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  Ann Intern Med CONLY J Expression of Concern: Medical Masks Versus N95 Respirators for Preventing COVID-19 Among Health Care Workers. Ann Intern Med. 2025 Aug 5. doi: 10.7326/ANNALS-25-03203. PubMed          BADUASHVILI A, Radonovich L, Leslie L, Pease S, et al Engineering Infection Controls to Reduce Indoor Transmission of Respiratory Infections : A Scoping Review. Ann Intern Med. 2025 Aug 5. doi: 10.7326/ANNALS-25-00577. PubMed           Abstract available Antiviral Res YAO G, Shi X, Jiang H, Duan A, et al Design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of novel 6-aminoalkyl- and 7-heteroaryl substituted 7-deazapurine nucleoside analogs against SARS-CoV-2 Replication. Antiviral Res. 2025 Aug 1:106246. doi: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2025.106246. PubMed           Abstract available Clin Infect Dis BHIMRAJ A, Falck-Ytter Y, Baden LR, Bedimo R, et al 2025 Clinical Practice Guid...

  Antimicrob Agents Chemother HARFOOT R, Lawley B, Hernandez LC, Kuang J, et al Synthetic host defense peptide inhibits SARS-CoV-2 replication in vitro. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2025;69:e0170024. PubMed           Abstract available TATE M, Illingworth CJR, MacGregor G, Cunningham L, et al Clinical effectiveness, safety, and viral mutagenicity of oral favipiravir for COVID-19: results from a community-based, open-label, randomized Phase III trial. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2025;69:e0005425. PubMed           Abstract available ZHOU Y, Meng X, Li J, Zeng G, et al Safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics of anti-SARS-CoV-2 monoclonal antibody SA55 injection in healthy participants. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2025;69:e0056825. PubMed           Abstract available GOMI S, Price E, Burgoyne H, Faozia S, et al Omadacycline exhibits anti-inflammatory properties a...

  Abstract Importance :  Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A H5N1 has been recognized for nearly three decades as a threat to avian species and as a virus with pandemic potential if spillover into human populations occurs. Recently the virus has evolved capacity to infect many mammalian species , including dairy cattle , increasing the risk for human exposure and the pandemic threat. Sialic acids (SA) serve as binding sites for influenza viruses. The distribution of SA determines infectivity of specific influenza viruses across species and tissue tropism . Hemagglutinin (HA) of human and swine adapted influenza viruses bind primarily to SA with α2,6-galactose linkages and avian influenza viruses preferentially bind to SA with α2,3-galactose linkages . Recently, the bovine udder was found to contain SA with α2,3 linkages which allow the H5N1 virus to bind to bovine udder epithelium and to infect milk. The distribution of SA receptors in the human mammary gland is unknown...

  Abstract Reassortment between different influenza strains occurs when they co-infect the same host cell . The emergence of a reassortant virus depends on both its intrinsic fitness and extrinsic factors , including pre-existing humoral immunity . The generation of pandemic strains , such as H2N2 and H3N2 , and zoonotic influenza A viruses, like H5N6, H5N8, and H7N9 , in birds is suggested to be the result of extensive selection by pre-existing antibodies . To further explore the role of humoral immunity in reassortment , we generated two divergent fluorescent protein-expressing viruses and used strain-specific and cross-reactive monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) to assess the impact of cross-immunity on reassortment. Our results indicate that all mAbs altered the genotypic diversity and significantly reduced the release of progeny virions in co-infected cells both in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, antibody transfer studies in mice revealed protection from challenge with divergent pathog...

  Abstract Vaccine responses vary widely in human studies. Here we pooled data measuring 66 cytokines from 4 different inactivated influenza vaccine (IIV) cohorts over 5 seasons (N=581) and identified a significant correlation between baseline/day 0 serum IL-18 and IFN-β concentrations and the antibody response on day 28. We investigated this further in human tonsil and spleen organoids , and found that several cytokines, including multiple Type I IFNs (IFN-β and others), IL-21, IL-12, IL-10, but not IL-18 or its downstream Type II IFN (IFN-β), could adjuvant the IIV vaccine to enhance the antibody response . The live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) induced a stronger antibody response than the inactivated one in organoids. Adding a single cytokine, IFN-β, recapitulated most of the live vaccine-specific cytokine activation program and increased the antibody response of the inactivated vaccine to that of the live vaccine. Thus, the human vaccinees and the organoid data showed th...

