ETIDIOH - NEW

 The barnacle goose was found sick (laying down and not moving) on the beach and later died. Source: WOAH,  https://wahis.woah.org/#/in-review/6426 ____

{Excerpt} Avian influenza A(H9N2) :  -- Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region :  - A five-year-old boy with onset on March 3, 2025.  -- Guizhou Province :  - A 35-year-old woman with onset on March 10, 2025.  -- Henan Province - A seven-year-old girl with onset on February 11, 2025.  (...) Source: Centre for Health Protection, Hong Kong PRC SAR,  https://www.chp.gov.hk/files/pdf/2025_avian_influenza_report_vol21_wk15.pdf ____

{Summary} The natural host for avian influenza virus (AIV) is waterfowl . However, certain subtypes have breached species barriers , causing epizootics in many avian and mammalian species with occasional zoonotic infections in humans . The ongoing spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A( H5N1 ) poses a significant and growing public health threat . Here, we discuss recent advances in viral detection and characterization technologies and their integration into the diagnostics and surveillance of AIV within a “One Health” framework. Source: Nature Communications,  https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-58882-4 ____

{Excerpt} Highlights •  A new strain of Lassa virus (LASV) was successfully isolated and characterized. •  The combination of ribavirin and LHF-535 has been demonstrated to exhibit synergistic effects in inhibiting LASV. •  The findings provide new directions for the development of antiviral drugs and vaccines for Lassa fever. Dear Editor, Lassa virus (LASV) is the causative agent of the acute viral hemorrhagic Lassa fever (LF), which is classified into Mammarenavirus within the Arenaviridae family , with a single-stranded, negative-sense, bi-segmented RNA genome. Due to its high pathogenicity and lethality , LASV is considered as a priority threat to public health , with an estimated cases of 300,000 infections and 5,000 deaths annually . LASV was first isolated and described as a clinical entity in 1969 in Lassa, Nigeria (Garry, 2023). LASV isolates of different geographic and host origins are highly diverse in genomic sequences and phylogenetically classified into up t...

Abstract We report 1.3% (19/1,511) of Egyptian rousette bats (ERBs) in Uganda and Sierra Leone were co-infected with different combinations of Marburg, Sosuga, Kasokero, or Yogue viruses . To prevent infection by those viruses, we recommend avoiding ERB-populated areas, avoiding ERBs and ERB-contaminated objects, and thoroughly washing harvested fruits before consumption. Source: US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,  https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/31/5/24-1669_article ____

Abstract During the 2022–23 winter season, >1,500 endangered cranes , including hooded crane (Grus monacha) and white-naped crane (Grus vipio), were found debilitated or dead in the Izumi Plain, Japan . Most of the cranes, particularly those collected in November, were infected with highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 viruses; virus shedding was higher from the trachea than from the cloaca . The isolation rate from the cranes’ roost water was not markedly higher than that of previous seasons, suggesting that the viruses might be more effectively transmitted among cranes via the respiratory route than through feces. Most wild bird–derived H5N1 isolates were phylogenetically distinct from viruses isolated on nearby chicken farms , indicating limited relationship between the wild bird and chicken isolates. Serologic analyses suggested that herd immunity had little effect on outbreak subsidence. This study deepens our understanding of the circumstances surrounding the unexpect...

Summary Background The 2017 WHO Bacterial Priority Pathogens List (BPPL) has been instrumental in guiding global policy, research and development, and investments to address the most urgent threats from antibiotic-resistant pathogens, and it is a key public health tool for the prevention and control of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Since its release, at least 13 new antibiotics targeting bacterial priority pathogens have been approved. The 2024 WHO BPPL aims to refine and build on the previous list by incorporating new data and evidence, addressing previous limitations, and improving pathogen prioritisation to better guide global efforts in combating AMR. Methods The 2024 WHO BPPL followed a similar approach to the first prioritisation exercise, using a multicriteria decision analysis framework. 24 antibiotic-resistant bacterial pathogens were scored based on eight criteria, including mortality, non-fatal burden, incidence, 10-year resistance trends, preventability, transmissibility,...

