ETIDIOH - NEW

  Abstract The emergence of H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) clade 2.3.4.4b in dairy cattle across multiple U.S. states in early 2024 marks a major shift in the virus’s host range and epidemiological profile . Traditionally limited to bird species , the ongoing detection of H5N1 in cattle , a mammalian host not previously considered vulnerable, raises urgent animal and human health concerns about zoonoses and mammalian adaptation . We assessed the feasibility of using commercially available pasteurized milk as a sentinel matrix for the molecular detection and genetic characterization of H5N1 HPAIV. Our aim was to determine whether retail milk could serve as a practical tool for virological monitoring and to evaluate the use of full-length genome segment amplification for extracting genomic sequence information from this highly processed matrix. Our results link HPAIV sequences in store-bought milk to the cattle outbreak and highlight both the potential and the l...

Public Domain. Source: WikiArt,  https://www.wikiart.org/en/domenico-ghirlandaio/portrait-of-giovanna-tornabuoni-1490  ____

  Abstract In March 2024, a highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 (HPAI) clade 2.3.4.4b virus was identified in US dairy cows , with spillover to cats, poultry, and humans . Up to 30% of commercial pasteurized milk tested contained viral genome copies . The impact of residual viral remnants on host immunity is unknown. Orally ingested proteins can stimulate gut-associated lymphoid tissues , potentially inducing tolerance and altering responses to later infection. We found that milk pasteurization fully inactivated pandemic H1N1 and bovine H5N1 influenza viruses yet preserved hemagglutinin (HA) protein integrity. In mice , repeated oral exposure to inactivated virus did not alter mortality after H5N1 virus challenge. Preliminary data showed that naïve mice exposed to improperly pasteurized milk containing live H5N1 virus developed lethal infection , whereas prior H1N1 infection conferred protection . Mice with preexisting H1N1 immunity remained protected when challenged with bovine...

  Von Hmaag - Eigenes Werk, CC BY-SA 3.0,  https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=9531230 Source: Wikipedia,  https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schweizerische_Lokomotiv-_und_Maschinenfabrik ____

  Int J Infect Dis TENG Z, Li L, Che T, Liang J, et al A Novel Balamuthia Lineage Causing Fatal Granulomatous Amoebic Encephalitis in an Immunocompetent Infant. Int J Infect Dis. 2025 Sep 17:108063. doi: 10.1016/j.ijid.2025.108063. PubMed           Abstract available J Med Virol PLICANTI E, Deiana A, Nottoli S, Lottini G, et al A Pyrido-Quinoxaline Derivative That Downregulates Reticulon 3 Protein Exhibits Potent Antiviral Activity Against Zika Virus. J Med Virol. 2025;97:e70605. PubMed           Abstract available J Virol TSUJINO S, Tsuda M, Nao N, Okumura K, et al Evolution of BA.2.86 to JN.1 reveals that functional changes in non-structural viral proteins are required for fitness of SARS-CoV-2. J Virol. 2025 Sep 23:e0090825. doi: 10.1128/jvi.00908. PubMed           Abstract available HAMMER E, Flynn C, Rossler J, Erder J, et al Prediction of COVID-19 disease pr...

  Am J Med WAHID L, Kwon T, Kreuziger LB, Kasthuri RS, et al Extended Thromboprophylaxis in Patients Hospitalized with COVID-19 at Time of Discharge is Not Associated with Improvement in Quality of Life. Am J Med. 2025;138:1464-1468. PubMed           Abstract available Biochem Biophys Res Commun ZHANG L, Li Y, Ye K, Wang P, et al Article I. metformin affects H1N1-induced apoptosis in lung epithelial cells by the miR-130a-5p-regulated PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2025;782:152526. PubMed           Abstract available J Gen Virol HA Y, Lee YH, Jo HS, Kwon TW, et al Susceptibility of different mouse strains to SARS-CoV-2 spike receptor-binding domain protein-induced lung inflammation: a comparative study. J Gen Virol. 2025;106. PubMed           Abstract available J Infect Dis GAILLET A, Layese R, Fourati S, Celante H, et al Clinical Phenotype...

