In new study led by @bdadonaite.bsky.social, we show many influenza HAs (H5, H7, H9, H1, H2, H3) can use avian or human MHC-II to enter cells. We then use novel combo of deep mutational scanning & cryoEM to define how H5 HA binds to avian MHC-II. Preprint: doi.org/10.64898/202...

Now online in EID: Household Transmission of Enterovirus D68, Washington and Oregon, United States, 2022–2024. doi.org/10.3201/eid3... We used data from the CASCADIA cohort in WA and OR, combining prospective household surveillance with viral sequencing. Some key findings:

Three groups have independently sequenced specimens from this hantavirus outbreak and they worked together to rapidly resolve any uncertainty in regard to technical artifacts. They report only 2 true nucleotide differences among the 5 consensus genomes generated. virological.org/t/preliminar...

Preliminary analysis of Orthohantavirus andesense virus sequences from a cruise-ship related cluster, May 2026

Preliminary analysis of Orthohantavirus andesense virus sequences from a cruise-ship related cluster, May 2026. In May 2026, an Andes virus (ANDV) outbreak occurred aboard the Dutch-flagged cruise sh...

virological.org

I've built some initial Nextstrain phylogenies of the Andes Hantavirus variant, which include the sequence generated by HUG & UniZurich, Switzerland. Please interpret with caution. By segment: S: nextstrain.org/groups/hodcr... M: nextstrain.org/groups/hodcr... L: nextstrain.org/groups/hodcr...

🚨New Influenza Tool🚨 Interested in IAV mutations? Looking for markers of mammalian adaptation? Frustrated by converting between IAV numbering systems? The #Flu-MutationExplorer, a new tool from @cvrbioinfo.bsky.social and @royalvetcollege.bsky.social, is here to help: flu-gdb.cvr.gla.ac.uk (1/n)

Louise H. Moncla@lhmoncla.bsky.social · 9mo ago

Last week, a human in Washington was hospitalized for H5N5, the first human case of highly pathogenic H5N5 in the US. doh.wa.gov/newsroom/h5n.... Thanks to work from Anna Jaeger and Stephen Shank in our lab, we've added this strain to our North American phylogeny: nextstrain.org/groups/moncl...

Our lab's paper describing the North American H5N1 epizootic is out now in Nature! So thrilled to have this out, and congratulations to @lambod50.bsky.social for all the fantastic work on this: www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Ecology and spread of the North American H5N1 epizootic - Nature

The panzootic of highly pathogenic H5N1 since 2021 was driven by around nine introductions into the Atlantic and Pacific flyways, followed by rapid dissemination through wild migratory birds, primaril...

nature.com

1/ How has H5N1 affected this year’s flu season in Seattle? Despite ongoing outbreaks in birds & cattle nationally, we detected zero H5N1 cases in 675 influenza A-positive specimens tested at UW Medicine.

In study led by @csimonich.bsky.social & Teagan McMahon, we quantify antigenic evolution of RSV F Important because: 1️⃣ RSV top cause of infant hospitalization in USA 2️⃣ New antibodies & vax can prevent hospitalizations 3️⃣ Will virus evolution erode their efficacy? www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

RSV F evolution escapes some monoclonal antibodies but does not strongly erode neutralization by human polyclonal sera

Vaccines and monoclonal antibodies targeting the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) fusion protein (F) have recently begun to be widely used to protect infants and high-risk adults. Some other viral pr...

biorxiv.org

I agree with Scott. This is important because: 1. This shows that cattle are susceptible to other H5N1 viruses, not just B3.13. 2. D1.1 viruses are currently transmitting really efficiently through wild birds in North America, and are very widespread. ...

Hensley Lab@scottehensley.bsky.social · last yr.

This is big because: 1. This is evidence of a 2nd avian-->cattle H5N1 introduction. 2. The D1.1 genotype was found in the severe case in British Columbia and the deadly case in Louisiana. It is possible that this genotype has an easier time adapting to human cells. www.statnews.com/2025/02/05/u...