Dr Fabrício Campos

Cool et al., 2026. doi.org/10.64898/202...
Graber et al., 2026. doi.org/10.1371/jour...
Stenkamp-Strahm et al., 2026. doi.org/10.3390/micr...
Wu et al., 2026. doi.org/10.1016/j.ve...
13/13

The current panzootic is not merely a geographic expansion of H5N1, but an ongoing process of evolutionary experimentation on a planetary scale.

#H5N1 #Influenza #Panzootic #OneHealth #GenomicSurveillance #Spillover #Virology #EmergingViruses 12/13

Together, these studies reveal a virus evolving simultaneously across multiple species: adapting to new hosts, exploiting intensive production systems, and accumulating mutations that may alter its interaction with human immunity. 11/13

These results reinforce the importance of co-infections as a mechanism capable of generating new reassortant viruses. 10/13

Wu et al. showed that co-infections with H5N1 and H5N8 in birds can generate host-dependent competitive dynamics. In chickens, H5N1 showed a replicative advantage, whereas in ducks H5N8 displayed greater relative fitness. 9/13

A single mutation (P221S), which emerged in avian reservoirs around the year 2000, appears to reduce recognition by broadly protective antibodies. This finding illustrates how viral evolution occurring in birds may generate strains that are partially evasive to human immunity. 8/13

At the level of viral immunology, Graber et al. identified that H5 viruses from the Goose/Guangdong lineage acquired resistance to human antibodies targeting the hemagglutinin head interface. 7/13

Within this environment, viral variants can compete and expand, turning the mammary gland into a localized arena of viral evolution during infection. 6/13

Intramammary infection revealed compartmentalized clonal expansion of the virus across different quarters of the mammary gland, suggesting that the host itself can function as a micro-evolutionary environment. 5/13

At the level of pathogenesis, Cool et al. showed that Jersey cows in the dry period are highly susceptible to the H5N1 genotype B3.13. 4/13

Positive sites included milking equipment, barn surfaces, and manure lagoons. These findings suggest that environmental surveillance may become a strategic tool for monitoring H5N1 outbreaks in dairy cattle herds. 3/13

In U.S. dairy systems, Stenkamp-Strahm et al. showed that influenza A viral RNA can be detected at multiple environmental sites on farms, particularly in locations exposed to milk. 2/13

Post 87 — H5N1: viral evolution across multiple hosts

The global expansion of H5N1 continues to reveal how viral evolution, production systems, and host ecology interact to shape new epidemiological dynamics. 1/13

Congratulations to Beni and all co-authors. It is a great privilege to be part of a study with such scope and translational relevance. Read the full article here:
www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/15...
8/8

Reviews of this scale require discipline, organization, and deep critical analysis. Beni demonstrated remarkable dedication in navigating large datasets and delivered a robust contribution to a field marked by high lethality and lack of approved therapies. 7/8

To our knowledge, it represents the most comprehensive synthesis published so far on drug repurposing for free-living amoebae. 6/8

This is a large-scale review with 234 references, conducted under rigorous methodology following PRISMA 2020, integrating both in vitro and in vivo data. 5/8

Among them, 166 compounds showed relevant activity at concentrations ≤10 µM, highlighting promising candidates against Acanthamoeba, Naegleria fowleri, and Balamuthia mandrillaris. 4/8

In total, 2,726 drugs and drug combinations, belonging to 865 pharmacological classes, were evaluated for their potential anti-amoebic activity. 3/8

Led by Beni Chaúque, the study screened an impressive 23,624 records, resulting in the inclusion of 112 laboratory studies. 2/8

New paper published!!!

We are very pleased to announce that our systematic review on drug repurposing against free-living amoebae has just been published in Pathogens. 1/8

Timmer 2026
studenttheses.uu.nl/bitstream/ha...
Tønnessen 2026 doi.org/10.4324/9781...
Wang et al. 2026 doi.org/10.1093/infd...
14/14

Burtseva 2025 doi.org/10.17816/EID...
Capua & Fanelli 2026 doi.org/10.4324/9781...
Landini 2026 doi.org/10.4324/9781...
13/14

The key question is whether society will integrate ecology, animal production, public health, and global governance into a coherent strategy of prevention.

#H5N1 #OneHealth #InfluenzaA #PandemicRisk #Surveillance #GlobalHealth 12/14

H5N1 thus exposes a contemporary paradox: science already has sophisticated tools for surveillance, modeling, and vaccine preparedness, yet the global prevention system remains fragmented. 11/14

More than 1,000 human infections have been recorded since 1997, with an estimated ~50% case-fatality rate. Recent infections linked to dairy cattle in the U.S. show the virus exploring new ecological interfaces. 10/14

Meanwhile, pandemic preparedness continues. The CDC has developed dozens of candidate vaccine viruses (CVVs) against H5N1, enabling rapid vaccine production if efficient human-to-human transmission emerges. 9/14

At the same time, responses to the panzootic reveal inconsistencies. Capua & Fanelli note that infected poultry are routinely culled, while infected cattle are not, raising practical and ethical dilemmas in disease control. 8/14

According to Landini, this situation raises pandemic concerns in a world marked by economic inequalities, geopolitical conflicts, climate crises, and fragile international cooperation. 7/14

In this context, H5N1 is no longer only a regional avian disease. The virus has become endemic in multiple regions and continues infecting an increasing number of species. 6/14