This week’s selections include California’s declaration of a bird flu emergency (and calls to do so nationally), the first severe case of H5N1 in the U.S., the risks of advancing mirror-image biomolecule research, and a new microbial forensics innovation competition.
FEATURED
California Declares an Emergency Over Bird Flu
Gov. Gavin Newsom declared on Wednesday that the outbreak of bird flu among the state’s dairy cattle constituted an emergency, a stark acknowledgment of the increasing seriousness of the contagion’s spread. Officials have discovered the virus in 645 herds of dairy cattle in California, more than in any other state so far. Many experts, including those at the World Health Organization, have faulted the U.S. response to the outbreak. Until recently, nearly all testing of cattle and of people who may be infected with the virus has been voluntary. Bird flu does not yet spread easily among people, but every infection is an opportunity for it to gain the ability to do so. New York Times
Getting Ahead of H5N1: Declare a Public Health Emergency
Without immediate nationwide livestock testing and isolation, expanded wastewater surveillance, and rapid vaccine distribution to at-risk populations, the virus risks mutating into a form capable of sustained human transmission—repeating the catastrophic delays of COVID-19. RAND
CDC Confirms First Severe H5N1 Case in US Patient
CDC announced Dec. 18 that it has confirmed the nation’s first severe H5N1 avian flu case, which involves a probable illness reported by Louisiana health officials a few days ago and is linked to exposure to backyard poultry. CDC, NPR, CIDRAP
Confronting Risks of Mirror Life
All known life is homochiral. DNA and RNA are made from “right-handed” nucleotides, and proteins are made from “left-handed” amino acids. Driven by curiosity and plausible applications, some researchers had begun work toward creating lifeforms composed entirely of mirror-image biological molecules. Such mirror organisms would constitute a radical departure from known life, and their creation warrants careful consideration. The capability to create mirror life is likely at least a decade away and would require large investments and major technical advances; we thus have an opportunity to consider and preempt risks before they are realized. Science
DASA Launches Microbial Forensics Competition
The UK’s Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) has launched a new competition called Future-proofing Biosecurity by Strengthening the UK’s Microbial Forensic Capability. The funding is focused on advancing computational tools and technologies to identify omics signatures, anomalies in sequencing data, or other evidence of biological engineering. Ideally any new capability would be agnostic of the sector, sample type, and class or type of biological agent being analyzed. DASA will host a webinar on 9 Jan. UK Government
POLICY + GOVERNMENT
Israel Strikes Yemen Airport as WHO Chief Prepares to Board Plane
Israeli warplanes struck multiple targets across Yemen on Thursday, the Israel Defense Forces said, including the country’s largest airport, where the head of the World Health Organization was about to board a flight. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director general of the WHO, said the airport was bombarded as he was set to board. A member of his plane’s crew was injured in the strike. Tedros, who was in Yemen to negotiate the release of U.N. staff held there and assess the humanitarian situation, said he and his team would be stranded until the airport could be repaired. Washington Post, WHO
Biden-Harris Administration Releases Global Health Security Annual Report
“The most effective way to limit the impact of biological threats is to stop them at their source. The United States is working with countries and partners around the world to ensure they have the capacity to identify and stop emerging threats before they grow into regional or global threats. Central to these partnerships is the development of a shared plan based on gaps in each country’s capacity, as well as country ownership to sustain global health security capacities once U.S. Government support has ended.” Of the 25 formal GHS partner countries that have received U.S. support for at least two years, five have achieved “demonstrated capacity” in at least five technical areas, and an additional five are close to meeting the target. White House
Toward a Safer and More Secure US Bioeconomy
To enhance the safety and security of the US bioeconomy, a new public–private partnership should be established to facilitate information sharing and threat analysis among industry, government and academia, and to develop and deploy safeguards. Nature Biotechnology
Biological Weapons Convention Meeting of States Parties – Fifth Session Closure