Summary Background Latin America has been experiencing an Oropouche virus (OROV) outbreak of unprecedented magnitude and spread since 2023–24 for unknown reasons. We aimed to identify risk predictors of and areas at risk for OROV transmission. Methods In this multidisciplinary, laboratory-based, modelling study, we retrospectively tested anonymised serum samples collected between 2001 and 2022 for studies on virus epidemiology and medical diagnostics in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Peru with nucleoprotein-based commercial ELISAs for OROV-specific IgG and IgM antibodies. Serum samples positive for IgG from different ecological regions and sampling years were tested against Guaroa virus and two OROV glycoprotein reassortants (Iquitos virus and Madre de Dios virus) via plaque reduction neutralisation testing (PRNT) to validate IgG ELISA specificity and support antigenic cartography. Three OROV strains were included in the neutralisation testing, a Cuban OROV isolate...

Abstract We report highly pathogenic avian influenza H5 virus infection in 10 Northern Fulmars (Fulmarus glacialis) found dead throughout January and February 2024 in the Netherlands . Five birds were infected with the H5N5 subtype , notable for markers of adaptation to mammals . Continuous infectious disease surveillance remains important in wild birds. Source: US National Library of Medicine,  https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40223286/ ____

Key points   • The overall objective of continual global surveillance for human infection with avian influenza A(H5) viruses is to detect and characterize any influenza A(H5) viruses infecting humans in order to:  - (1) promptly trigger public health control and response actions,  - (2) assess the trends of such infections and the public health risks posed (including the risk of a pandemic); and  - (3) inform global pandemic preparedness activities.  • Specific surveillance objectives include rapidly detecting human cases of influenza A(H5) virus infection, monitoring the incidence of new cases over time and geographical distribution, assessing and monitoring changes in transmission patterns to promptly detect any unusual events that may signal human-to-human transmission of the virus, characterizing and monitoring changes in any influenza A(H5) viruses infecting humans relative to those circulating in animals to inform control strategies, describing the clinica...

  Public Domain. Source: WikiArt,  https://www.wikiart.org/en/titian/penitent-st-mary-magdalene ____

  Br J Anaesth GILLIS C, Hasil L, Keane C, Brassard D, et al A multimodal prehabilitation class for Enhanced Recovery After Surgery: a pragmatic randomised type 1 hybrid effectiveness-implementation trial. Br J Anaesth. 2025 Apr 7:S0007-0912(25)00153-9. doi: 10.1016/j.bja.2025. PubMed           Abstract available Clin Infect Dis IOANNOU GN, Berry K, Rajeevan N, Li Y, et al Target Trial Emulation of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Infection Versus No Infection and Risk of Post-Coronavirus Disease 2019 Conditions in the Omicron Variant Versus Prior Eras. Clin Infect Dis. 2025 Apr 10:ciaf087. doi: 10.1093. PubMed           Abstract available Int J Infect Dis JOLLIVET O, Urchueguia-Fornes A, Chung-Delgado K, Johannesen CK, et al Respiratory Syncytial Virus hospitalisation burden in children below 18 years in six European countries (2016-2023) pre- and post-COVID-19 pandemic. Int J Infect Dis...

  Arch Virol HUANG Z, Zhang R, Yao D, Fu H, et al Avian influenza A(H5N6) virus detected during live-poultry market surveillance linked to a human infection in Changsha, China, from 2020 to 2023. Arch Virol. 2025;170:96. PubMed           Abstract available Biochem Biophys Res Commun ZABRODSKAYA YA, Gavrilova NV, Elpaeva EA, Lozhkov AA, et al Corrigendum to "mRNA encoding antibodies against hemagglutinin and nucleoprotein prevents influenza virus infection in vitro" [Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 738 (2024) 150945]. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2025 Apr 9:151783. doi: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2025.151783. PubMed          BMC Pediatr VIANA J, Santos JV, Pinto A, Santos A, et al Avoidable visits to the paediatric emergency department: associated factors and lessons learned from the pandemic. BMC Pediatr. 2025;25:279. PubMed           Abstract available Drug Saf HAMZAOUI H, Shaum A,...