  {Summary} Time Period: September 14, 2025 - September 20, 2025 -- H5 Detection :  3 sites ( 0.7% ) -- No Detection :  429 sites ( 99.3% ) -- No samples in last week :  33 sites (...) Source: US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,  https://www.cdc.gov/nwss/rv/wwd-h5.html ____

{Di Donna Dewhurst - This image originates from the National Digital Library of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service,   https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=269880 } The affected wild animals {Anatidae spp.} belonged to a conservation foundation; they got sick after sharing water bodies with migratory birds. Location: Izabal Region. Source: WOAH,  https://wahis.woah.org/#/in-review/6814 ____

  {Summary} -- During current surveillance week (from 18 to 24 Sept. '25), 33 new confirmed human cases of West Nile Virus have been detected.  -- Since the beginning of the epidemic season , there have been 680 cases in total , (they were 647 last week); of these:  - 321 were West Nile Neuroinvasive Disease (WNND): 15 in Piedmont, 44 Lombardy, 27 Veneto, 2 Friuli-Venezia Giulia, 1 Liguria, 25 Emilia-Romagna, 8 Tuscany, 1 Marche, 83 Latium, 2 Molise, 79 Campania, 2 Apulia, 2 Basilicata, 5 Calabria, 1 Sicily, 24 Sardinia),  - 54 were asymptomatic cases in blood donors ,  - 296 were West Nile Fever cases (1 imported from Kenya , 1 Egypt and 1 Maldives ),  - 3 asymptomatic cases,   - 6 unspecified cases.  --  Among confirmed cases , there were 48 deaths : 7 in Piedmont, 5 Lombardy, 2 Emilia-Romagna, 17 Latium, 14 Campania, 2 Calabria, 1 Sardinia.  - The Case-Fatality Rate among WNND cases was 14.9% (it was 20% in 2018 and 14% in 2024)....

  {Excerpt} Highly pathogenic avian influenza caused by H5N1 viruses emerged in East Asia in the late 1990s and spread to Europe, Africa, and the Middle East , circulating in wild and domestic birds and occasionally spilling over into mammals and humans . These viruses are classified into genetic lineages called clades based on differences in the gene encoding hemagglutinin , a key surface protein involved in cell entry. In 2021, one such lineage, clade 2.3.4.4b , crossed from Europe to Canada . It spread rapidly, reaching the southern tip of South America in less than 2 years and causing massive mortality in seabirds and marine mammals , including South American sea lions (Otaria flavescens) and southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina) (1). However, human mortality has been markedly lower in the present H5N1 outbreak than in past ones. If the virus evolves the capacity to transmit from human to human, understanding this reduction will be essential for mounting an effective respo...

  Abstract Influenza virus cross-subtype antibodies targeting the hemagglutinin (HA) head are rare . Here, we found that a large proportion of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) isolated from individuals immunized with the 2021-22 seasonal influenza vaccine bound to an epitope on the HA head of both the H1N1 vaccine strain and H3N2 strains from the mid-1990s. These H1/H3 cross-reactive antibodies were also found in polyclonal sera , but only in samples from individuals born in the 1990s . Ferrets sequentially exposed to an H3N2 virus from the 1990s and a contemporary seasonal influenza vaccine produced the same type of H1/H3 cross-reactive antibodies. We found evidence that H1N1 viruses are currently evolving within the human population to abrogate the binding of these antibodies . Together, our study demonstrates how prior influenza virus exposures can influence the specificity of antibodies elicited by entirely different influenza virus subtypes, and how viruses evolve to escape these ...

  Summary -- What is already known about this topic? -  Influenza-associated encephalopathy (IAE) is a rare, severe neurologic complication of influenza. -- What is added by this report? - During the high-severity 2024–25 influenza season, 109 U.S. pediatric IAE cases were identified; 55% of affected children were previously healthy . Thirty-seven IAE cases were subcategorized as acute necrotizing encephalopathy (ANE), a severe form of IAE characterized by rapid neurologic decline and a poor prognosis . Overall, 74% of IAE patients were admitted to an intensive care unit , and 19% died ; 41% of ANE patients died. Only 16% of vaccine-eligible IAE patients had received the 2024–25 influenza vaccine. -- What are the implications for public health practice? - All children are at risk for severe neurologic complications of influenza . Annual influenza vaccination is recommended for all children aged ≥6 months to prevent influenza and associated complications, potentially including ...

  A poultry farm in Gyeonggi-do Region. Source: WOAH,  https://wahis.woah.org/#/in-review/6805 ___

  {By Sanchezn - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3019282 } Three wild mute swans in Dolnośląskie Region. Source: WOAH,  https://wahis.woah.org/#/in-review/6815 ____

  Summary Background Cancer is a leading cause of death globally. Accurate cancer burden information is crucial for policy planning , but many countries do not have up-to-date cancer surveillance data. To inform global cancer-control efforts, we used the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2023 framework to generate and analyse estimates of cancer burden for 47 cancer types or groupings by age, sex, and 204 countries and territories from 1990 to 2023, cancer burden attributable to selected risk factors from 1990 to 2023, and forecasted cancer burden up to 2050. Methods Cancer estimation in GBD 2023 used data from population-based cancer registration systems , vital registration systems, and verbal autopsies. Cancer mortality was estimated using ensemble models , with incidence informed by mortality estimates and mortality-to-incidence ratios (MIRs). Prevalence estimates were generated from modelled survival estimates, then multiplied by disability weig...

