings indicate a strong correlation between the epidemiological dominance of H9N2 AIVs and the specific M1 patterns , particularly M1P5. It highlights the significance of genetic patterns in M1 for understanding the adaptive differences and turnover of epidemiological dominant H9N2 AIVs. Abstract The H9N2 subtype of avian influenza virus (AIV) emerges as a significant member of the influenza A virus family. However, the varying degrees of epidemiological dominance among different lineages or clades of H9N2 AIVs have not been fully clarified. The matrix protein M1 , a key structural component of the virion , plays a crucial role in mainta...

Abstract Using a phylogenetic framework to characterize natural selection , we investigate the hypothesis that zoonotic viruses require adaptation prior to zoonosis to sustain human-to-human transmission . Examining the zoonotic emergence of Ebola virus, Marburg virus, influenza A virus, SARS-CoV, and SARS-CoV-2 , we find no evidence of a change in the intensity of natural selection immediately prior to a host switch , compared with typical selection within reservoir hosts . We conclude that extensive pre-zoonotic adaptation is not necessary for human-to-human transmission of zoonotic viruses. In contrast, the reemergence of H1N1 influenza A virus in 1977 showed a change in selection, consistent with the hypothesis of passage in a laboratory setting prior to its reintroduction into the human population, purportedly during a vaccine trial. Holistic phylogenetic analysis of selection regimes can be used to detect evolutionary signals of host switching or laboratory passage, providing ins...

Abstract Recombination plays a central role in the evolution of the RNA virus genome , as it allows the exchange of genetic material between different viral lineages . Reassortment is a form of recombination specific to viruses with segmented genomes that involves the exchange of entire segments between lineages. This process has played a significant role in the adaptation and spread of influenza viruses, where novel combinations of genomic segments are produced from divergent lineages (i.e., antigenic shift). In this study, we investigated reassortment events in a representative sample of n = 11, 765 complete genomes of H5Nx influenza A viruses from avian hosts . Using tanglegrams and subtree-prune-regraft (SPR) methods to quantify discordance between segment trees, we found evidence of widespread reassortment among these genomes that is consistent with previous studies. However, we obtained the comparable numbers of reassortment events when applying the same methods to sequence data ...

Abstract Influenza virus neuraminidase (NA) is receiving increasing attention as a target for universal flu vaccines . Several broad NA inhibition monoclonal antibodies (BImAbs) targeting the highly conserved enzymatic pocket have been previously described. However, the molecular characteristics, clonal evolutionary trajectory, and B cell sources of BImAbs remain poorly understood. Here, using NA-mutant probes, we comprehensively profiled the immune signatures of NA-specific memory B cells (MBCs) from a healthy individual with NA cross-inhibition activity . From the NA-specific MBC repertoires, we identified a series of NA BImAbs with molecular features characterized by long HCDR3 regions with an xxxDRxxx motif, which exhibited broad inhibition against diverse influenza NAs. Clonal lineage tracing revealed that these BImAbs followed a clonal evolutionary trajectory encompassing classical MBC (cMBC) and atypical MBC (aMBC). Both cMBC- and aMBC-derived NA BImAbs displayed similar inhibit...

TRENTON, NJ - The first feline case of H5 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI or “bird flu”) in New Jersey has been confirmed in a feral cat from Hunterdon County .  The case was confirmed by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Veterinary Services Laboratory, and follows previous national reports of confirmed feline cases in other states.   The cat developed severe disease, including neurologic signs , and was humanely euthanized.  Other cats on the same property were also reported ill , and one additional indoor-outdoor cat was subsequently confirmed positive for H5 HPAI. Other tests are still pending, and the investigation is ongoing. The overall public health risk remains low at this time. While H5 HPAI has been detected in humans in the U.S. – primarily in individuals with close contact with infected poultry or dairy cattle – there have been no human cases reported in New Jersey, and none of the cases across the country are known to h...

This is a farm with pheasants for game restocking . The birds are being euthanized 27 February  A protection zone (3km) and a surveillance zone (10 km) have been put in place around the infected farm and all other restrictions and necessary measures according to Regulation (EU) 2016/429 and (EU) 2020/687. Source: WOAH,  https://wahis.woah.org/#/in-review/6297 ____

The World Health Organization (WHO) today announced the recommendations for the viral composition of influenza vaccines for the 2025-2026 influenza season in the northern hemisphere.  The announcement was made at an information session at the end of a 4-day meeting on the Composition of Influenza Virus Vaccines, a meeting that is held twice annually.  WHO organizes these consultations with an advisory group of experts gathered from WHO Collaborating Centres and WHO Essential Regulatory Laboratories to analyse influenza virus surveillance data generated by the WHO Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System (GISRS).  The recommendations issued are used by the national vaccine regulatory agencies and pharmaceutical companies to develop, produce, and license influenza vaccines for the following influenza season.  The periodic update of viruses contained in influenza vaccines is necessary for the vaccines to be effective due to the constant evolving nature of influ...

