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Abstract Influenza A(H5N1) viruses have been detected in US dairy cow herds since 2024 . We assessed the pathogenesis, transmission, and airborne release of A/Michigan/90/2024, an H5N1 isolate from a dairy farm worker in Michigan , in the ferret model. Results show this virus caused airborne transmission with moderate pathogenicity , including limited extrapulmonary spread , without lethality. Highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) clade 2.3.4.4b viruses have displayed unprecedented global spread among wild birds leading to numerous spillover infections in mammalian species. Of note, outbreaks in dairy cattle and gallinaceous birds have resulted in human infections in the United States during 2024–2025 (1). Increased frequency of H5N1 viruses crossing species barriers has caused concern that the avian influenza viruses are adapting to mammals . A critical component of influenza pandemic preparedness is early identification of emerging novel influenza viruses that cause disease and t...

Abstract Avian influenza A(H5N1) poses a public health risk due to its pandemic potential should the virus mutate to become human-to-human transmissible. To date, reported influenza A(H5N1) human cases have typically occurred in the lower respiratory tract with a high case fatality rate . There is prior evidence of some influenza A(H5N1) strains being a small number of amino acid mutations away from achieving droplet transmissibility , possibly allowing them to be spread between humans. We present a mechanistic within-host influenza A(H5N1) infection model, novel for its explicit consideration of the biological differences between the upper and lower respiratory tracts. We then estimate a distribution of viral lifespans and effective replication rates in human H5N1 influenza cases. By combining our within-host model with a viral mutation model, we determine the probability of an infected individual generating a droplet transmissible strain of influenza A(H5N1) through mutation. For thr...

  Ann Intern Med BILINSKI A, Emanuel N, Ciaranello A Sins of Omission: Model-Based Estimates of the Health Effects of Excluding Pregnant Participants From Randomized Controlled Trials. Ann Intern Med. 2025 Apr 29. doi: 10.7326/ANNALS-24-00689. PubMed           Abstract available YEK C, Mancera AG, Diao G, Walker M, et al Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Antibiotic Resistant Infection Burden in U.S. Hospitals : Retrospective Cohort Study of Trends and Risk Factors. Ann Intern Med. 2025 Apr 29. doi: 10.7326/ANNALS-24-03078. PubMed           Abstract available RIDDLER SA, Moodie Z, Clark J, Yen C, et al High Frequency of Chronic Urticaria Following an Investigational HIV-1 BG505 MD39.3 Trimer mRNA Vaccine in a Phase 1, Randomized, Open-Label Clinical Trial (HVTN 302). Ann Intern Med. 2025 Apr 29. doi: 10.7326/ANNALS-24-02701. PubMed           Abstract available KIM...

  Arch Virol SVYATCHENKO SV, Boldyrev ND, Panova AS, Kolosova NP, et al Seroprevalence of anti-influenza antibodies in humans and characterization of seasonal influenza viruses isolated in Russia during the 2023-2024 flu season. Arch Virol. 2025;170:118. PubMed           Abstract available Biochem Biophys Res Commun CHU X, Yang Y, Guo H, Ji X, et al SARS-CoV-2 NSP2 specifically interacts with cellular protein SmgGDS. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2025;764:151828. PubMed           Abstract available ZHANG YH, Su AM, Hou XM Structural and functional insights into the SARS-CoV-2 SUD domain and its interaction with RNA G-Quadruplexes. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2025;764:151817. PubMed           Abstract available Epidemiol Infect STERIAN M, Naganathan T, Corrin T, Waddell L, et al Evidence on the associations and safety of COVID-19 vaccination and post COVID-19 conditi...

Abstract Influenza remains a global public health concern, and although the antiviral drug oseltamivir is widely used to treat infections , questions regarding its actual antiviral efficacy and clinical benefits remain. Here, we evaluated the effects of oseltamivir on viral shedding dynamics in the context of experimental influenza infection . We analyzed individual participant data, including viral load, time to symptom alleviation, and laboratory test measurements, obtained from three publicly available clinical trials involving experimental infections with influenza A and B viruses. We applied mathematical modeling and estimated parameters using a nonlinear mixed-effects model to capture viral infection dynamics. Our analysis revealed that, compared with placebo groups, the oseltamivir-treated groups tended to have lower values in terms of viral load area under the curve , duration of infection, peak viral titer, and time to peak; however, most of these differences were not signific...

Abstract The ongoing panzootic of H5N1 high pathogenicity avian influenza virus (HPAIV) has caused the deaths of over half a billion wild birds and poultry , and has led to spillover events in both wild and domestic mammals , alongside sporadic human infections . A key driver of this panzootic is the apparent high viral fitness across diverse avian species, which facilitates an increased interface between wild and domestic species. Columbiformes (pigeons and doves) are commonly found on poultry premises and are highly connected to humans in urban settlements, yet relatively little is known about their potential role in contemporary HPAIV disease ecology. Here we investigated the epidemiological role of pigeons (Columba livia) by determining their susceptibility using decreasing doses of clade 2.3.4.4b H5N1 HPAIV (genotype AB). We investigated infection outcomes and transmission potential between pigeons and to chickens for each dose. Following direct inoculation, pigeons did not develo...

