ETIDIOH - NEW

Abstract Despite identification of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza viruses nearly 75 years ago, the transmission pathways among wild animals remain incompletely described. We propose the use of social networks , to complement phylodynamic modeling , for better surveillance, prediction, and prioritization of HPAI. Source: PLoS Pathogens,  https://journals.plos.org/plospathogens/article?id=10.1371/journal.ppat.1013233 ____

  {Excerpt} Time Period: June 22, 2025 - June 28, 2025 -- H5 Detection :  3 sites ( 0.8% ) -- No Detection :  370 sites ( 99.2% ) -- No samples in last week :  52 sites (...) Source: US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,  https://www.cdc.gov/nwss/rv/wwd-h5.html ____

By © Giles Laurent, gileslaurent.com, License CC BY-SA, CC BY-SA 4.0,  https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=142133890  A wild Golden Eagle in Lapin aluehallintovirasto Region. Source: WOAH,  https://wahis.woah.org/#/in-review/6597 ____

  By Andreas Trepte - Own work, CC BY-SA 2.5,  https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10944563 A Great black-backed Gull in Nordland Region. Source: WOAH,  https://wahis.woah.org/#/in-review/6594 ____

Abstract Wild waterbirds are circulating important RNA viruses, such as avian coronaviruses, avian astroviruses, avian influenza viruses, and avian paramyxoviruses . Waterbird migration routes cover vast territories both within and between continents. The breeding grounds of many species are in the Arctic, but research into this region is rare. This study reports the first Newcastle disease virus (NDV) detection in Arctic Russia . As a result of a five-year study (from 2019 to 2023) of avian paramyxoviruses and avian influenza viruses in wild waterbirds of the Taimyr Peninsula , whole-genome sequences of NDV and H3N8 were obtained . The resulting influenza virus isolate was phylogenetically related to viruses that circulated between 2021 and 2023 in Eurasia, Siberia, and Asia. All NDV sequences were obtained from the Herring gull, and other gull sequences formed a separate gull-like clade in the sub-genotype I.1.2.1, Class II. This may indirectly indicate that different NDV variants ad...

Abstract Since Spring 2024, new genotypes of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b have been identified in the United States (US). These HPAI H5N1 genotypes have caused unprecedented multi-state outbreaks in poultry and dairy farms , and human infections . Here, we discuss the current situation of this outbreak and emphasizes the need for pre-pandemic preparedness to control HPAI H5N1 in both poultry and dairy farms in the US. Source: npj Viruses,  https://www.nature.com/articles/s44298-025-00138-5 ____

Abstract H5N1 influenza outbreaks have been reported on more than 1,070 dairy farms across 17 states in the US . Damage to the mammary gland and high levels of virus in milk were common features of the infected cattle, but it is unclear how the virus initially invades the mammary glands, and no control strategy is currently available. Here, we found that cattle oral tissues support H5N1 virus binding and replication , and virus replicating in the mouth of cattle transmitted to the mammary glands of dairy cattle during sucking . We also found that an H5 inactivated vaccine or a hemagglutinin-based DNA vaccine induced sterilizing immunity in cows against challenges with different H5N1 viruses. Our study provides insights into H5N1 virus transmission and control in cattle. Source: National Science Review,  https://academic.oup.com/nsr/advance-article/doi/10.1093/nsr/nwaf262/8180392?searchresult=1 ____

  Public Domain. Source: WikiArt,  https://www.wikiart.org/en/joshua-reynolds/three-ladies-adorning-a-term-of-hymen-1773 ____

Abstract Highly pathogenic avian influenza of the H5N1 subtype has shown recent unprecedented expansion in its geographic and host range , increasing the pandemic threat . The younger age of H5N1 versus H7N9 avian influenza in humans has previously been attributed to imprinted pre-immunity to hemagglutinin stalk (HA2) epitopes shared with group 1 ( H1N1, H2N2 ) versus group 2 ( H3N2 ) influenza A subtypes predominating in the human population before versus after 1968, respectively. Here we review the complex immuno-epidemiological interactions underpinning influenza risk assessment and extend the imprinting hypothesis to include a potential role for cross-protective neuraminidase (NA) imprinting . We compare H5N1 distributions and case fatality ratios by age and birth cohort (as proxy for HA2 and/or NA imprinting epoch) not only to H7N9 but also H5N6 and H9N2 avian influenza, representing more varied conditions of zoonotic influenza relatedness to human subtypes of the past century. We...