“We have poured our time and energy into this effort. Precious resources have been spent to ensure these mechanisms could be operational by 2025. Yet now we are told to wait, to delay, to finish every item on the agenda before these mechanisms can breathe life. If we take this path, mechanisms will one day – at best – be born old. This delay is not harmless. It comes at a cost, a huge cost. The biosecurity landscape is evolving rapidly. The BWC risks falling even further behind. A single lapse in vigilance could spark consequences that reverberate across continents and generations.” CBW Events
Don’t Cut an Agency So Vital to Our Health
The suggestion to cut infectious disease funding displays dangerous historical amnesia. Just as the 1918-20 flu pandemic killed millions of people globally, Covid-19’s emergence in 2020 demonstrated how quickly a novel pathogen can upend society. Cutting funding now would be akin to dismantling our fire department because we haven’t had a major fire lately. New York Times
How the US National Institutes of Health is Confronting Health Threats in a Changing World
As the world evolves in complex ways, NIH programmes must react to changing conditions. An example of this is NIH’s extensive involvement in addressing known, emerging, and re-emerging infectious disease threats, such as highly pathogenic avian influenza, antimicrobial resistance, mpox, haemorrhagic fever viruses (eg, Marburg), and Oropouche virus. The Lancet
European Health Security Needs a Reboot in 2025
Why is health security such an important and urgent priority for Europe? As the Lancet Global Health 2050 Commission made clear, the 25-year probability of a pandemic with a magnitude of more than 25 million deaths is 48%. That figure should send an electric shock through the chancelleries and palaces of power across Europe. But this reality has not yet penetrated the minds of European governments or EU leaders. Health security, including pandemic preparedness, is the most urgent security priority facing Europe. The Lancet
MEDICAL COUNTERMEASURES
mRNA Vaccine Protects Ferrets From Lethal Infection with H5N1
This paper describes preclinical testing of mRNA-based vaccines against HPAI. The vaccines, which are based on A(H5) clade 2.3.4.4b viruses, conferred protection in ferrets subsequently challenged with A(H5N1). Serum from vaccinated ferrets also neutralized an HPAI A(H5N1) isolate collected from an infected human in 2024. Science Translational Medicine
Discovery of Nanosota-EB1 and -EB2 as Novel Nanobody Inhibitors Against Ebola Virus Infection
Adapting existing human antibody therapies to combat EBOV-related viruses, such as Bundibugyo ebolavirus (BDBV) and Sudan ebolavirus (SUDV), remains difficult. Nanobodies, with their modular single-domain structure, present a promising solution to these challenges. PLOS Pathogens
FDA Revokes EUAs for Four Monoclonal Antibody Products
At the request of the individual product sponsors, the FDA has revoked the Emergency Use Authorizations (EUAs) for four respective monoclonal antibody (mAb) products that had been authorized for emergency use as part of the United States government’s response to the COVID-19 public health emergency. As of December 13, 2024, the EUAs for bebtelovimab, Evusheld (tixagevimab co-packaged with cilgavimab), sotrovimab, and REGEN-COV (casirivimab and imdevimab) have been revoked. The four mAb products have not been authorized for administration to patients for more than a year due to the high frequency of circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants that are not susceptible to each particular product. FDA
An Adenosine Analog Shows High Antiviral Potency Against Coronavirus and Arenavirus
Findings demonstrate that HNC-1664 could be a promising candidate for broad-spectrum antiviral efficacy against different families of RNA viruses. Strikingly, HNC-1664 exhibits two different binding modes with various types of RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRP), which warrants further development and provides inhibitor resources and structural insights for tackling current or potential future RNA virus outbreaks. Nature Communications
BIOSECURITY + BIOPREPAREDNESS
Prepare Now to Use Convalescent Plasma for the Next Pandemic
Covid offers a few lessons for preparing to optimize the use of convalescent plasma before the next outbreak. During Covid-19 the Food and Drug Administration first used the expanded access regulatory pathway to allow CP to be given at scale during the spring and summer of 2020. This was followed by emergency use authorization. The expanded access mechanism reduced the administrative burden for CP administration by both clinicians and regulators. It also permitted essential outcomes data to be collected as part of the U.S. Convalescent Plasma Study (USCPS). Other key administrative features included use of a single institutional review board, digital and web-based enrollment, consent and data collection methods, and remote support of community-based clinicians and hospitals. STAT