At a glance -- The Influenza Risk Assessment Tool (IRAT) is a CDC evaluation tool developed with assistance from global animal and human health influenza experts. -- The IRAT is used to assess the potential pandemic risk of influenza A viruses that are not currently circulating in people. -- This latest IRAT assessed two recent clade 2.3.4.4b avian influenza A(H5N1) viruses: A/California/147/2024 and A/Washington/239/2024. -- These viruses scored in the "moderate risk" category for potential emergence and public health impact , similar to previous assessments of earlier clade 2.3.4.4b avian influenza A(H5N1) viruses. These results validate the proactive, coordinated U.S. government response. -- The IRAT does not assess the immediate risk to the public's health, which is unchanged and remains low, and it does not predict future pandemics. Purpose The IRAT uses expert opinion to evaluate the potential of a representative novel influenza A virus to gain the ability for perso...

{Excerpt} Time Period: April 20, 2025 - April 26, 2025 - H5 Detection :  5 sites ( 1.2% ) - No Detection :  402 sites ( 98.8% ) - No samples in last week :  91 sites (...) Source: US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,  https://www.cdc.gov/bird-flu/h5-monitoring/index.html ____

Abstract Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) clade 2.3.4.4b H5N1 is circulating widely in lactating cows in the United States . Due to the critical need for intervention strategies for this outbreak, we evaluated antibody and cellular immune responses of a clade 2.3.4.4b H5 mRNA-LNP vaccine in calves . We found that the H5 mRNA-LNP vaccine induced a robust antibody and CD8+ T cellular-mediated immune response and conferred protection against clade 2.3.4.4b H5N1 infection. Source: BioRxIV,  https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.05.01.651548v1 ____

Abstract Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) represents a threat to animal and human health , with the ongoing H5N1 outbreak within the H5 2.3.4.4b clade being the largest on record. However, it remains unclear what factors have contributed to its intercontinental spread . We use Bayesian additive regression trees, a machine learning method designed for probabilistic modelling of complex nonlinear phenomena, to construct species distribution models (SDMs) for HPAI clade 2.3.4.4b presence. We identify factors driving geospatial patterns of infection and project risk distributions across Europe . Our models are time-stratified to capture both seasonal changes in risk and shifts in epidemiology associated with the succession of H5N6/H5N8 by H5N1 within the clade . While previous studies aimed to model HPAI presence from physical geography, we explicitly consider wild bird ecology by including estimates of bird species richness, abundance of specific taxa, and "abundance indices...

Abstract Determining the incubation period of Oropouche virus disease can inform clinical and public health practice . We analyzed data from 97 travel-associated cases identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (n = 74) or the GeoSentinel Network (n = 13) and 10 cases from published literature . Using log-normal interval-censored survival analysis, we estimated the median incubation period to be 3.2 (95% CI 2.5–3.9) days . Symptoms developed by 1.1 (95% CI 0.6–1.5) days for 5% of patients, 9.7 (95% CI 6.9–12.5) days for 95% of patients, and 15.4 (95% CI 9.6–21.3) days for 99% of patients . The estimated incubation period range of 1–10 days can be used to assess timing and potential source of exposure in patients with Oropouche symptoms. For patients with symptom onset >2 weeks after travel , clinicians and public health responders should consider the possibility of local vectorborne transmission or alternative modes of transmission. Source: US Centers for Disease C...

ABSTRACT The outbreak of H5N1 in dairy cattle in United States revealed challenges in identification and management of a novel disease . The virus showed an exceptional ability to spread between farms and among cows within a farm. The impact of the virus on dairy cattle varied from nonclinical to severe clinical signs and death. Many dairy producers did not report clinical signs in their cows or test for the virus. Cats and peridomestic birds on many affected dairies died from viral exposure . Dairy workers showed signs of conjunctivitis , which was confirmed to be due to H5N1. With the disease affecting multiple species and showing efficient cow-to-cow transmission , the situation only worsened. There was a negative impact on the relationships among dairy producers, dairy workers, poultry producers, and veterinarians, in which professional and personal relationships were severed and some experienced loss of employment. The regulatory response varied by geographic location, and in some...

