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ABSTRACT Influenza A (H3N2) viruses are historically responsible for the 1968 Hong Kong flu pandemic. Since then, H3N2 has continued to circulate as a seasonal influenza virus in humans. Public health concerns were raised in 2022 when human infections with novel reassortant H3N8 influenza viruses originating from chickens were first reported in China . Here, we conducted a systematic surveillance of H3 avian influenza viruses (AIVs) circulating in poultry and assessed the public health risk of emergent H3 reassortants. We found that H3 AIVs were prevalent in both ducks and chickens . Notably, in December 2022, a novel chicken-derived H3N3 subtype virus was identified, which gradually replaced the previously predominant H3N8 virus and became prevalent in chickens. Genetic analysis demonstrated that the novel H3N3 virus is a triple-reassortment strain with the H3 gene segment from chicken H3N8 virus, the N3 gene segment from the H10N3 virus , and internal gene segments derived from H9N2 ...

Abstract On November 2, 2018, a person-to-person transmission outbreak of Andes virus (Orthohantavirus andesense) began in the small town of Epuyén, Argentina . The strain demonstrated a high capacity for sustained transmission among the human population requiring the implementation of quarantine measures , rigorous contact tracing , isolation of close contacts, and active clinical monitoring to prevent further spread. In this study, we report the isolation of this strain, which we name the ARG-Epuyén strain , directly from a clinical sample after just three passages in cell culture. Complete sequencing revealed only a single amino acid change post-isolation , suggesting that this strain can be considered a non-adapted wild-type Andes virus , marking a critical step toward the development of medical countermeasures against this emerging pathogen. The pathogenicity and transmissibility potential of ARG-Epuyén were evaluated in hamsters , the only animal model for Hantavirus Pulmonary Sy...

Abstract An unprecedented outbreak of Oropouche virus (OROV) is occurring in the Americas, characterized by thousands of confirmed cases and a wide geographical spread, including areas outside the Amazon Basin. Little is known about this neglected arbovirus regarding its pathophysiological aspects and potentially different transmission modes . This study describes the clinical course of a man who returned from a trip to Cuba and presented to our hospital 4 days after the onset of febrile symptoms. The patient was diagnosed with Oropouche fever and was followed for 177 days after the onset of symptoms. We performed a longitudinal investigation of the samples collected from several body sites ( whole blood, serum, urine, and semen ) with the aim of providing further insights into OROV infection dynamics, using the detection of antigenomic RNA as a marker of active viral replication. Clinical samples that were longitudinally collected over the course of OROV infection showed consistently ...

Abstract Recently, cats have emerged as potential incidental hosts for avian and human influenza A viruses (IAVs), including the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 virus. Following an unprecedented outbreak of H5N1 HPAI in cats in Poland in June 2023, we conducted a cross-sectional epidemiological study to assess the seroprevalence of IAV, especially H5Nx , infections in domestic cats. Eight hundred thirty-five serum samples collected in June 2023 were tested using a competitive ELISA for antibodies to IAV nucleoprotein. Positive or doubtful samples were further screened for H5-specific antibodies. The overall seropositivity for IAV was 8.5% (CI 95%: 6.8%, 10.6%; 71/835 cats), and 23/68 IAV-seropositive cats (33.8%) were also seropositive for H5 antigen . Multivariable analysis identified young age (≤8 years) and male sex as significant risk factors for H5 seropositivity, while non-H5-IAV seropositivity was more common in cats aged ≥12 years. These findings suggest different...

  Public Domain. Source: WikiArt,  https://www.wikiart.org/en/dante-gabriel-rossetti/the-annunciation ____

Abstract Background :  The experience of the COVID-19 pandemic has differed across continents. We hypothesized that regional differences in SARS-CoV-2 immunity might explain this observation. We therefore established the WWW Consortium in Ghana , W Africa; Jamaica , W Indies ; and W London . Here, we describe the extent to which antibody immunity differs between these geographic locations.  Methods :  The WWW Consortium harmonises across the HERITAGE (Accra, Ghana), WINDFall (Kingston, Jamaica) and Legacy (London, UK) studies, establishing sharing frameworks for samples , metadata, and data; related permissions and oversight; and associated physical and cloud infrastructure. With centralised testing, we performed serological assessments across all three locations at two snapshots in 2024 (April 1st - August 18th; August 19th - December 31st) using high-throughput live virus neutralization and anti-nucleocapsid IgG, including n=763 individuals.  Findings :  We fo...

Abstract We conducted genomic surveillance of seasonal influenza during the 2022-2023 northern hemisphere flu season on a large university setting in Southwest Arizona USA to understand the diversity, evolution, and spread within a local environment and how it relates to national data. Through high-throughput sequencing and bioinformatics, we identified 100 positive samples (19%) from 516 clinical swabs collected at the student health clinic. We observed a dominance of subtype A(H3N2) which was consistent nationally for the 2022-2023 season. However, we found stark differences when examining subtype-specific H3 clades , which included an early dominance of clade 2a.3a.1 variants contrasting from country-level data in which 2b variants were most abundant. These variants might have contributed to the early seasonal peak on campus which lagged national trends by one month. We used phylodynamics to understand the timing, source, and impact of clade-specific introductions on campus and obse...

