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Michelle Wille @duckswabber.bsky.social · 20h

Mice infected with zoonotic H7N9 LPAIV HA = 🔺mortality, weight loss, severe lung damage, 🔺increased lung viral load . Zoonotic H3N8 HA = 🔺 pathogenicity of reassortants. Double receptor binding + cleavage efficiency = marker for assessment
👉 onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

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Michelle Wille @duckswabber.bsky.social · 20h

In South America, 11 countries reported H5N1 to WOAH, 10 reported infections in wild birds, spanning 104 species, 59.62% of which are migratory and predominantly non-trans-equatorial = extensive ecological reach
👉 www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

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Michelle Wille @duckswabber.bsky.social · 20h

2024, human infection w 2 mutations of interest: P136S, A156T. A156T = N-linked glycosylation site = altered antigenicity + 🔻 replication in primary human nasal epithelial cells and ferrets. H5N1 CVV contains HA-T156, remains antigenically effective.
👉 www.nature.com/articles/s44...

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Michelle Wille @duckswabber.bsky.social · 21h

Optimized high-throughput whole-genome sequencing (Nanopore) workflow for surveillance of influenza A virus
👉 genomemedicine.biomedcentral.com/articles/10....

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Michelle Wille @duckswabber.bsky.social · 21h

2022 N American outbreak = much mammalian adaptation + pathogenicity. N. Am strain = unique immune cell–mediated systemic dissemination, neuroinvasion, and 100% mortality in ferrets, unlike the nonlethal Eurasian strain. PB2478I and NP450N mutations
👉 www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

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Michelle Wille @duckswabber.bsky.social · 21h

HA proteins of clade 1 and 2.3.4.4b H5N1 generally share comparable attachment patterns to avian and mammalian tissues, despite evolving into antigenically distinct clades over the past 3 decades.
👉 journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...

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Michelle Wille @duckswabber.bsky.social · 21h

Why is the observed case fatality ratio of 2344b lower than other HPAI?? The three hypotheses—molecular, epidemiological, and immunological - proposed. Answer remains unclear.
👉 www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

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Michelle Wille @duckswabber.bsky.social · 21h

Great to see this one in print! Incredible spread of 2344b across the southern ocean, with substantive outbreaks in the French sub-antarctic islands.
👉 www.nature.com/articles/s41...

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Michelle Wille @duckswabber.bsky.social · 21h

In Sweden: biosecurity generally high but heterogeneious. Weakenesses incl: inadequate infrastructure, limited training of farmworkers, suboptimal hand hygiene, difficulties in maintaining good hygiene.
👉 www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

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Michelle Wille @duckswabber.bsky.social · 21h

In Europe, Italy experienced 3 major waves from 2016–2023 due to H5N8 and H5N1. First 2 waves by poultry-poutry transmssion. 2022–2023 wave by mid- to long-distance dispersal events positively associated with wetlands, waterbodies, and gull abundances
👉 www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-7...

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Michelle Wille @duckswabber.bsky.social · 21h

Serbia: from 2021, H5N1 caused 38 outbreaks up to 2023 affecting mute swans, black-headed gulls, common cranes. Sporadic H5N2 outbreaks were also detected, with two cases in 2021 and 2023
👉 www.mdpi.com/2306-7381/12...

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Michelle Wille @duckswabber.bsky.social · 21h

Hokkaido, winter 2024–2025. 98 HPAI isolated from wildbirds + poultry. G2d subgroup of 2344b, dominant since 2021. HPAI from seabirds closely related to dead marine mammals E coast of Hokkaido, spring
👉 www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/14...

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Michelle Wille @duckswabber.bsky.social · 21h

Bird species–AIV subtype bipartite network (9,964 records). 23 hub species (Anseriformes + Charadriiformes) = key roles in AIV transmission = strong flight ability, longer time foraging on water surfaces, greater longevity, higher diversification rates
👉 www.authorea.com/users/967582...

Michelle Wille @duckswabber.bsky.social · 22h

Nov 2024, HPAI in backyard chickens and geese in western Romania. rapid molecular diagnostics, active surveillance, and strict biosecurity important in limiting virus spread
👉 www.mdpi.com/2306-7381/12...

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Michelle Wille @duckswabber.bsky.social · 22h

EU-2022_BB genotype, H5N1 + H13 reassortant = catastrophic for gulls + terns. multiple incursions into Germany, via black-headed gulls returning from wintering grounds (Netherlands, Belgium, France). 🔻 black-headed gull breeding populations by up to 24%
👉 www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

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Michelle Wille @duckswabber.bsky.social · 22h

Influenza in wastewater: low abundance = difficult to sequence. Comparison of different appraoches. Tiled amplicon is fast and sensitive, but sensitive to degradation. Probe capture robust, but expensive.
👉 www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

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Michelle Wille @duckswabber.bsky.social · 22h

Duck slurry, the wastewater produced in duck fattening unit: RNA extraction from the solid fraction using TRIzol + magnetic bead purification = highest sensitivity. 82% slurry samples = positive for AIV RNA. Can be useful surveillance approach.
👉 www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

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Michelle Wille @duckswabber.bsky.social · 22h

Full scope of impacts of HPAI at Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta during 2022 is unknown, but data indicate acute
effects likely modest. 19 caracasses collected, 12 pos. But, 15–98% sera samples from waterfowl pos for 2.3.4.4b H5 antigen
👉 meridian.allenpress.com/jwd/article-...

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Michelle Wille @duckswabber.bsky.social · 22h

EFSA Avian influenza overview June–September 2025
👉 www.efsa.europa.eu/sites/defaul...

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Michelle Wille @duckswabber.bsky.social · 22h

UniFluVec, an H1N1pdm vaccine candidate, protects ferrets from A/Indonesia/5/2005(H5N1), enhancing clearance, limiting lung damage, and ensuring 100 % survival after one dose. = cross protection?
👉 www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

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Michelle Wille @duckswabber.bsky.social · 22h

In ferrets: variation in active site flexibility in HA + adaptive mutations = suppression of fusion peptide dynamics and stabilization of a key subunit interface important for HPAI activation. Underlying physical constraints in influenza HA adaptation
👉 www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

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Michelle Wille @duckswabber.bsky.social · 22h

Following HPAI infection in poultry; 259 DEGs between normal vs infected lungs: 140 🔺regulated + 119 🔻regulated genes. Ten hub genes: EPSTI1, IFIH1, IFIT5, IRF1, IRF7, MX1, OASL, PARP14, RSAD2, USP18 = cytokines and chemokines in inflammation
👉 journals.plos.org/plosone/arti...

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Michelle Wille @duckswabber.bsky.social · 22h

A replicating RNA vaccine w HA bovine 2.3.4.4b protects macaques from lethal infection+ 🔻viral loads+ 🔻resp disease. Unlike mice, A/Vietnam/1203/2004-based vaccine also protective = cross-reactivity to 2344b.
👉 www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

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Michelle Wille @duckswabber.bsky.social · 7d

Ecological grief is a One Health imperative for building socioecological resilience
👉 academic.oup.com/bioscience/a...

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Michelle Wille @duckswabber.bsky.social · 7d

Our short summary of the 11th International Symposium on Avian Influenza is now out - a part of the conference proceedings published in CJM.
👉 cdnsciencepub.com/doi/full/10....

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