  {Excerpt} Time Period: February 16 - February 22, 2025 -- H5 Detection :  10 sites ( 2.6% ) -- No Detection :  379 sites ( 97.4% ) -- No samples in last week :  75 sites (...) Source: US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,  https://www.cdc.gov/bird-flu/h5-monitoring/index.html ____

Abstract A panzootic of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 viruses from clade 2.3.4.4b has triggered a multistate outbreak in United States dairy cattle and an unknown number of human infections. HPAI viruses are handled in specialized biocontainment facilities. Ethical considerations limit certain experimental evolution experiments aimed at assessing viral resistance to potential therapeutics. We have developed a replicating recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus (rVSV) where we replaced its glycoprotein with the hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) genes of a 2.3.4.4b H5N1 virus (rVSV-H5N1dc2024), which is free of these constraints. This virus grows to high titers and encodes a fluorescent reporter to track infection. We demonstrate the utility of rVSV-H5N1dc2024 in neutralization experiments, evaluating antibody escape and characterization of resistance mutations to NA inhibitors. rVSV-H5N1dc2024 or similar viruses may accelerate efforts to develop and evaluate inter...

ABSTRACT Coronaviruses (CoVs) pose a significant threat to public health , causing a wide spectrum of clinical manifestations and outcomes. Beyond precipitating global outbreaks, Human CoVs (HCoVs) are frequently found among patients with respiratory infections. To date, limited attention has been directed towards alphacoronaviruses due to their low prevalence and fatality rates . Nasal swab and serum samples were collected from a paediatric patient , and an epidemiological survey was conducted. Retrospective surveillance investigated the molecular prevalence of CoV in 880 rodents collected in the Republic of Korea (ROK) from 2018 to 2022. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) and phylogenetic analyses characterized the novel HCoV and closely related CoVs harboured by Apodemus spp . On 15 December 2022, a 103-day-old infant was admitted with fever, cough, sputum production, and rhinorrhea , diagnosed with human parainfluenza virus 1 (HPIV-1) and rhinovirus co-infection . Elevated AST/ALT le...

Kinshasa – Health authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and experts from World Health Organization (WHO) are carrying out further investigations to determine the cause of another cluster of illness and community deaths in Equateur province .  In recent months, disease surveillance has identified increases in illness and deaths three times in different areas of the country , and triggered follow-up investigations to confirm the cause and provide needed support.   Since the beginning of 2025 , a series of illnesses and community deaths have affected Equateur province . The most recent cluster occurred in the Basankusu health zone , where last week 141 additional people fell ill , with no deaths reported. In the same health zone, 158 cases and 58 deaths were reported in the same health zone earlier in February. In January, Bolamba health zone reported 12 people who fell ill including 8 deaths.  Increased disease surveillance has identified in total of 1096...

Summary -- What is already known about this topic? -  Highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) outbreaks have emerged in U.S. cattle and poultry . Wastewater surveillance detects influenza A(H5) subtype but does not currently distinguish between human and animal sources. -- What is added by this report? -  During September 15, 2021–July 11, 2024 , retrospective analysis of wastewater surveillance data revealed 21 avian influenza A(H5) subtype detections across 12 Oregon communities . No association was found between detections in a community’s wastewater and history of a poultry outbreak or presence of dairy processing facilities or dairy farms within the sewershed. Avian influenza A(H5) was detected most frequently in two communities with important wild bird habitats . -- What are the implications for public health practice? -  Wastewater surveillance was an early indicator of avian influenza emergence in Oregon. Nonhuman and noncattle animal inputs , including wild bir...