  Di Johannes Smit - https://www.flickr.com/photos/johannes-j-smit/3336090235/ , CC BY-SA 2.0,  https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=112400120 Source: Wikipedia,  https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automotrice_FS_ALe_582 ____

  Am J Respir Crit Care Med MICHELS EHA, Peters-Sengers H, de Brabander J, Schuurman AR, et al The Plasma Proteome in Community-acquired Pneumonia: Pathophysiology, Outcome and 10-Year Risk. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2025 Jul 2. doi: 10.1164/rccm.202502-0325. PubMed           Abstract available Ann Intern Med CROSLEY E, Martin GS In COVID-19 acute hypoxemic respiratory failure, awake prone positioning vs. supine positioning increases survival without intubation. Ann Intern Med. 2025 Jul 1. doi: 10.7326/ANNALS-25-02004. PubMed           Abstract available BMJ COOPER N, Agius S, Freeman K, Church H, et al Impact of physician assistants on quality of care: rapid review. BMJ. 2025;390:e086358. PubMed           Abstract available KIRKLAND A, Greer SL The antivaccine movement threatens health in the US and worldwide. BMJ. 2025;390:r1383. PubMed     ...

  Biochemistry (Mosc) KAZAKOVA AA, Leonova EI, Sopova JV, Chirinskaite AV, et al Progress in CRISPR/CAS13-Mediated Suppression of Influenza A and SARS-CoV-2 Virus Infection in in vitro and in vivo Models. Biochemistry (Mosc). 2025;90:786-803. PubMed           Abstract available BMC Pediatr XIANG L, Wang Q, Xu Y, Tong Y, et al Paxlovid for the treatment of severe or critical COVID-19 in children. BMC Pediatr. 2025;25:493. PubMed           Abstract available BMJ CHEN C, Zhou W, Cui Y, Cao K, et al Global, regional, and national characteristics of the main causes of increased disease burden due to the covid-19 pandemic: time-series modelling analysis of global burden of disease study 2021. BMJ. 2025;390:e083868. PubMed           Abstract available J Clin Microbiol ROBBINS EM, Bertuzis R, Chiu H-C, Miller L, et al A multicenter study to assess the performance of the p...

  Situation at a glance Between 1 January and 1 July 2025, the World Health Organization (WHO) was notified by Cambodia’s International Health Regulations (IHR) National Focal Point (NFP) of 11 laboratory-confirmed cases of human infection with avian influenza A(H5N1) virus .  Seven of the 11 cases were reported in June , an unusual monthly increase .  Avian influenza A(H5N1) was first detected in Cambodia, in December 2003, initially affecting wild birds.  Since then, 83 cases of human infection with influenza A(H5N1), including 49 deaths (case fatality ratio [CFR] of 59%), have been reported in the country.  While the virus continued to circulate in avian species , no human cases were reported between 2014 and 2022, after which, the virus re-emerged in humans in February 2023.  Since the re-emergence of human A(H5N1) infections in Cambodia in 2023, a total of 27 cases have been reported (six in 2023, 10 in 2024, and 11 to date in 2025), of which 12 were f...

  Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) has lost all off-site power for the ninth time during the military conflict and now relies on emergency diesel generators for the electricity it needs, underlining the extremely fragile nuclear safety situation at the site , IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said today. The plant’s connection to its last remaining 750 kilovolt (kV) power line was cut at 17:37 local time today. While the cause was not immediately known, it coincided with air raid alarms in the region, Director General Grossi said, citing information from the Ukrainian nuclear regulator. It was the first time the ZNPP suffered a complete loss of off-site power since 2 December 2023. The IAEA team based at the site , Europe’s largest nuclear power plant (NPP), reported that 18 emergency diesel generators immediately started operating to generate the electricity the plant needs to be able to cool the reactors and the spent fuel pools . The plant has diesel f...

Abstract The emergence of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A(H5N1), clade 2.3.4.4b, genotype B3.13 in U.S. dairy cattle marks a significant shift in the virus' host range and epidemiological profile. Infected cattle typically exhibit mild clinical signs, such as reduced milk production, mastitis and fever, with morbidity generally below 20% and mortality averaging 2%. Transmission within farms is primarily driven by contaminated milk and milking procedures , while farm‐to‐farm spread is mainly linked to cattle movement and shared equipment . The virus demonstrates high replication in mammary glands , with infected cows shedding large quantities of virus in milk for up to 3 weeks, even in the absence of clinical signs. Shedding through other routes appears limited. Infected cattle develop virus‐specific antibodies within 7–10 days , offering short‐term protection, though the duration and robustness of immunity remain unclear. Between March 2024 and May 2025, the virus was co...