  De user:axpde - Opera propia, GFDL,  https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11625891 Source: Wikipedia,  https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minuetto_(treno) ____

  ABSTRACT The H5N1 strain of influenza A virus (IAV) continues to cause severe infections in a range of avian and mammalian species , including sporadic but concerning cases in humans. There is growing concern that circulating H5N1 strains could lead to widespread human outbreaks . Research with highly pathogenic H5N1 viruses is restricted to Biosafety Level 3 (BSL-3) laboratories. Vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV)-based vaccine vectors expressing heterologous viral proteins from Ebola, SARS-CoV-2, Lassa virus, etc., have previously been shown to be safe and effective in animal models and human clinical trials . Here, we report the development of a recombinant VSV expressing the hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) genes of H5N1 IAV (H5N1-VSV), which serves as a versatile platform to study various aspects of H5N1 IAV biology. H5N1-VSV replicated robustly to titers comparable to those of the full H5N1 virus in multiple cell lines. In mice , H5N1-VSV vaccination was safe, elicit...

  ABSTRACT Airborne transmissibility of avian influenza viruses (AIVs) in humans is considered an essential component of their pandemic risk . Although several viral factors regulating airborne transmission (AT) have been delineated, it is not known what, if any, responses at the respiratory epithelia are determinants of AIV AT. Using responses in the ferret nasal epithelium to a panel of H1N1 AIVs, we describe host responses that segregate with AT phenotypes . AIV infection upregulated interferon alpha and gamma responses and IL-6 JAK-STAT signaling and downregulated oxidative phosphorylation . Single-cell transcriptomics revealed that cellular genotoxic stress and NF-kB, interferon, and cell fate pathways differentiated host responses to AIVs with different transmissibilities. These responses culminated in greater AIV antigen-containing exudate and debris in the respiratory spaces of the nasal epithelium of ferrets inoculated with AT AIVs. More abundant CMPK2, SP100, and CXCL10 t...

  {Summary} Time Period: July 27, 2025 - August 02, 2025 -- H5 Detection :  4 sites ( 0.9% ) -- No Detection :  430 sites (99.1%) -- No samples in last week :  24 sites (...) Source: US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,  https://www.cdc.gov/nwss/rv/wwd-h5.html ____

  Two Poultry Farms in the Odisha State. Source: WOAH,  https://wahis.woah.org/#/in-review/6694 ____

  Summary Background Rabies is almost invariably fatal . A rabies monoclonal antibody (RmAb) was approved in India in 2016 for passive prophylaxis. This post-marketing study aimed to evaluate the long-term safety, immunogenicity, and efficacy of a post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) regimen containing RmAb. Methods This phase 4, open-label, randomised, active-controlled study was conducted at 15 tertiary care hospitals in India . Patients aged 2 years or older with WHO category 3 rabies exposure by a suspected rabid animal were eligible if the exposure occurred less than 72 h before enrolment, or less than 24 h before enrolment for exposures to the face, neck, hand, or fingers. Participants were randomly assigned (3:1) to receive either RmAb (Rabishield; Serum Institute of India, Pune, India) plus a purified Vero cell rabies vaccine (PVRV; Rabivax-S) or equine rabies immunoglobulin (ERIG; Equirab) plus PVRV as PEP. In each treatment group, patients were further randomly assigned (1:1) ...

Highlights •  MjHKU4r-CoV-1 with high fusogenicity induces inflammatory responses in human cells •  6-HB structure determination unveils MjHKU4r-S-mediated membrane fusion mechanism •  MjHKU4r-CoV-1 HR2 peptides exhibit potent activity by targeting viral HR1 domain •  Stapled peptide MjHKU4r-HR2P10 shows potent and broad-spectrum anti-CoV activity Summary Unlike preceding MERS-related coronaviruses, the recently identified MjHKU4r-CoV-1 strain can directly infect human cells . Nonetheless, its potential pathogenic attributes and underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. We find that MjHKU4r-CoV-1 induces significant inflammation , including interleukin (IL)-6 and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), and exhibits pronounced fusogenicity mediated by its spike (S) protein, leading to extensive syncytium formation . This suggests the possibility that MjHKU4r-CoV-1 possesses strong pathogenic potential in humans . Further, we successfully reveal the molecular mechan...

