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  From:  UK Health Security Agency Published:  16 March 2026 Last updated:  16 March 2026  Update 16 March The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is continuing to investigate an outbreak of meningococcal disease in Kent with 13 cases notified since 13 March. Sadly, this includes 2 people who are known to have died . Investigations have confirmed some of the cases visited Club Chemistry in Canterbury between 5 to 7 March prior to becoming unwell. UKHSA’s health protection team is working closely with the nightclub and partners including the University of Kent to limit the spread. UKHSA is now advising anyone who visited Club Chemistry on 5 March, 6 March or 7 March to come forward for preventative antibiotic treatment as a precautionary measure.  This can be collected from the following sites: -- Senate Building at University of Kent , CT2 7NZ – open until 8pm on Monday 16 March (queue closes 7.15pm) and from 9am to 8pm on Tuesday 17 March. -- Gate Clinic, Ke...

  Abstract Background Most studies of human metapneumovirus (HMPV) epidemiology have been among inpatients . This study examined the epidemiology of HMPV compared with other common viruses among outpatients seeking care for an acute respiratory illness (ARI) during 5 influenza seasons (2016–2017 to 2019–2020, before the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, and in 2021–2022, during the pandemic). Methods Outpatients ≥6 months old seeking care for ARI and presenting with cough of ≤7 days’ duration provided nasal and pharyngeal swab samples , demographic data, and access to electronic medical record data. Samples were tested with reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction assays for HMPV , influenza, parainfluenza virus (PIV) 1–4, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Student′s t and χ2 tests were used to compare HMPV cases with other ARIs. Results After exclusion of 68 coinfections , 7143 patients remained; 2017 had in...

  Abstract Oropouche fever (OF), caused by Oropouche virus (OROV), has expanded beyond its Amazonian range into Minas Gerais (MG), Brazil, raising concern about transmission in extra-Amazonian Atlantic Forest landscapes . Critical gaps persist regarding Culicoides vector communities , anthropophily , and climate-sensitive transmission risk in these newly affected regions. We conducted targeted entomological surveys outbreak-driven by human OF cases , standardized across five MG communities using CDC light traps and Protected Human Attraction (PHA) to characterize Culicoides composition. Females of Culicoides underwent RT-qPCR for OROV (n = 819) and physiological assessment (n = 312). We developed an entomological alert framework that integrates blood-fed abundance, minimum infection rate (MIR) upper confidence bounds, and environmental drivers (i.e., mean temperature, relative humidity and precipitation) via generalized additive mixed models , which explained 68% of the variability...

  {Automatic translation, edited} Kingdom of Cambodia -  Press Release A Case of Bird Flu in a 45-year-old Woman The Ministry of Health of the Kingdom of Cambodia would like to inform the public that there is 1 case of bird flu in a 45-year-old woman who was confirmed to be positive for the H5N1 avian influenza virus on March 14, 2026 by the National Institute of Public Health. The patient resides in Ropai village, Chinu Meanchey commune, Preah Net Preah district, Banteay Meanchey province , and there were reports of sick and dead chickens in the village .  On the same day, the patient was placed in isolation at the hospital and was treated with Tamiflu and received careful care from the medical team.  Upon inquiry, it was revealed that the patient raised chickens and ducks , including some sick and dead chickens. 3 days before testing positive, she had come into contact with the dead chicken. The National and Sub-National Health Ministry's Emergency Response Team ha...

  Abstract Background :  Continuous, non-invasive viral surveillance is essential to monitor emerging pathogens and guide public health responses. Most environmental surveillance studies use targeted qPCR approaches , and comparisons between wastewater and indoor air surveillance remain limited. We aimed to compare the utility of emergency department indoor air and urban wastewater for tracking circulating viruses and resolving genomic information.  Methods :  We conducted a matched-pair study comparing 19 weekly indoor air samples from the central ventilation exhaust shaft of an emergency department and 19 24-hour composite municipal wastewater samples in Leuven, Belgium , from December 2024 to April 2025. Both sample sets were processed using probe-based hybrid-capture viral metagenomics targeting over 3000 viral species , using influenza A as a clinically relevant test case.  Findings :  Wastewater captured higher overall viral diversity (233 versus 106 ...

  Highlights •  MERS-CoV remains an endemic camel-associated betacoronavirus with ongoing zoonotic spillover. •  Viral evolution shows three major clades with lineage B predominance and documented recombination. •  DPP4-mediated entry, immune suppression , and T-cell apoptosis drive severe disease and high fatality. •  Diagnosis relies primarily on rRT-PCR , while treatments and vaccines remain experimental. •  Strengthened One-Health surveillance , IPC, and genomic monitoring are essential for pandemic preparedness. Abstract Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) is a zoonotic beta coronavirus identified in 2012 that circulates in dromedary camels and occasionally infects humans. Although community spread is limited , the disease shows a high case fatality rate near 36 percent and has caused hospital outbreaks such as the 2015 South Korea event . The viral spike binds the DPP4 (CD26) receptor, enabling entry into airway epithelial and sele...

  Public Domain. Source: WikiArt,  https://www.wikiart.org/ Link:  https://www.wikiart.org/en/nicolas-poussin/landscape-with-polyphemus-1649 ____

  Abstract The global spread of viruses highlights the need for timely and effective genomic surveillance to detect new variants and inform rapid public health responses . However, high costs and uneven sequencing capacity hinder equitable global implementation. Surveillance focused on international travelers at major travel hubs has been proposed as a way to complement robust local surveillance, but its potential benefits have not been fully quantified . Here, we develop and calibrate a multiple-strain metapopulation model of global SARS-CoV-2 transmission using extensive epidemiological, phylogenetic, and high-resolution air travel data . Retrospective analyses of the Omicron BA.1/BA.2 emergence and forward simulations for hypothetical novel variants show that targeted enhancement of traveler surveillance at key hubs can shorten variant detection delays, with reduced total surveillance efforts. Practical “non-disruptive” strategies, such as prioritizing a small number of highly c...

