ETIDIOH - NEW

  Antiviral Res SCHRELL L, Scheibner D, Dickmanns A, Stegmann KM, et al Inhibitors of pyrimidine synthesis synergize with N4-hydroxycytidine to diminish influenza virus replication. Antiviral Res. 2025 Oct 3:106286. doi: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2025.106286. PubMed           Abstract available BMJ WISE J Covid-19: Excluding doctors from vaccination programme puts patients at risk, clinicians warn. BMJ. 2025;391:r2141. PubMed          Clin Infect Dis ATMAR RL, Abate G, Deming ME, George SL, et al Emerging and Pandemic Pathogens: Lessons Learned From a Clinical Research Network. Clin Infect Dis. 2025;81. PubMed           Abstract available JANO K, Babu TM, Kottkamp AC, Rebolledo PA, et al Historical Advances in Clinical Trial Design and Expanding Representation as the New Frontier for Innovation. Clin Infect Dis. 2025;81. PubMed         ...

  Ann Intern Med LE VU M, Matthes KL, Schneider EB, Moerlen A, et al Maternal Influenza-Like Illness and Neonatal Health During the 1918 Influenza Pandemic in a Swiss City. Ann Intern Med. 2025 Oct 7. doi: 10.7326/ANNALS-24-03796. PubMed           Abstract available Antiviral Res SCHRELL L, Scheibner D, Dickmanns A, Stegmann KM, et al Inhibitors of pyrimidine synthesis synergize with N4-hydroxycytidine to diminish influenza virus replication. Antiviral Res. 2025 Oct 3:106286. doi: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2025.106286. PubMed           Abstract available Epidemiol Infect VAN DER ROEST B, Fischer EAJ, Klinkenberg D, Bootsma MCJ, et al Phylodynamic inference suggests introductions as main driver of Mpox Clade II outbreak in 2022 in Slovenia. Epidemiol Infect. 2025;153:e115. PubMed           Abstract available WOLDEGIORGIS M, Bloomfield L, Korda R, Cadby G, et al Factors a...

  Summary Background Ensitrelvir is an oral antiviral treatment for COVID-19 with the same molecular target (the main protease ) as ritonavir-boosted nirmatrelvir —the current oral first-line treatment. We aimed to compare the clinical antiviral effects of the two drugs. Methods In an open-label, phase 2, randomised, controlled, adaptive pharmacometric platform trial, low-risk adult outpatients aged 18–60 years with early symptomatic COVID-19 (<4 days of symptoms) were recruited from hospital acute respiratory infection clinics in Thailand and Laos . Patients were randomly assigned in blocks (block sizes depended on the number of interventions available) to one of eight treatment groups, including oral ensitrelvir and oral ritonavir-boosted nirmatrelvir at standard doses, both given for 5 days, and no study drug. The primary endpoint was the oropharyngeal SARS-CoV-2 viral clearance rate assessed between day 0 and day 5 in the modified intention-to-treat population (defined as pa...

  By Dornicke - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0,  https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5162139 Source: Wikipedia,  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henschel_%26_Son ____

  Summary Background Since October, 2023, Palestinian children in the Gaza Strip have suffered war-induced displacement, food insecurity, malnutrition, and elevated risks of famine and mortality. In this study, we aimed to document the extent of, and patterns in, wasting malnutrition in children aged 6–59 months across the Gaza Strip between January, 2024, and August, 2025. Methods This longitudinal, cross-sectional, surveillance study was conducted across a total of 16 UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East health centres and 78 medical points established within school shelters and tent encampments across the five governorates of Gaza . Children aged 6–59 months were screened for wasting malnutrition by mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) measurement. Children with a MUAC of less than 125 mm were enrolled into therapeutic feeding regimens. MUAC Z scores were derived from published WHO age-specific and sex-specific arm circumferential growth curves. Month...