Highlights •  Conserved T cell epitope regions elicit strong CD4+ and CD8+ T cell responses in SARS2-exposed •  CTERs enhance cross-reactivity across multiple Betacoronaviruses •  Targeting non-spike proteins expands immune breadth and HLA coverage •  Removing low population coverage regions preserves cross-reactivity Summary The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the critical need for vaccine strategies capable of addressing emerging viral threats . Betacoronaviruses, including severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus ( SARS-CoV ), Middle East respiratory syndrome ( MERS ), and SARS-CoV-2 , present significant pandemic risks due to their zoonotic potential and genetic diversity . T cell-mediated immunity has demonstrated durable responses and strong cross-reactivity, offering a promising avenue for achieving broad immunity within a viral family. In this study, we combined comprehensive epitope mapping with sequence conservation analyses to identify conserved T cell ...

{Summary} -- Since the last update (July 31), eighty-four new confirmed cases of human infection with West Nile Virus have been reported.  -- Since the start of epidemic season, there were 173 confirmed WNV cases, of which:  - 72 were West Nile Neuroinvasive Disease (WNND): (2 in Piedmont, 2 Lombardy, 4 Veneto, 1 Friuli-Venezia Giulia, 2 Emilia-Romagna, 37 Latium, 21 Campania, 1 Basilicata, 1 Sardegna),  - 14 were asymptomatic cases in blood donors ,  - 85 were West Nile Fever cases,  - 1 was an asymptomatic case  -- Among the confirmed cases, there were eleven fatalities : 1 in Piedmont, 4 Latium, 6 .  - The case-fatality rate among WNND cases is at 15% (during 2018 season it was 20%, whereas in 2024 it was 14%).  -- No new confirmed cases of Usutu Virus human infection have been reported during current surveillance week. (...) Source: High Institute of Health,  https://www.epicentro.iss.it/westnile/bollettino/Bollettino_WND_2025_04.pdf ____...

Summary Background The Pandemic Response Repository through Microbial and Immune Surveillance and Epidemiology (PREMISE) programme was established to translate knowledge gained from global immunoepidemiological surveillance into a better understanding of population-level dynamics of emerging and re-emerging infections , as well as into the discovery and development of biomedical countermeasures against potential pandemic threats. As proof of principle for this approach, we conducted a longitudinal immunoepidemiological study in children in the USA, focusing on enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) infection dynamics but also capturing surveillance of a broad array of other endemic respiratory pathogens. Serendipitously, our sampling spanned the lifting of widespread COVID-19 non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) in 2022–23, following a unique period during which virus exposure markedly diminished. Methods This prospective, multicentre, longitudinal, immunoepidemiological surveillance study enroll...

Situation at a glance Between 17 May and 12 July 2025, the Information and Public Relations Department, Government of Kerala informed through a series of official press releases about four confirmed cases , including two deaths , due to Nipah virus (NiV) infection in two districts of Kerala State.  NiV infection is a bat-borne disease transmitted to humans through infected animals (such as bats or pigs), contaminated food or, less commonly, through close contact with infected individuals.  Since 1998 NiV outbreaks have been reported in Bangladesh, India, Malaysia , the Philippines , and Singapore .  In India, NiV infections have occurred multiple times since 2001 with outbreaks in West Bengal State in 2001 and 2007, and in Kerala State regularly since 2018.  Since 2018, Kerala has reported a total of nine NiV outbreaks . While the state has a strong healthcare system and improved infection control measures since 2023, it is advisable to maintain strong preparedness a...

  BMJ WISE J RFK Jr bans thiomersal from influenza vaccines in "safety" move. BMJ. 2025;390:r1576. PubMed          Epidemiol Infect KELLY GE, Petti S, Noah N Excess respiratory, circulatory, neoplasm, and other mortality rates during the Covid-19 pandemic in the EU and their implications. Epidemiol Infect. 2025;153:e86. PubMed           Abstract available Eur J Epidemiol ORTQVIST AK, Soderling J, Magnus MC, Urhoj SK, et al COVID-19 infection increases the risk of venous thromboembolism during pregnancy and the postpartum period. Eur J Epidemiol. 2025;40:779-788. PubMed           Abstract available BAUMKOTTER R, Yilmaz S, Chalabi J, Ten Cate V, et al Risk tools for predicting long-term sequelae based on symptom profiles after known and undetected SARS-CoV-2 infections in the population. Eur J Epidemiol. 2025;40:789-801. PubMed         ...