Abstract {1} The 2023–24 epidemic of Oropouche fever in the Americas and the associated ongoing outbreak in Cuba suggests a potential state shift in the epidemiology of the disease , raising questions about which vectors are driving transmission. In this study, we conduct a systematic review of vector competence experiments with Oropouche virus (OROV, Orthobunyavirus ) that were published prior to the 2023–24 epidemic season. Only seven studies were published by September 2024, highlighting the chronic neglect that Oropouche virus (like many other orthobunyaviruses) has been subjected to since its discovery in 1954. Two species of midge (Culicoides paraensis and C. sonorensis) consistently demonstrate a high competence to transmit OROV (~30%), while mosquitoes (including both Aedes and Culex spp .) exhibited an infection rate consistently below ~20%, and showed limited OROV transmission . Further research is needed to establish which vectors are involved in the ongoing outbreak in Cub...

Abstract Despite accumulating evidence that bat-derived coronaviruses often require intermediate hosts to facilitate transmission to humans1, the potential role of fur animals in zoonotic coronavirus spillovers has largely been overlooked2. Here we report the isolation and characterization of a novel mink respiratory coronavirus (MRCoV) from farmed minks with pneumonia . Notably, MRCoV uses angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) as a receptor and can infect mink, bat, monkey, and human cells . Cryo-electron microscopy analysis revealed that the MRCoV receptor-binding domain (RBD) binds to the same interface on ACE2 receptors as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) RBD , despite exhibiting notable structural differences. We identify the key determinants on ACE2 and MRCoV RBD that confer efficient binding. HKU5-33S, a bat coronavirus closely related to MRCoV , utilizes ACE2 of bat Pipistrellus abramus and requires only two amino acid substitutions to adapt to mink...

 Two wild servals in Dhaka Region. Source: WOAH,  https://wahis.woah.org/#/in-review/6453 ____

Abstract The relationship among timing and severity of COVID-19 during pregnancy , placental pathology , and adverse pregnancy outcomes is not well understood. A prospective cohort study of 497 pregnant patients with COVID-19 whose placentas underwent systematic pathologic examination was conducted. The main exposure was timing of COVID-19 during pregnancy (first/second versus third trimester). The primary outcome was composite placental pathology that included high grade maternal vascular malperfusion or greater than 25 percent perivillous fibrin deposition. There were 63 patients who had the composite placental pathology outcome. In adjusted analyses that controlled for maternal age, parity, active infection at delivery, interval from time of diagnosis to delivery and COVID-19 variant, timing of COVID-19 during pregnancy was not associated with risk of the composite placental pathology outcome . Among secondary COVID-19 related exposures that were investigated, severity of disease an...

Abstract Swine Influenza A Virus (IAV-S) poses a significant burden to both the pork industry and public health . Current vaccines against IAV-S are infrequently updated and induce strain-specific immunity. Computational platforms have recently emerged as a promising strategy to develop new-age vaccines. Here, we describe the Epigraph , a computationally derived and epitope optimized set of vaccine immunogens. When compared to wildtype immunogens (WT) and a commercial comparator (FluSure XP®), pigs immunized with Epigraph demonstrate significantly improved breadth and magnitude of antibody responses . Further, pigs immunized with Epigraph show more robust and a wider breadth of cross-reactive cell-mediated immune responses than pigs immunized with WT immunogens. In an experimental infection model , Epigraph immunized pigs demonstrate a significant reduction of clinical disease, lower shedding of infectious virus, reduction of lung lesions, and lower microscopic immunopathology compared...

Abstract Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) is a prominent candidate for a future human pandemic arising from a zoonotic spillover event . Its best-known strain is H5N1 , with South- or South-East Asia a likely location for an initial outbreak. Such an outbreak would be initiated through a primary event of bird-to-human infection, followed by sustained human-to-human transmission . Early interventions would require the extraction, integration and interpretation of epidemiological information from the limited and noisy case data available at outbreak onset. We studied the implications of a potential zoonotic spillover of H5N1 influenza into humans. Our simulations used BharatSim , an agent-based model framework designed primarily for the population of India , but which can be tuned easily for others. We considered a synthetic population representing farm-workers (primary contacts) in a farm with infected birds. These primary contacts transfer infections to secondary (household) co...

Abstract Surveillance of influenza A viruses in pigs (SwIAV) is critical for identification of novel genetic groups that pose a risk to pig health and might have zoonotic potential . SwIAVs circulating in pigs in England between 2014 and 2021 were characterised using whole genome sequencing (WGS). Haemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) sequencing data from 82 of 368 influenza A positive samples (71 submissions) were determined, identifying H1N1 and H1N2 subtypes from the 1A classical swine and 1B human-seasonal lineages respectively. The 1B lineage viruses were predominant, accounting for 68.29% of sequenced viruses, with 1A lineage viruses comprising 31.71%, primarily from the 1A.3.3.2 clade (2009 H1N1 pandemic origin). This study characterised previously undefined diversity within the 1B lineage which led to the designation of new HA clades 1B.1.1.1, 1B.1.1.2 and 1B.1.1.3. Complete genome data were obtained from 64/82 viruses thereby updating the definition of genetic diversity t...