{Summary} -- During current epidemiological week , a rise in the West Nile Virus human cases has been observed although with reduced intensity compared most recent weeks.  -- Twenty-two new confirmed human cases have been reported during surveillance week from 2 to 8 October 2025.  -- The cumulative number of cases rose to 740  (they were 718 last week), of these:  - 354 were West Nile Neuroinvasive Disease (WNND): 16 in Piedmont, 53 Lombardy, 33 Veneto, 4 Friuli-Venezia Giulia, 1 Liguria, 30 Emilia-Romagna, 11 Tuscany, 1 Marche, 84 Latium, 2 Molise, 81 Campania, 2 Apulia, 2 Basilicata, 5 Calabria, 3 Sicily, 26 Sardinia, - 57 were asymptomatic cases in blood donors ,  - 318 were West Nile Fever cases , of which 1 imported from Kenya , 1 from Egypt and 1 from Maldives ,  - 4 asymptomatic cases,  - 7 unspecified cases.  -- Among confirmed cases there were 68 fatalities : 7 in Piedmont, 9 Lombardy, 2 Emilia-Romagna, 18 Latium, 28 Campania, 2 Cal...

  A poultry farm in Haskovo Region. Source: WOAH,  https://wahis.woah.org/#/in-review/6861 ____

  On 6 October 2025, an outbreak of H5 was confirmed on a breeding poultry farm in Gasselternijveenschemond, a 3 km protection zone and a 10 km surveillance zone have been established. In the 3 km zone there are 6 other poultry premises. The poultry farms in the 3 km zone have been screened (examined, sampled and tested) and results coming in next follow up report. The subtype HPAI H5 is confirmed by the national reference laboratory (NRL). All susceptible animals on the infected premise have been killed. Source: WOAH,  https://wahis.woah.org/#/in-review/6856 ____

  The Danish Veterinary and Food Administration has established a 3 km and 10 km zone around the poultry holding and is implementing the necessary measures in accordance with the European Union Animal Health Law. On 6 October 2025 a clinical suspicion was reported to the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration. The affected poultry holding consists of 150000 laying hens. On 7 October 2025 highly pathogenic avian influenza sub. H5N1 was confirmed by the national reference laboratory. A 3 km protection zone and a 10 km surveillance zone has been established. The culling is planned to be initiated on 8 October 2025. Source: WOAH,  https://wahis.woah.org/#/in-review/6858 ____

  Significance Since pigs serve as intermediate hosts between humans and the natural reservoir of influenza viruses in wild birds, they play a key role in the emergence of influenza strains with pandemic potential , as demonstrated by the 2009 pandemic. Therefore, influenza pandemic preparedness will benefit from the development of vaccines that broadly protect pigs against diverse influenza A strains. However, progress is limited by our poor molecular understanding of porcine antibody responses to influenza virus. This study isolates and characterizes a panel of broadly neutralizing influenza antibodies from pigs . Our findings not only have significant implications for the development of broadly protective influenza vaccines for pigs, but also reveal the molecular differences in the antibody responses between pigs and humans. Abstract Antibody responses to the influenza virus hemagglutinin (HA) stem, a major target for broadly protective vaccine development , have been extensivel...

  Abstract SARS-CoV-2’s remarkable resistance to nucleotide analog antivirals such as remdesivir , which thwarts RNA synthesis by inhibiting viral polymerase (RdRp), challenges available therapies . We reveal that remdesivir incorporation destabilizes RdRp–RNA complex while enhancing RNA binding to the proofreading exoribonuclease (ExoN), facilitating remdesivir excision. Conserved ExoN determinants for remdesivir recognition and excision underpin ExoN-mediated resistance across all coronaviruses . These findings inform the design of next-generation antivirals and combination therapies capable of overcoming ExoN-mediated resistance. Source: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America,  https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2519755122 ____

  Abstract Background Amid the declining clinical severity of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and diminishing public uptake of annual coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccines, contemporary evidence on vaccine effectiveness against clinically relevant outcomes is needed. Methods We conducted an observational study that used the electronic health records of the Department of Veterans Affairs to evaluate the effectiveness of the 2024–2025 Covid-19 vaccine among veterans who received the Covid-19 and influenza vaccines on the same day (164,132 participants) and in an active-comparator group of veterans who received the influenza vaccine only (131,839 participants), between September 3 and December 31, 2024. Participants were followed for 180 days or until the occurrence of an outcome, whichever came first. We used inverse-probability–weighted models to estimate vaccine effectiveness (calculated as 1 minus the risk ratio) against Covid-19–assoc...