Officials Warn That Agroterrorism Threat is Real
Stephen Goldsmith, an FBI management and program analyst, and Scott Mahloch, an FBI special agent in the Milwaukee field office, warned attendees at a recent workshop that farms, agribusinesses and the food supply are all at risk of being attacked in one way or another by people with nefarious intentions. They cited the intentional introduction of contagious diseases, attacks on biotechnology research and contamination of the food supply as being among the most serious concerns. Goldmith used the example of the potential for foot-and-mouth disease to be introduced in the U.S. intentionally, which would basically cripple the agricultural economy and immediately shut off food exports to other countries. Farm Progress
A Temporary Hospital Intensive Care Unit: A Preparedness Concept
Norway faced the possibility of the most significant strain on its intensive care capacity in decades during the COVID-19 pandemic. In preparation for staffing a temporary ICU, a team-based care approach was trained, where non-ICU nurses received specialized training to support ICU procedures. Maintaining up-to-date medical devices and consumables stored for preparedness through a planned rotation system that feeds into daily use are important. Scandinavian Journal of Trauma, Resuscitation and Emergency Medicine
Disincentivizing Bioweapons: Theory and Policy Approaches
Given the significant financial resources available to many states, along with the dual-use nature of bioscience research and development today, preventing states from gaining bioweapons capabilities through controls on materials or knowledge will likely prove challenging. That is why this essay collection focuses on understanding and shaping incentives. NTI
There’s Still Time to Get Ahead of the Next Global Pandemic
Epidemiology is at a critical juncture. Faced with declining resources, staff burnout, and increasing disease outbreaks, the field is being pushed to innovate. The adoption of high-reliability principles, borrowed from industries where failure is not an option, is emerging as a promising solution. Wired
PAHO Commemorates International Epidemic Preparedness Day
As the region looks to 2025, PAHO is set to conduct national and subregional workshops to expand the implementation of the PRET framework throughout the Americas. Special focus will be given to countries supported by the Pandemic Fund, with plans to provide them with direct technical assistance to update their pandemic preparedness strategies. Pan American Health Organization
SELECT AGENTS + PRIORITY PATHOGENS
Agricultural Bioterrorism Protection Act of 2002; Biennial Review and Republication of the Select Agent and Toxin List
USDA APHIS proposed to delist P. philippinensis, African horse sickness virus, B. abortus, B. suis, and B. melitensis as select agents, and the input received from the public during the open commenting period are discussed. Federal Register
Fatal Lassa Fever in Cynomolgus Monkeys is Associated With Systemic Viral Dissemination and Inflammation
The aim of this study was to characterize in more detail the dynamics of the pathogenesis and immune responses associated with survival or death from Lassa fever in an NHP model. PLOS Pathogens
Plaque Reduction Neutralization Test for Smallpox Vaccines
Clinical trials for a third-generation smallpox vaccine (KVAC103) are underway to obtain licensure. As a surrogate marker for efficacy, vaccinia virus (VACV) antibody levels can be assessed using the plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT). Overall, the PRNT was validated as a reliable tool for measuring VACV-neutralizing antibodies and evaluating the effectiveness of new smallpox vaccinations in human serum samples. Journal of Immunological Methods
Ring Vaccination During DRC Ebola Outbreak Reinforces Vaccine Efficacy
This study, we evaluated the incidence of EVD within the first 9 days after vaccination (when little protection was expected from case isolation or ring vaccination), during days 10 to 29, and at later time periods. Vaccinees were monitored for EVD onset until the end of the outbreak. The results reinforce ring vaccination as effective, operationally efficient, and dose-sparing in comparison with population vaccination and is practicable for teams operating in insecure contexts. New England Journal of Medicine
Reverse Genetics System for Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus
This system can be used to generate complete infectious recombinant virus, and virus-like replicon particles (VRPs) lacking the M segment but complemented with an exogenous source of glycoprotein precursor (GPC); resulting in single-round replicon particles that can be used to study components of the viral replicative cycle at a lower biosafety level. Bunyaviruses
AVIAN INFLUENZA
Bird Flu Samples From Very Ill Patient Had ‘Concerning’ Mutations
The CDC on Dec. 26 released a technical summary of an analysis of the genomic sequences of the viruses identified in two upper respiratory tract specimens from the patient who was severely ill from an infection H5N1 virus in Louisiana. The analysis identified low frequency mutations in the hemagglutinin gene of a sample sequenced from the patient, which were not found in virus sequences from poultry samples collected on the patient’s property, suggesting the changes emerged in the patient after infection. The detection of a severe human case with genetic changes in a clinical specimen underscores the importance of ongoing genomic surveillance and containment of outbreaks in people and animals. New York Times, CDC, CIDRAP
Rapid Spread of H5N1 Bird Flu Through California Dairy Herds Suggests Unknown Paths of Transmission
“While some farmers may have been less strict” in following USDA precautions to prevent the spread of H5N1, “I personally know a fair number of producers that pulled out all the stops, followed every suggestion, came up with novel protections of their own. They still got infected and were enormously disheartened and frustrated.” Some experts suspect that regional slowdowns in herd infections have more to do with the virus running out of new, immune-naive herds to hop into. In Colorado, for instance, H5N1 went through 74% of the state’s herds before it began to peter out. Even with all the measures California farmers are taking, it’s possible the virus won’t slow down until it has infected 80% to 90% of the state’s herds. STAT
Bird Flu Kills 20 Big Cats at US Animal Sanctuary
Twenty big cats – including a Bengal tiger and four cougars – have died of bird flu over the past several weeks at an animal sanctuary in the state of Washington. The sanctuary is under quarantine and is closed to the public to prevent the spread of the virus. “We’ve never had anything like it; they usually die basically of old age. Not something like this, it’s a pretty wicked virus.” BBC, New York Times
Review of Avian Influenza Virus Infection and Outcomes During Pregnancy
We conducted a systematic review examining 30 reported cases of avian influenza in pregnant women. We found high mortality rates for mothers (90.0%, 27/30) and their babies (86.7%, 26/30) when women were infected with avian influenza virus during pregnancy. Despite being a high-risk population and having worse health outcomes across multiple pandemics, pregnant women are often excluded from vaccine trials. Emerging Infectious Diseases
Oregon Avian Flu Cat Death Prompts Nationwide Raw Pet Food Recall
The Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) reported on Dec. 26 that a house cat has died from H5N1 avian flu after eating raw frozen pet food, which has prompted the voluntary recall of raw pet food that was sold nationwide through distributors in 12 states as well as in British Columbia. The development is part of a growing number of avian flu infections in cats. CIDRAP
Evidence of an Emerging Triple-Reassortant H3N3 Avian Influenza Virus in China
Analysis of an H3N3 AIV strain, isolated from a chicken in China during 2023, revealed that this novel H3N3 virus originated from a triple reassortment event involving H3N8, H9N2, and H10N3 influenza viruses. Notably, several mutations in the internal genes of the novel H3N3 isolate raise concerns about potential increases in viral resistance, virulence, and transmission in mammalian hosts. BMC Genomics
CHEMICAL + RADIOLOGICAL THREATS
Killing General Kirillov: Questions and Answers
On December 17, Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, the head of Russia’s Radiation, Chemical, and Biological Defense Forces, and his assistant were killed in a bomb explosion outside his Moscow apartment building. The bomb was concealed in an electric scooter and remotely detonated as Kirillov’s driver picked him up. A day earlier, Ukraine had issued a warrant for Kirillov alleging his participation in war crimes. Lieber Institute
In Syria, The Assads Leave a Bitter Legacy After a Half-Century Of Repressive Rule
Hundreds of thousands of Syrians were killed, many of them civilians, and mostly by the Syrian military. The U.S. and the United Nations blamed Assad for a chemical weapons attack that killed hundreds, and perhaps more than 1,000 people, in 2013. Millions of Syrians fled abroad and millions more have been displaced inside the country. Overall, roughly half the country’s 23 million people have been driven from their homes in one of the worst humanitarian crises of this century. NPR