  Di EmmeBi Photos - https://www.flickr.com/photos/mauboi/6258052858/ , CC BY 2.0,  https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=108173035 Source: Wikipedia,  https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Locomotiva_FS_E.554 ____

  Antiviral Res CHANG CW, Oswal N, Murugan M, Goldgirsh K, et al A novel cellular tool for screening human pan-coronavirus antivirals. Antiviral Res. 2025 Jun 10:106212. doi: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2025.106212. PubMed           Abstract available Clin Infect Dis LEE R, Kim N, Kim WB, Im KI, et al Effectiveness and safety of Autologous Virus-Specific T Cell Therapy for Persistent COVID-19 in People with Immunocompromise: A Clinical Trial Study. Clin Infect Dis. 2025 Jun 10:ciaf302. doi: 10.1093. PubMed           Abstract available SUDNIK P, Walsh EE, Branche AR, Islam M, et al Comprehensive Analysis of Cardiovascular Events and Risk Factors in Patients Hospitalized with RSV. Clin Infect Dis. 2025 Jun 12:ciaf310. doi: 10.1093. PubMed           Abstract available Int J Infect Dis WEE LE, Ho RWL, Lim JT, Chiew CJ, et al Long-term multi-systemic sequelae post-hospitalizat...

  Antiviral Res MARTINEZ-GZEGOZEWSKA Y, Rasmussen L, Nebane NM, McKellip S, et al High-throughput screening for identification of Influenza A inhibitors using a cell-based immunofluorescence assay. Antiviral Res. 2025 Jun 6:106209. doi: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2025.106209. PubMed           Abstract available Arch Virol LU Y, Ni J, Huang S, Guo Y, et al Epidemiological characteristics of human parainfluenza virus infections and phylogenetic analysis of human parainfluenza virus type 3 isolated from children with respiratory tract infections from 2020 to 2022 in Zhejiang, China. Arch Virol. 2025;170:157. PubMed           Abstract available JIN H, Cho YR, Jung YT Single-particle quantification of SARS-CoV-2 virus-like particles using flow virometry. Arch Virol. 2025;170:149. PubMed           Abstract available Cell STEVENS J, Culberson E, Kinder J, Ramiriqui A, et al Mic...

Early this morning, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was informed of the military operation launched by Israel which includes attacks on nuclear facilities in the Islamic Republic of Iran . As I reported this morning to the IAEA Board of Governors , we have been in permanent contact with the Iran Nuclear Regulatory Authority , to ascertain the status of relevant nuclear facilities and to assess any wider impacts on nuclear safety and security. Iran has confirmed that at present, only the Natanz Fuel Enrichment Plant site has been attacked in today’s strikes . This facility contains the Fuel Enrichment Plant and the Pilot Fuel Enrichment Plant. At Natanz, the above-ground part of the Pilot Fuel Enrichment Plant , where Iran was producing uranium enriched up to 60% U-235, has been destroyed. Electricity infrastructure at the facility (electrical sub-station, main electric power supply building, emergency power supply and back-up generators) has been destroyed . There is no i...

Abstract Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) viruses with H5 hemagglutinin (HA) genes (clade 2.3.4.4b) are causing an ongoing panzootic in wild birds . Circulation of these viruses is associated with spillover infections in multiple species of mammals , including a large, unprecedented outbreak in American dairy cattle . Before widespread on-farm testing, there was an unmet need for genomic surveillance. Infected cattle can shed high amounts of HPAI H5N1 viruses in milk , allowing detection in pasteurized retail dairy samples. Over a 2-month sampling period in one Midwestern city , we obtained dairy products processed in 20 different states. Here we demonstrate that a tiled-amplicon sequencing approach produced over 90% genome coverage at greater than 20x depth from 5 of 13 viral RNA positive samples, with higher viral copies corresponding to better sequencing success. The sequences clustered phylogenetically within the rest of the cattle outbreak sequences reported. A combination...

Abstract Previous studies investigating the 1918–1920 influenza pandemic have provided a comprehensive overview of the spread of the pandemic and possible explanations for high mortality rates in Alaska, USA . Our understanding of the role of nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) is limited, however. To gain an overview of various agencies’ efforts to protect communities during the pandemic, we conducted a mixed-method assessment of a large pool of digitized historical newspapers and archival materials covering Alaska’s local and territorial responses to the pandemic. The study encompassed 14 local units of Alaska that implemented NPIs during October 1918–January 1919 . Analyses indicated that 8 local units avoided the outbreak by implementing NPIs and that the other 6 units controlled the spread of influenza by implementing NPIs after the virus was introduced. In addition, some Indigenous communities escaped the pandemic by implementing mandatory and voluntary restrictions . Informat...