  {By Charles J. Sharp - Own work, from Sharp Photography, sharpphotography.co.uk, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=116380120 } Nineteen captive Painted Storks in the National Zoological Park, Delhi. Source: WOAH,  https://wahis.woah.org/#/in-review/6803 ____

  Abstract Since 2015, French poultry production is threatened almost every year by a reintroduction of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5 viruses . The duck sector was the most concerned by this crisis but other sectors such as broiler, layer and turkey were also affected by outbreaks. The objective of this work was to assess the risk of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5 virus transmission from one farm to another within the French broiler and layer production network. This study used the WOAH risk assessment framework . After drawing up a scenario tree of virus transmission from one farm to another, data were collected through a literature review or through experts elicitation. Three questionnaires were developed according to the experts field of expertise: avian influenza, broiler and layer sectors. The experts estimates were combined using a beta distribution weighted by their confidence level. A Monte Carlo iteration process was used to combine the different probabilities...

  Abstract Influenza A virus (IAV) infection during pregnancy is associated with stillbirth and preterm birth , possibly by disrupting placental and fetal immunity . To investigate this, pregnant pigtail macaques were inoculated with IAV [A/California/07/2009 (H1N1)] and examined at necropsy 5 days post-infection (N=11) versus uninfected controls (N=16). Stillbirth occurred in 18% of infected pregnancies but not in controls. While vertical transmission was not observed, low levels of viral RNA were detected in two placentas . Maternal IAV infection was associated with increased placental IL-1β and IFN-β levels and an upregulated type I interferon and integrated stress transcriptional response. Fetuses exposed to IAV had greater frequencies of innate immune cells in lymph nodes and CD4+ T cells in lungs . These results suggest that placental and fetal immune environments undergo immune activation independent of the severity of maternal lung infection. Influenza vaccination during pr...

  A backyard village poultry in Ardebil Region. Source: WOAH,  https://wahis.woah.org/#/in-review/6849 ____

  {By JJ Harrison - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5014480 } A slaugthter geese farm in Wielkopolskie Region. Source: WOAH,  https://wahis.woah.org/#/in-review/6852 ____

  {By Aviceda - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4017548 } ___ In accordance with the WOAH Terrestrial Animal Health Code, Article 10.4.1, point 4, this outbreak does not change the disease-free status of Sweden as these are wild birds, and therefore do not fall within the WOAH definition of poultry. A Mediterranean Gull was found dead. It was sent to the Swedish Veterinary Agency for laboratory analysis as part of the national surveillance program for avian influenza. Source: WOAH,  https://wahis.woah.org/#/in-review/6853 ____

  Abstract Increase in the occurrence of human H5N1 spillover infections resulting from dissemination of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus into bird and mammal populations raises concerns about HPAI adapting to become human transmissible . Studies identified hemagglutinin (HA) acid stability and receptor preference as essential traits that shape host tropism . Mutations that increase HA stability and affinity for α-2,6-linked sialic acids have been shown to confer airborne transmissibility in a ferret model , however mechanisms of activation of H5 subtype HA have not been probed and the effect of adaptive mutations on HA function has been largely inferred from static structures. Here, we use hydrogen/deuterium-exchange mass spectrometry to dissect activation dynamics for two ancestral HPAI H5 HA, their matched HA with adaptive mutations, and a contemporary H5 HA. By measuring dynamics, we identify variation in active site flexibility among the HA and demonstrate that a...

  Abstract In July 2025, China witnessed its most significant chikungunya virus (CHIKV) outbreak since 2010. As of August 1, with over 6,000 cases reported in Foshan city, Guangdong Province . Although the clinical manifestations have been relatively mild , the rapid transmission within communities warrants our attention. In this context, we emphasize our current knowledge and the necessary actions to take. Specifically, we identify critical gaps in CHIKV control efforts and assess the effectiveness of current measures. These include vector management strategies , viral genomic surveillance , the deployment of newly approved vaccines , and the development of antiviral agents . Overall, to effectively control the epidemic of CHIKV, we require a comprehensive and multifaceted strategy for its prevention and management. Source: PLoS Pathogens,  https://journals.plos.org/plospathogens/article?id=10.1371/journal.ppat.1013556 ____