ETIDIOH - NEW

  Abstract The global spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) viruses poses a serious pandemic threat . While sustained human-to-human transmission has not occurred, widespread circulation in birds , increased detection in mammals , and occasional human spillovers underscore the need for safe and effective vaccines . We evaluated an H5 mRNA vaccine candidate in ferrets using recent clade 2.3.4.4b A(H5N1) human isolates. Vaccination elicited strong neutralizing antibodies , conferred robust protection against lethal challenge , and significantly reduced viral titers . In a direct contact transmission model , mRNA vaccination decreased virus shedding in inoculated ferrets and reduced onward transmission ; it also protected vaccinated contact ferrets from infection following exposure to virus-shedding, unvaccinated ferrets. Additionally, sera from vaccinated animals cross-neutralized clade 2.3.2.1e human viruses to varying degrees, depending on the strain. These findings d...

  Abstract Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5 viruses have recently been documented in mammals including humans , posing a major threat to global public health . To prevent a potential H5 pandemic , it is critical to elucidate the antigenic evolutionary pattern and identify key drivers underlying its evolution . In this work, we construct a comprehensive antigenic map of H5 influenza viruses spanning their evolutionary history and classified three antigenic clusters with no cross-neutralization . The first corresponds to ancestral clades, the second to 2.3.4.4* clades being predominant since 2010, and the third to 2.3.4.4 h clade. Despite the gradually increasing genetic distances from ancestral to 2.3.4.4* to 2.3.4.4 h, their antigenic evolution does not follow the same progressive pattern: the antigenic distance between 2.3.4.4 h and ancestral is smaller than that between 2.3.4.4* and ancestral . This divergence is associated with two distinct mutation patterns at six ke...

  Abstract Laridae birds, such as gulls, are known reservoirs of H13 and H16 low pathogenic avian influenza subtypes . However, during the recent outbreaks linked to the reemergence of high pathogenicity avian influenza virus (HPAIV) H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b of the Goose/Guangdong lineage, European populations of those birds suffered significant losses. HPAI cases were registered not only along the coastlines but also inland areas , particularly in France and Central Europe . During a diagnostic investigation of a group of Laridae birds , part of a HPAIV outbreak registered in the South of France in 2023, larval stages of Ornithodoros maritimus , a nidicolous soft tick parasitizing seabirds, were recovered from a slender-billed gull (Chroicocephalus genei). Affected birds exhibited gross and histopathological lesions consistent with systemic HPAI infection . Immunohistochemistry revealed marked neurotropism , oculotropism and multicentric epitheliotropism . Viral isolation and sequencin...

  By CARLOS TEIXIDOR CADENAS - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0,  https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=54482587 At the Llolleo train station, very close to the port of San Antonio in the Valparaíso Region, we see the Train of Memories, pulled by two diesel locomotives (D-7122 and D-16012). The first, D-7122, is French, from Brissonneau et Lotz, built in 1962. LLO-LLEO = Llolleo. San Antonio Conurbation. Source:  Link:  https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Brissonneau_et_Lotz_locomotives ____

  BMJ Analysis of peer reviewers' response to invitations by gender and geographical region: cohort study of manuscripts reviewed at 19 biomedical journals before and during covid-19 pandemic. BMJ. 2025;391:r2507. PubMed          Clin Infect Dis NGUYEN VAN JC, Pilmis B, El Helali N, Azria E, et al Implementing POCT in infectious diseases. Clin Infect Dis. 2025 Nov 27:ciaf650. doi: 10.1093. PubMed           Abstract available PANAGIOTOPOULOS AP, Anastassopoulou C, Tsakris A, Ioannidis JPA, et al Effective Antivirals in Pandemic Preparedness: Past Mistakes, Future Needs. Clin Infect Dis. 2025 Nov 25:ciaf648. doi: 10.1093. PubMed           Abstract available Int J Infect Dis HEMPEL H, Xue H, La Shu S, Jain S, et al Cancer and COVID-19: A review of Immune Insights and Partnerships to Inform Public Health Strategy. Int J Infect Dis. 2025 Nov 24:108252. doi: 10.1016/j.ijid.2...