  Abstract Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has impacted global health. Remdesivir was approved based on clinical trials demonstrating improved outcomes in hospitalized patients. The ReEs-COVID19 study provides real-world evidence on its effectiveness and safety across two periods: Pre-Omicron and Omicron. This retrospective, observational cohort study included 1610 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 , treated with remdesivir during Pre-Omicron (September 2020–February 2021; n = 606) and Omicron (June 2022–March 2023; n = 1004) periods. Primary endpoint: time to discharge; Hepatic/renal function abnormalities were also investigated. In the Omicron period patients were older and had more comorbidities but remdesivir was initiated earlier (median: 2 days from symptom onset) compared to the Pre-Omicron period (8 days). ICU admissions rates and direct COVID-19-related deaths were significantly lower , but overall 30-day mortality was higher during the Omicr...

  Abstract The poultry industry faces a constant threat from the mutation and transmission of avian influenza viruses (AIVs). While waterfowl and wild birds are natural hosts of H3N3 AIV , reports of H3N3 infections in chickens are limited. However, in 2023, a decline in egg production among laying hens in the Yancheng Region of Jiangsu Province prompted a study. This research aimed to diagnose the aetiology in laying hens through molecular virological methods and characterise the biological properties of the causative pathogens. An H3N3 AIV subtype strain, A/chicken/China/YC01/2023(H3N3), was isolated from chickens exhibiting lesions. Genome sequencing and analysis revealed a novel genetic makeup : the HA gene originated from an H3N8 AIV, the NA gene from an H10N3 AIV, and the internal genes from an H9N2 AIV, all circulating in China. Chickens experimentally infected with the isolate showed signs of Harderian gland haemorrhage, nasal mucus, tracheal circumferential bleeding , and ...

  Abstract Orf virus (ORFV), the prototype species of the Parapoxvirus genus within the Poxviridae family (subfamily Chordopoxvirinae), is a global pathogen infecting sheep, goats , and other ruminants , with zoonotic potential for humans . In this study, an outbreak of ORFV infection occurred in a sheep flock in Changling County, Jilin province, China , causing papules, pustules, and crusting lesions on the lips and eyelids. Typical parapoxvirus particles were observed using electron microscopy, and a wild ORFV strain was isolated, characterized, and designated as ORFV-CL24 . To clarify the epidemiological and genomic characteristics of ORFV in the region, we completed its whole-genome sequencing (GenBank accession number: PV126639). Genome analysis revealed that ORFV-CL24 shares a conserved structure with other isolates available in GenBank, which possess a complete genomic sequence of 138,500 bp of dsDNA harboring 131 putative open reading frames (ORFs) flanked by inverted termi...

  The World Health Organization (WHO) emphasizes that there is currently no conclusive scientific evidence confirming a possible link between autism and use of acetaminophen (also known as paracetamol) during pregnancy.  Globally, nearly 62 million people (1 in 127) have autism spectrum disorder , a diverse group of conditions related to development of the brain . Although awareness and diagnosis have improved in recent years, the exact causes of autism have not been established , and it is understood there are multiple factors that can be involved.   Extensive research has been undertaken over the past decade, including large-scale studies, looking into links between acetaminophen use during pregnancy and autism . At this time, no consistent association has been established.  WHO recommends that all women continue to follow advice of their doctors or health workers, who can help assess individual circumstances and recommend necessary medicines. Any medicine sh...

  ABSTRACT The global spread of the A/goose/Guangdong/1/96-lineage H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) viruses has been accompanied by an expanded host range and the establishment of sustained viral transmission among dairy cattle . To evaluate if the evolving H5N1 viruses have changed tissue tropism over time , we compared the binding patterns of recombinant hemagglutinin (HA) proteins derived from clade 1 (A/Vietnam/1203/04, H5VN) and circulating clade 2.3.4.4b viruses detected from wild bird (A/Eurasian Teal/Hong Kong/AFCD-HKU-23-14009-01020/2023, H5HK) and dairy cattle (A/bovine/Ohio/B24OSU-439/2024, H5OH). The HA protein of A(H1N1)pdm09 virus was included for comparison . Using bio-layer interferometry , H1 protein preferentially bound to the α2,6-linked sialoside 6′SLNLN , while H5 proteins preferentially bound to the α2,3-linked sialoside 3′SLN . H5OH showed higher binding affinity to 3′SLN than H5HK and H5VN. The attachment patterns of H1 and H5 proteins to the re...