Assad’s Fall Brings ‘The Moment’ to Rid Syria of Chemical Weapons
Security guarantees will need to be arranged before any deployment by OPCW inspectors. That would require contacting new power brokers in Syria, possibly rebel forces in the alliance that toppled Assad, such as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a former al Qaeda affiliate labelled a terrorist group by some governments. Reuters
OPCW Urges Syria to Fulfil Chemical Weapons Convention Obligations
In his opening remarks, Director-General Arias reminded the Council that, up until today, Syria had not declared its full chemical weapons programme and that chemical weapons had been used in Syria on multiple occasions. “The political and security situation in the country remains volatile.” He added: “The ultimate goal is to achieve the complete elimination of Syria’s chemical weapons programme, and to take part in the process of the international accountability of the former Syrian government and any other identified perpetrators.” Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons
DOD Releases Chemical and Biological Defense Program Enterprise Strategy
The 2024 Chemical and Biological Defense Program Enterprise Strategy was released on 18 Dec. “The Chemical and Biological Defense Program (CBDP) is at an inflection point. Thirty years after the Program’s establishment, increasingly rapid geopolitical changes and technological advancements make chemical and biological defense more challenging, relevant, and critical to sustaining U.S. military power… To achieve our mission, the CBDP’s overriding Strategic Priority is to deliver threat-informed, operationally relevant chemical and biological defense capabilities at speed and scale.” U.S. Department of Defense
Establishment and Application of a New Radiation Biodosimetric Method Based on the Quantitative RPA-SHERLOCK Amplification Technology
To effectively respond to a large-scale radiological incident, there is a need for the development of biodosimetric methods with fast, portable, and convenient operating advantages. Here researchers employed the recombinase polymerase amplification specific high-sensitivity enzymatic reporter unlocking (RPA-SHERLOCK) technology to establish a method for fast radiation dose assessment by measuring the expression level of radiation-inducible genes. Radiation Research
SURVEILLANCE + DETECTION
Pathogen Genomics in Healthcare: Overcoming Barriers to Proactive Surveillance
This commentary advocates for investment from healthcare payors, public health, and regulatory bodies and additional research on genomic surveillance for improving patient outcomes and reducing infections. Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy
Rapid Detection of Pan-Avian Influenza Virus and H5, H7, H9 Subtypes of Avian Influenza Virus
In this study, two rapid detection methods for AIV based on the CRISPR-Cas13a were developed. These methods can identify AIV through the M gene and differentiate the H5, H7, and H9 subtypes via the HA gene. Poultry Science
Differentiation of Escherichia coli and Shigella flexneri by SALDI MS
This study shows the potential for identifying E. coli and S. flexneri by incorporating reference spectra of metabolite profiles, obtained via surface-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (SALDI MS) employing gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). Pathogens
Advancements of Paper-Based Sensors for Antibiotic-Resistant Bacterial Species Identification
This review highlights the paper-based platforms that were developed for the sensing of AMR bacterial species. Fluorometric detection using LAMP offers an extremely sensitive approach to the identification of AMR species. The use of a paper platform not only shortens the analysis time but also makes the sensor easier to use, more robust, and reliable. Despite having similar limits of detection and analysis time using colorimetric and fluorometric detection techniques, fluorometric detection enables the simultaneous detection of multiple species. Using nanoparticles to identify antibiotic-resistant bacterial species, thus far, only colorimetric and SERS detection have been employed. NPJ Biosensing
Combining Genomics and Epidemiology to Investigate a Zoonotic Outbreak of Rabies
Rabies is a viral zoonosis that kills thousands of people annually in low- and middle-income countries across Africa and Asia where domestic dogs are the reservoir. Nature Communications
INFECTIOUS DISEASES
U.S. Whooping Cough Cases Reach Highest Level in a Decade