  BMC Pediatr KIM S, Talluri R, Yu A, Evans M, et al The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on racial disparities in suicide and homicide by firearm rates in Missouri. BMC Pediatr. 2025;25:953. PubMed           Abstract available Epidemiol Infect CHUA H, Tsang TKL, Lee SL, Chan ELY, et al Waning in influenza vaccine effectiveness against influenza A(H1N1)pdm09-associated hospitalization in children in 2012/13. Epidemiol Infect. 2025 Nov 24:1-25. doi: 10.1017/S0950268825100770. PubMed          J Infect Dis ZHANG X, Lam SJ, Chen LL, Fong CH, et al Avian influenza virus A(H5N1) genotype D1.1 is better adapted to human nasal and airway organoids than genotype B3.13. J Infect Dis. 2025 Nov 24:jiaf598. doi: 10.1093. PubMed           Abstract available J Virol MITCHELL JK, Mastrodomenico V, Hartnett J, Heelan WJ, et al A HiBiT-tagged pseudovirus-like particle platform for safe, ...

  Abstract Between 6 September and 14 November 2025, 1,443 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A(H5) virus detections were reported in wild birds across 26 countries in Europe . This number was four times higher than in the same period in 2024 and the highest overall for those weeks since at least 2016 . Almost all the detections ( 99% ) were due to HPAI A(H5N1) viruses, and most of them belonged to EA-2024-DI.2.1, a new sub-lineage of the EA-2024-DI.2 genotype . These HPAI virus detections in wild birds involved increasing numbers of waterfowl species (ducks, geese and swans) that were found positive in large parts of Europe . In addition, high numbers of common cranes were affected across a wide band stretching from northeast to southwest Europe . Given the unprecedented high circulation of HPAI virus in the wild bird population compared to previous years, and the associated high environmental contamination , strict biosecurity measures and early detection of infected poultr...

  Summary Background The first chikungunya virus (CHIKV) vaccine is now licensed in Brazil, the country that reports the most cases of CHIKV globally ; however, the optimal use of the vaccine remains unclear owing to a poor understanding of CHIKV epidemiology and population immunity . We aimed to combine the distribution of cases and deaths reported since 2014 with seroprevalence studies to inform mathematical models that estimate the underlying rates of infection by state and year, and the underlying patterns of disease and death by age and sex. Methods We quantified the annual CHIKV infection and disease burden between 2014 and 2024 in each of the 27 federative units of Brazil using a mathematical model in a Bayesian framework that integrated serological surveys (n=12) and confirmed CHIKV disease cases (n=488 234) and CHIKV deaths (n=1719) reported between January, 2014, and September, 2024. Using this base, we estimated the potential impact of a vaccine over the period 2025–29 h...

  Editor’s summary Birds operate at body temperatures several degrees higher than those of mammals, and, like mammals, birds are infected by influenza viruses. Influenza viruses can move between animal hosts, often reassorting their gene segments as they transition. Knowing that the body temperature of humans often elevates when sick, Turnbull et al. investigated whether virus gene segments originating from hot-blooded birds may give the virus an advantage in feverish mammals. They found that a viral polymerase containing an avian origin PB1 subunit indeed allowed the virus to replicate at higher temperatures in vitro and in a hyperthermic mouse model. —Caroline Ash Structured Abstract INTRODUCTION Influenza A viruses circulate in diverse species of birds and periodically spill over to cause severe or fatal infections in humans . Avian influenza A viruses are adapted to replicate in the gastrointestinal tract of birds at ~40° to 42°C . By contrast, human-adapted seasonal influenza ...

  The Ministry of Health and the Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI) have released a press statement containing updated information regarding the Marburg virus disease . They stated that laboratory tests have confirmed the occurrence of Marburg virus disease in the Southern Ethiopia Region .  Up to now, 73 suspected individuals have been tested; among them, 6 patients have died due to the virus, as confirmed by the EPHI reference laboratory. Five additional patients are currently receiving treatment. It was also noted that 349 people who had contact with the confirmed cases are under follow-up, and 119 of them have already completed their isolation period . Dr. Mekdes Daba , Minister of Health, expressed condolences for those who lost their lives due to the virus and extended sympathy to their families, relatives, and friends. She further explained that isolation centers have been established in affected areas, trained personnel are deployed, and essential medical supplie...