  Highlights •  A Nipah virus real-time RT-PCR was developed for this study and display dynamic amplification, with sensitive (limit of detection 3.7-4.2 copies/µL) and specific detection. •  The assay was adapted for use on a portable, battery-powered real-time thermocycler . •  When paired with instrument-free RNA extraction , Nipah virus RNA was rapidly detected from contrived whole blood and nasopharyngeal swabs without electricity. •  The combined of Extract & Store and the Palm PCR S1e device offers a viable solution for field-based molecular detection of Nipah virus. Abstract Background Nipah virus (NiV) is a highly pathogenic, zoonotic paramyxovirus with significant public health implications due to high associated mortality and potential for human-to-human transmission. Current diagnostic testing options for NiV are limited and require extensive laboratory infrastructure. Objective Develop a field-deployable testing workflow for timely NiV detection...

  Abstract Currently, there is limited knowledge on the impact of immunity to hemagglutinin (HA) and/or neuraminidase (NA) on the transmission of influenza viruses . Therefore, using intramuscular vaccination , intranasal vaccination , or infection with reassortant viruses , we induced immunity to each antigen alone or both antigens combined in ferrets . We then assessed transmission of the 2009 pandemic H1N1 virus from these ferrets to naïve respiratory contacts . For all strategies used to induce immunity, combined immunity to HA and NA resulted in the largest reductions in transmission . Moreover, immunity to HA and NA conferred additive rather than synergistic reductions in transmission. No escape variants emerged in our transmission studies, and logistical regression showed that the probability of transmission was less than 50% when viral titers in donors were reduced to 101.5 and 102 median tissue culture infectious dose per ml on days 1 and 3 postinfection, respectively. The...

  By Baldwinlocomotiveworks - R.A. Sallinen III - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0,  https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=18159992 Source:  Link:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baldwin_Locomotive_Works ____

  Antiviral Res ZHANG J, Deng S, Zhang M, Wu X, et al Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus infection activates SREBP2 and induces RORgamma expression to enhance cholesterol biosynthesis and virus replication. Antiviral Res. 2026 Mar 6:106391. doi: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2026.106391. PubMed           Abstract available Clin Infect Dis KHADER K, Haroldsen C, Stevens V, Visnovsky L, et al Estimating changes in facility MRSA infection rates due to changes in MRSA precaution policy. Clin Infect Dis. 2026 Mar 13:ciag176. doi: 10.1093. PubMed           Abstract available Int J Infect Dis LUGTU EJ, Iv DYP, Cabunoc MH, Bautista JL, et al Prevalence of Post-COVID Symptoms Across Variants of Concern and Follow-up Periods: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Int J Infect Dis. 2026 Mar 10:108522. doi: 10.1016/j.ijid.2026.108522. PubMed           Abstract available TANG X, Memedi M,...

  Ann Intern Med LALANI HS, DiResta R, Baron RJ, Scales D, et al Addressing Viral Medical Rumors and False or Misleading Information. Ann Intern Med. 2023 Jul 18. doi: 10.7326/M23-1218. PubMed           Abstract available Antimicrob Agents Chemother ZHENG X, You X, Liu Y, Wu B, et al Spatiotemporal dynamics and multiple driving factors of antimicrobial resistance in China during the COVID-19 pandemic (2019-2023): a provincial panel data analysis. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2026 Feb 9:e0160025. doi: 10.1128/aac.01600. PubMed           Abstract available Antiviral Res ZHANG T, Wang ZL, Li XY, Luo RH, et al Onvansertib and vilazodone inhibit SARS-CoV-2 replication via suppression of METTL3 RNA-m(6)A enzymatic activity. Antiviral Res. 2026 Feb 19:106376. doi: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2026.106376. PubMed           Abstract available YURGELONIS I, Rai DK, Li Z, Washington ...

  Abstract The ongoing outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) subtype H5N1 in the U.S. poses a significant public health threat . To date, 70 human cases have been confirmed in the United States , including two severe cases and one fatality . While suitable animal models are crucial for predicting the potential pandemic risk of newly emerging pathogens in humans, studies investigating contemporary HPAIV H5N1 transmission dynamics remain limited. Here, we investigate the pathogenicity and transmission efficiency of recent clade 2.3.4.4b H5N1 viruses isolated from a bovine, mountain lion, and a human case using Syrian hamsters . Intranasal inoculation results in productive virus replication in the respiratory tract and shedding for all three isolates . Transmission studies demonstrate limited efficiency via direct contact and airborne routes for all isolates. Although overall transmission is inefficient , the human H5N1 isolate demonstrates relatively greater con...

  Situation at a glance Multi-country recalls of infant formula and other products have been initiated after cereulide toxin , was detected in batches of multiple internationally distributed brands .  Investigations have identified arachidonic acid (ARA) oil , used as an ingredient in the implicated products, as the source of contamination .  However, the full root cause analysis and complete traceability of all affected batches remains under investigation.  Contaminated formulae , nutritional products, and oil mixes have been distributed to 99 countries and territories across six WHO Regions, with the first product recalls initiated on 10 December 2025.  Between 1 January and 25 February 2026, 144 suspected and confirmed cases were reported across ten countries in three WHO Regions, with investigations ongoing.  Based on the available information , WHO assesses the overall public health risk as moderate due to the vulnerability of the affected population (...