The U.S. has recorded over 32,000 whooping cough cases this year, compared with around 5,100 as of mid-December last year. Infants are most vulnerable to the bacterial infection. That’s a six-fold increase from the same time in 2023, when more than 5,100 cases had been recorded. The total for 2022 was even lower, at roughly 3,000 cases. NBC News
New Global Tuberculosis Cases Hit Record High
Tuberculosis is once again the leading global cause of death from infectious disease, surpassing COVID-19. In 2023, about 8.2 million people were newly diagnosed, the highest number recorded since the World Health Organization began monitoring the disease in 1995. JAMA
Testing and Masking Policies and Hospital-Onset Respiratory Viral Infections
In this study, stopping universal masking and SARS-CoV-2 testing was associated with a significant increase in hospital-onset respiratory viral infections relative to community infections. Restarting the masking of health care workers was associated with a significant decrease. JAMA Network Open
Tiny Coffins: Measles is Killing Thousands of Children in Congo
Problems with getting vaccines to families have left many children unvaccinated and in danger of contracting the virus. There were more than 311,000 reported cases of measles in Congo last year, with some 6,000 of them ending with a child buried in a small coffin days after first running a fever and breaking out in a red rash. Globally, there were 20 percent more measles cases in 2023 than in the year before. New York Times
Geographic Origin and Evolution of Dengue Virus Serotypes 1 and 3 Circulating in Africa
Despite the increasing burden of dengue in Kenya and Africa, the introduction and expansion of the virus in the region remains poorly understood. The objective of this study is to examine the genetic diversity and evolutionary histories of dengue serotypes 1 and 3 in Kenya and contextualize their circulation within circulation dynamics in the broader African region. Virus Evolution
In Children, NMDAR Antibody Encephalitis Incidence Exceeds That of Japanese Encephalitis in Vietnam
At a tertiary children’s hospital in Vietnam, the prevalence of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) antibody encephalitis exceeds that of Japanese encephalitis, the most common infectious encephalitis cause in Southeast Asia. NMDAR antibody encephalitis is associated with long hospital stay and poor outcomes. Open Forum Infectious Diseases
COVID-19 PANDEMIC
Comparative Effectiveness of Antivirals and Monoclonal Antibodies for Treating COVID-19
This systematic review and network meta-analysis aims to estimate the comparative effectiveness of antivirals and mAb therapies for treating COVID-19 patients infected with Omicron, capturing primarily acute outcomes. Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses
Development of a Diagnostic Multivariable Prediction Model of a Positive SARS-Cov-2 RT-PCR Result in Healthcare Workers
Despite declining COVID-19 incidence, healthcare workers still face an elevated risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Predictors in this model include an indicator of the local epidemiological situation and may serve as a decision-making tool that help to spare tests and save resources in programs for COVID-19 control in HCW, particularly in resource-limited settings, where access to diagnostic tests is expensive, lacking, or limited. This model could be utilized differentially based on the epidemiological situation of SARS-CoV-2, either as a replacement for the reference test in periods of low viral circulation, or as a triage test in high-circulation periods. PLOS One
2024 Update of the RECOVER-Adult Long COVID Research Index
In this prospective, observational cohort study, data from 13,647 adults participating in the Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery (RECOVER-Adult) study were used to update the research index for classifying symptomatic Long COVID and 5 symptom subtypes that differ in associated demographic features and quality of life. JAMA
Within-Host Genetic Diversity of SARS-CoV-2 Across Animal Species
Since the beginning of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, SARS-CoV-2 has been transmitted from humans to many different animal species, within which viral variants of concern could potentially evolve. Using a genome-wide association study (GWAS), researchers identified 26 single nucleotide variants (SNVs) that tend to occur in deer – more than any other animal – suggesting a high rate of viral adaptation to deer. The reasons for this rapid adaptive evolution remain unclear, but within-host evolution – the ultimate source of the viral diversity that transmits globally – could provide clues. Virus Evolution
INFODEMIC + DISINFORMATION
Trump’s CDC Pick Wouldn’t Let Go of False Theory That Vaccines Cause Autism