  ABSTRACT H5N1 high pathogenicity avian influenza virus (HPAIV) has spread in wild birds and poultry worldwide . H5N1 HPAIV belonging to the currently predominant clade 2.3.4.4b has infected not only birds but also mammals (wild and domestic animals), with several human infections also being reported, raising concerns for public health . In 2022, a clade 2.3.4.4b H5N1 HPAIV strain, A/Ezo red fox/Hokkaido/1/2022 (H5N1; Fox/Hok/1/22), was isolated from an Ezo red fox (Vulpes vulpes schrencki) in Hokkaido , Japan; this was the first reported case of clade 2.3.4.4b H5N1 HPAIV isolation from a mammalian species in Japan. Several amino acid substitutions in the PB2 protein play an important role in the adaptation of avian influenza viruses to mammals, but Fox/Hok/1/22 PB2 does not have any of these well-known mammalian-adapting PB2 substitutions. Here, we investigated the biological properties of Fox/Hok/1/22 in a mouse model and found that this virus was highly virulent in mice and rep...

  Abstract The wildlife reservoir and spillover mechanisms of Ebola virus remain elusive despite extensive research efforts in endemic areas. This study employed a One Health approach to examine the virus’ circulation in wildlife and the associated human exposure risks in the Tshuapa province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo . We screened 1049 samples from 919 animals , predominantly small mammals , collected in 2021, and 380 samples from inhabitants of Inkanamongo village, the site of an Ebola virus disease outbreak in 2014. These samples were screened for evidence of current (RNA) or past (IgG antibodies) Ebola virus infections. We also conducted interviews with 167 individuals in the surrounding districts to assess their interactions with wildlife . While no Ebola virus RNA was detected in the wildlife samples , anti-orthoebolavirus IgG antibodies were found in 13 bats and 38 rodents . Among the human participants , 120 individuals had IgG antibodies against at least 1 or...

  Highlights •  Respiratory tract bacterial colonization was highly prevalent among RSV-infected children. •  Moraxella catarrhalis colonization was significantly associated with mild RSV disease. •  Haemophilus influenzae carriage showed a trend toward increased severity. •  Household crowding independently correlated with severe RSV outcomes. •  Airway microbiota may modulate RSV clinical outcomes. Abstract Background Respiratory syncytial virus is a major cause of acute respiratory infection in children . While most cases are mild, some progress to life-threatening disease. The role of bacterial colonization in shaping respiratory syncytial virus outcomes remains incompletely understood. Objective To evaluate the association between respiratory tract bacterial colonization and respiratory syncytial virus disease severity in children. Study design Prospective cohort study conducted during 2019 and 2023. Children ≤24 months hospitalized with confirmed posi...

  Abstract Highly pathogenic avian influenza A virus (HPAIV) H5N1, clade 2.3.4.4b, has emerged as a significant zoonotic threat . H5N1 is widely circulating in wild birds , and an increasing number of spillover events have been observed in a wide range of mammalian species . These cases are primarily reported in countries on the European and American continents . This review describes the likely transmission routes, lesions, and clinical manifestations of HPAIV H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b in naturally infected mammals, with a focus on the involvement of the central nervous system (CNS). In the analysis, pathological findings were categorized by organ system and host species , which were further divided into terrestrial mammals, marine mammals, and dairy cattle . The most frequently reported clinical manifestations were neurological and respiratory signs in marine mammals and neurological signs and lethargy in terrestrial mammals . Macroscopic and histological lesions were commonly found in...