ABSTRACT Several emerging influenza viruses, including H7N9 and H5N6 viruses, trace their origins to reassortment with H9N2 viruses that contributed internal gene segments. However, the evolutionary constraints governing the reassortment of H9N2 viruses remain unknown. In seasonal human influenza A viruses, gene segments coevolve at both the nucleotide and amino acid levels. Here, we demonstrate that evolutionary relationships between gene segments, including polymerase subunits in human H3N2 viruses, differ from avian H9 viruses . Avian H9 viruses were characterized by little coevolution between gene segments or between polymerase subunits. Strikingly, protein trees built from avian H9 polymerase subunits diverge despite known functional constraints on polymerase evolution. The evolutionary divergence observed between gene segments of avian H9 viruses was consistent across isolates from different continents, suggesting that coevolution between H9 gene segments is not dependent on regi...

  {Excerpt} Time Period: June 01, 2025 - June 07, 2025 - H5 Detection :  4 sites ( 1.1% ) - No Detection :  370 sites ( 98.9% ) - No samples in last week :  73 sites (...) Source: US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,  https://www.cdc.gov/bird-flu/h5-monitoring/index.html ____

 Sea Otters in Hokkaido Region. Source: WOAH,  https://wahis.woah.org/#/in-review/6551 ____

Abstract Neuroinvasive arboviruses such as tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV), West Nile virus (WNV), Usutu virus (USUV), and Toscana virus (TOSV) have (re-)emerged with increasing incidence and geographic range . We analyzed the epidemiology of arboviral infections in Croatia during the 2024 transmission season. A total of 154 patients with neuroinvasive diseases (NID), 1596 horses , 69 dead birds , and 7726 mosquitoes were tested. Viral RNA was detected using RT-qPCR. IgM/IgG-specific antibodies were detected using commercial ELISA or IFA, with confirmation of cross-reactive samples by virus neutralization test. RT-qPCR-positive samples were Sanger sequenced. Arboviral etiology was confirmed in 33/21.42% of patients with NID. WNV was most frequently detected (17/11.03%), followed by TBEV (10/6.49%), USUV (5/3.24%), and TOSV (1/0.64%). WNV infections were reported in regions previously known as endemic, while in one continental county, WNV was recorded for the first time. USUV infec...

Abstract Bats are the natural reservoirs for a variety of emerging and re-emerging viruses. Among them, rabies virus (genus Lyssavirus, family Rhabdoviridae) is one of the first and most emblematic described in these animals. Since its first description, several new bat lyssaviruses have been regularly identified. In addition to lyssaviruses, other bat rhabdoviruses have also been discovered, including members of the genera Vesiculovirus , Ledantevirus and, more recently, Alphanemrhavirus and Tupavirus . However, the family Rhabdoviridae is one of the most abundant and diverse viral families, with 434 officially recognized species , divided into 5 subfamilies and 56 different genera . The number of rhabdoviruses associated with bats is therefore probably higher than that currently available. In this study, we first developed and validated a combined nested RT-qPCR technique (pan-rhabdo RT-nqPCR) dedicated to the broad detection of animal rhabdoviruses. After validation, this technique ...

Highlights •  Acute COVID-19 usually causes mild illness even in young and immunosuppressed children •  Nosocomial SARS-CoV-2 infection is associated with more severe disease •  Concurrent serious bacterial infection is rare in children admitted with acute COVID-19. ABSTRACT Background Management and outcomes of children hospitalised with acute SARS-CoV-2 infection may differ throughout the pandemic or with admission type (clinical COVID-19, incidental COVID-19 or nosocomial infection). Objectives Describe the severity, management and outcomes of hospitalised children with acute SARS-CoV-2 infection in Australia across the first 4 years of the pandemic and compare between admission types, SARS-CoV-2 variants, age groups and immune status. Study design A multi-centre prospective cohort study of 6,009 children aged 0-16 years between January 2020 to June 2023. Results Most children (84.3%) did not receive respiratory support , 33.4% received antibiotics and 8% were admitted...

Abstract Emerging as a major global health threat, Mpox previously known as Monkeypox has drawn attention due to a worrying surge in cases . This zoonotic disease , native to Central and West Africa , is marked by fever, rash, and lymphadenopathy and is primarily spread through direct contact with infected animals or people and indirectly through contaminated objects. Recent studies have indicated possible sexual transmission , underscoring how human behavior and environmental changes are increasing its prevalence, even though human-to-human transmission is less efficient than that of smallpox . Mpox is endemic in several African countries , and currently, the infection has spread in non-endemic countries, including Rwanda, Uganda, and Kenya . Democratic Republic of Congo is the epicenter of the current Mpox outbreak. From January 1, 2022, to August 6, 2024, sixteen African countries reported Mpox outbreak. Several factors, including population immunity deficiencies and changes to the ...