ABSTRACT H5N1 subtype influenza A viruses represent a long-standing pandemic concern . Owing to their global occurrence in poultry, humans are routinely exposed to these viruses, and hundreds of human cases have been documented worldwide since 2003. The relevant viral lineages are not static, however, and have recently undergone a massive expansion of host range and geographic distribution . Within this expansion, the introduction of H5N1 viruses into dairy cattle in the United States has spawned a novel animal-human interface . In response, public health agencies have sought to evaluate the risk of an H5N1 pandemic stemming from the bovine outbreak. These assessments draw on evidence from the field and the laboratory to score a series of recognized risk factors . As such, their utility hinges on fundamental understanding of the processes that drive pandemic emergence and the availability of relevant data. Advancing this understanding and gathering data prior to and during an outbreak ...

Abstract It is essential to understand the molecular mechanisms of influenza antiviral therapeutics to evaluate their efficacy. Virus plaque assays are commonly used to assess the antiviral effects of drugs on virus replication ; however, this method is labor-intensive and can present challenges. We avoided this method by using a replication-competent influenza A virus (IAV) expressing a reporter fluorescent gene fused to the non-structural protein 1 (NS1) gene. The reporter IAV was detectable in normal human bronchoepithelial (NHBE) infected cells and offered an improved method to determine the therapeutic efficacy of the antiviral drugs probenecid and oseltamivir compared to a standard plaque assay. This method provides an excellent means for evaluating therapeutic approaches against IAV. Source: Viruses,  https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/17/3/335 ____

{Excerpts} The Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), following the third meeting of the International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR) Emergency Committee regarding the upsurge of mpox 2024, held on 25 February 2025, from 12:00 to 17:00 CET, concurs with its advice that the event continues to meet the criteria of a public health emergency of international concern and, considering the advice of the Committee, he is hereby issuing a revised set of temporary recommendations. The WHO Director-General expresses his most sincere gratitude to the Chair, Members, and Advisors of the Committee. The proceeding of the third meeting of the Committee will be shared with States Parties to the IHR and published in the coming days. --------- Temporary recommendations These temporary recommendations are issued to States Parties experiencing the transmission of monkeypox virus (MPXV), including, but not limited to, those where there is sustained community transmission, and where there ...

Abstract The spillover of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 into dairy cattle has raised concerns over the safety of fluid milk . While no human foodborne infection has been reported , this strain has infected dozens of people and milk from infected cows is known to be infectious by ingestion in multiple other species. Investigation into the public health threat of this outbreak is critical . This study uses quantitative risk assessment (QRA) models to represent the United States raw and pasteurized fluid milk supply chains to estimate the risk of human infection from consumption of fluid cow's milk. These models were parameterized with literature emerging from this outbreak, then employed to estimate the H5N1 infection risk and evaluate multiple potential interventions aimed at reducing this risk. The median (5th, 95th percentiles) probabilities of infection per 240-mL serving of pasteurized, farmstore-purchased raw, or retail-purchased raw milk were 5.68E-15 (1.77E-16, 2.98E...

Abstract Influenza virus neuraminidase (NA) has emerged as a promising vaccine candidate due to its relatively stable antigenic structure and the ability of NA-specific antibodies to provide cross-protection within influenza virus subtypes . Since the influenza virus causes respiratory infections in humans, developing mucosal vaccines to protect the entry site of the virus is of high importance. Recombinant NA requires adjuvants to induce a protective immune response after mucosal administration. In the current study, we analyze the immunogenicity and protective efficacy of a recombinant NA-based influenza virus vaccine administered intranasally in combination with adjuvants consisting of outer membrane proteins from Neisseria meningitidis complexed with exogenous lipopolysaccharides (LPS) from Shigella flexneri or endogenous LPS from N. meningitidis. We evaluated the local and systemic humoral and cellular immune responses to adjuvanted recombinant N1 NA , analyzing the dynamics of lo...

{Excerpts} (...) Epidemiology Updates As of February 24, CDC has confirmed three human cases of H5 bird flu in people who became ill in 2025:  -- a dairy worker with exposure to infected dairy cows (Nevada),  -- a poultry worker with exposure to infected commercial poultry ( Ohio ), and  -- the owner of an infected backyard poultry flock ( Wyoming ).  These are all considered higher-risk exposures . While the dairy worker was not hospitalized , both people with poultry exposures experienced severe illness and were hospitalized . Both hospitalized cases were confirmed positive from lower respiratory specimens , including a bronchoalveolar lavage and sputum . To date, there has been no evidence of onward spread from any of these people to anyone else . The dairy worker in Nevada had conjunctivitis (eye redness and irritation) and has recovered . Most infections associated with U.S. dairy cows to date have involved mild respiratory symptoms or conjunctivitis. This perso...