President-elect Donald Trump has tapped the 71-year-old former Army doctor and seven-term Republican congressman to run the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Dave Weldon’s long record of promoting the disproven link between vaccines and autism raises concerns among some public health experts about his ability to run the CDC. If confirmed, Weldon could undermine confidence in the lifesaving vaccines at a time when infectious-disease threats such as measles and whooping cough are on the rise. Washington Post
Fact Check: Woman Speaking About Pandemic Preparedness ‘Soft Coup’ is Not a WHO Official
A woman in a video shared in social media posts saying that human rights laws will be ignored to create a new set of laws under the pretext of pandemic preparedness is not a World Health Organization representative, a spokesperson for the global health body said. The video shows Dr. Meryl Nass, whose medical license was suspended by the Maine Board of Licensure in 2022 for spreading misinformation about COVID-19, speaking at a conference held by pandemic and vaccine skeptics in May 2023. Reuters
HISTORICAL REFLECTIONS
Milestone: COVID-19 Five Years Ago
Five years ago on 31 December 2019, WHO’s Country Office in China picked up a media statement by the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission from their website on cases of ‘viral pneumonia’ in Wuhan, China. In the weeks, months and years that unfolded after that, COVID-19 came to shape our lives and our world. As we mark this milestone, let’s take a moment to honour the lives changed and lost, recognize those who are suffering from COVID-19 and long COVID, express gratitude to the health workers who sacrificed so much to care for us, and commit to learning from COVID-19 to build a healthier tomorrow. World Health Organization
Bubonic Plague Discovered in Ancient Egyptian Mummy DNA
Although the bubonic plague is most often associated with its deadly impact on 14th century Europe, traces of Yersinia pestis have also been found in skeletons found in modern-day Russia dating as far back as 5,000 years ago. Thanks to recent analysis, however, researchers believe they have confirmed the first known plague case outside Eurasia: a 3,290-year-old, ancient Egyptian mummy. Popular Science
SPECIAL INTEREST
How Advanced Research Project Agencies Pick Their Programs
“ARPA hard” evokes an organizational preference for taking on research challenges that other funding organizations cannot or will not commit to, affirming the vision of ARPAs as occupying a unique niche in the larger national or global science and technology ecosystem. RAND
WHO Looks Back at 2024
In 2024 WHO Member States achieved several milestones in tackling these major global health challenges. Seven countries (Brazil, Chad, India, Jordan, Pakistan, Timor-Leste, and Viet Nam) eliminated a neglected tropical disease in 2024, including human African trypanosomiasis, leprosy, lymphatic filariasis, and trachoma. Egypt became malaria-free after a century-long battle; and Cabo Verde joined the ranks of malaria-free countries. World Health Organization
IN MEMORIAM
Jimmy Carter’s Quiet But Monumental Work in Global Health
In his decades as a former president, he and his wife, Rosalynn Carter, helped bring lifesaving treatments and sanitation to poor people around the world. He used his rare status as a former head of state to lobby presidents and prime ministers on behalf of their poorest citizens. “We believe access to health care is a human right, especially among poor people afflicted with disease who are forgotten, ignored and often without hope.” New York Times
ALSO READING
H5 subtype avian influenza virus induces Golgi apparatus stress response via TFE3 pathway to promote virus replication. PLOS Pathogens
Phase 1 clinical trial of Hantaan and Puumala virus DNA vaccines delivered by needle-free injection. NPJ Vaccines
Structural characterization of the full-length Hantaan virus polymerase. PLOS Pathogens
The strategy to control the outbreak of an emerging respiratory infectious disease in a simulated Chinese megacity. Heliyon
HHS Office for Civil Rights seeks to update HIPAA Security Rule for the first time since 2013. HHS
A novel strain of Leishmania braziliensis harbors not a toti- but a bunyavirus. PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases
Chicken genome-wide CRISPR library screen identifies potential candidates associated with Avian influenza virus infection. International Journal of Biological Macromolecues
Optimal thresholds and key parameters for predicting influenza A virus transmission events in ferrets. NPJ Viruses
Antiviral use among children hospitalized with laboratory-confirmed influenza illness. Clinical Infectious Diseases
Timing of infection as a key driver of racial/ethnic disparities in Covid-19 mortality rates during the prevaccine period. Open Forum Infectious Diseases