Abstract On 08 December 2024, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported an outbreak of Disease X in the Panzi Health Zone, Kwango province, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). This unknown pathogen , with 406 cases and 31 deaths at the time of its declaration, predominantly affects children under 5 years. Disease X, hypothesised to be a zoonotic ribonucleic acid (RNA) virus , poses significant challenges because of limited healthcare infrastructure, gaps in risk communication and ineffective community engagement . This opinion article aims to explore these challenges and advocate for the urgent need for culturally tailored, inclusive communication strategies that foster trust and empower local communities in responding to outbreaks. Key approaches highlighted include mobilising local leaders, utilising mobile laboratories for decentralised diagnostics and improving sample collection techniques. Drawing on lessons from previous epidemics, such as COVID-19 and Ebola, this article ...

Summary Background Clade I monkeypox virus is endemic in DR Congo. We aim to describe the epidemiological trends of the cocirculating subclades Ia and Ib mpox outbreaks in Kinshasa, DR Congo. Methods This retrospective observational study included suspected and laboratory-confirmed mpox cases reported between Jan 1, 2023, and Oct 31, 2024, in Kinshasa. Skin lesion swabs or blood samples were collected as part of a routine countrywide mpox surveillance programme. To confirm the diagnosis of mpox, all samples were tested at the Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale (INRB) using real-time PCR. Whole-genome sequencing was conducted for phylogenomic analysis and assessment of APOBEC3 type mutations. Samples that remained unassigned to subclade Ia or Ib after whole-genome sequencing and real-time PCR were labelled as an unknown subclade. Findings As part of routine disease surveillance, 1479 suspected mpox cases were reported in Kinshasa. Samples were collected from 1314 suspected mpox ...

Abstract As of 20 May, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has confirmed highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in more than 173.1 million birds since the outbreak began in January 2022. The secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services, Robert Kennedy Jr., has suggested allowing the unmitigated spread of HPAI in turkeys and chickens to identify surviving birds—a sentiment supported by Brooke Rollins, secretary of the USDA , which, along with state-level departments of agriculture, has jurisdiction over animal disease outbreaks (1). This approach would be dangerous and unethical . Allowing a highly lethal, rapidly evolving, and contagious virus to run a natural course of infection in poultry would lead to unnecessary suffering of poultry and put other susceptible animals on and near affected farms at risk . It would prolong exposure for farmworkers , which could increase viral adaptation and transmission risks for poultry, other peridomestic animals, and humans. Sou...

Abstract Background Avian influenza is an infectious disease of birds caused by the influenza A virus, which can infect a variety of domestic,wild birds and even cross the species barrier and infect humans.To understand the contamination of avian influenza virus in the external environment of poultry in Huzhou City from 2017 to 2023 and to assess the risk of human infection with avian influenza. Methods A total of 3,400 environmental specimens from five types of venues in Huzhou City were collected and tested for influenza A virus nucleic acid using fluorescent reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Results From 2017 to 2023, with 15.44% overall positive rate of influenza A virus . The predominant subtype of avian influenza virus was H9 (accounting for 54.67%). The peak of positive influenza virus detection rates occurred in winter and spring seasons every year. The venue with highest positive rate was poultry slaughtering and processing plants (41.83%), followed by ...

Summary -- What is already known about this topic? - Parvovirus B19 (B19) is a respiratory virus that can cause adverse fetal outcomes in pregnant women and persons who are immunocompromised or have chronic hemolytic blood disorders . After relatively low rates during the COVID-19 pandemic years of 2021–2023, B19 activity in 2024 exceeded that of prepandemic years. -- What is added by this report? - Data from the National Syndromic Surveillance Program indicated that the proportion of sera specimens positive for B19 antibodies during January–May 10, 2025, was higher than during the same period in 2024 , suggesting a sustained increase in B19 transmission. -- What are the implications for public health practice? - Health care providers should have a heightened suspicion of and consider providing testing for B19 infection among groups at high risk for severe outcomes, including pregnant women with compatible symptoms or exposure to B19. Among pregnant women, health care providers should ...