  Abstract Influenza A virus (IAV) can infect a wide range of hosts, including wild and domestic pigs . Swine play an important role in influenza evolution and epidemiology due to their ability to get infected with both avian and human influenza viruses, potentially leading to reassorted virus variants . Interactions at the wild-domestic swine interface have been documented on multiple occasions, raising concern about pathogen transmission and the emergence of novel influenza strains. This study investigates the occurrence and subtypes of IAV infecting invasive wild pigs in Alberta, Canada . A total of 267 wild pigs were captured between 2021–2024. Exposure to IAV was initially detected by cELISA , with further confirmation of exposure to the H5Nx virus by hemagglutination inhibition (HI) and virus neutralization (VN) assays. Although no IAV genetic material was detected by qPCR , the seropositive samples by cELISA (4.17%; 5/120) coincided with the 2022–2024 highly pathogenic avian...

Unspecified wild species sample from Jeollabuk-do Region. Source:  Link:  https://wahis.woah.org/#/in-review/6967 ____

  Abstract Understanding the geographic spread of emerging respiratory viruses is critical for pandemic preparedness , yet the early spatiotemporal dynamics of the 2009 H1N1 pandemic influenza and SARS-CoV-2 in the United States (US) remain unclear . While mobility and genomic data have revealed important aspects of pandemic spatial spread, several key questions remain: Did the two pandemics follow similar spatial transmission routes? How rapidly did they spread across the US? What role did stochastic processes play in early spatial transmission? To address these questions, we integrated high-resolution disease data with a robust, data-efficient inference framework combining air travel, commuting flows, and pathogen superspreading potentials to reconstruct their spatial spread across US metropolitan areas . The two pandemics exhibited distinct transmission pathways across locations; however, both pandemics established local circulation in most metropolitan areas within weeks , driv...

  Abstract Background   Infection of backyard and poultry with low pathogenicity avian influenza LPAI A(H5N2) viruses has occurred in Mexico since 1994, and the first human infection caused by this influenza virus was detected in 2024 . Since its emergence in the Americas , frequent reassortments between high pathogenicity avian influenza HPAI A(H5N1) and LPAI viruses has occurred. In September 2025 , the Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Respiratorias of Mexico City identified an unsubtypeable influenza A virus infection in a young adult patient later determined to be a reassortant HPAI (H5N2) virus with a clade 2.3.4.4b HA .  Methods   We analyzed clinical and epidemiologic data from this patient. Respiratory samples were tested for influenza RT-qPCR assays . Genomic sequence and phylogenetics analyses were performed to provisionally assign a new genotype to the novel HPAI A(H5N2) reassortant virus.  Results   The patient presented with fever and tachypn...

  ABSTRACT The evolution of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has resulted in antigenically distinct variants that challenge vaccine-induced immunity. The KP.2 monovalent mRNA vaccine was deployed in 2024 to address immune escape by emerging SARS-CoV-2 subvariants . We assessed neutralizing antibody responses in 56 adults with varied exposure histories following KP.2 vaccination against emerging variants including LP.8.1, LF.7.1, NB.1.8.1, XFG, and BA.3.2 . While KP.2 vaccination enhanced neutralization against homologous variants, substantial reductions in neutralizing activity were observed against emerging Omicron variants across all exposure groups. Exposure history showed some influence on neutralization breadth , with self-reported vaccination-only participants exhibiting better cross-neutralization compared to individuals with hybrid immunity . Antigenic cartography revealed substantial antigenic distances between KP.2 and emerging variants, highli...

  Abstract The membrane (M) protein of coronaviruses is essential for maintaining structural integrity during membrane virion budding and viral pathogenesis . Given its high conservation in lineages within the betacoronavirus genus , such as sarbecoviruses , the M protein presents as an attractive therapeutic target ; however, developing broad-spectrum antivirals targeting coronaviruses such as MERS-CoV is challenging due to lower sequence conservation and limited structural information available beyond that of the SARS-CoV-2 M protein . In this study, we report 3-3.2 Å resolution structures of MERS-CoV M protein, engineered with a SARS-CoV-2-like antibody interface, representing the first human merbecovirus M protein structure , and SARS-CoV M protein structures, with and without a previously identified SARS-CoV-2 M protein inhibitor, JNJ-9676. We highlight the structural differences between the MERS-CoV, SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 M proteins, and present insights into the conservati...