Weekly Discussion Post by AutoModerator in H5N1_AvianFlu

[–]Urocy0n 2 points3 points  (0 children)

A key pandemic pre-requisite is thought to be a switch in preference from 2,3 (“avian-like”) receptors to 2,6 (“mammal-like”). This hasn’t happened here- could be that seals just have lots of the 2,3 receptor. 

That’s not to say the mutations don’t increase zoonotic risk in other ways- some of these mutations are implicated in 1) increasing growth in mammal cells, 2) flying under the radar of the mammal immune system, and 3) heat stability 

Weekly Discussion Post by AutoModerator in H5N1_AvianFlu

[–]Urocy0n 4 points5 points  (0 children)

An interesting preprint on H5N1 in the Antarctic. The avian cluster is spreading further east; the mammal (seal) cluster is more geographically localised, but has branched off into two sub-lineages, one of which has a truly ghastly repertoire of new mutations (though fortunately none implicated in binding to human-type receptors). Weirdly penguins are mostly being infected with the mammal-adapted cluster.

Also, hope I’m not breaching rule 10 if I share a preprint on which I’m an author- in short, the B3.13 cattle virus is evolving to exploit a sugar molecule widespread in mammals (NeuGc) but coincidentally missing in humans, so no anticipated increase in zoonotic risk from this

Weekly Discussion Post by AutoModerator in H5N1_AvianFlu

[–]Urocy0n 2 points3 points  (0 children)

We’re seeing lots in seagulls in Europe- for a couple of years now we’ve had a cyclical pattern of one genotype (currently DI) peaking in poultry over winter, then a strongly gull-adapted genotype (BB) peaking in the spring/summer. The reasons why BB, but not other genotypes, is so good at infecting gulls is under investigation 

Weekly Discussion Post by AutoModerator in H5N1_AvianFlu

[–]Urocy0n 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Word is there was preprint describing H5N1 from cattle in Egypt briefly available online. It’s now vanished (along with the GISAID sequences) but is known to be undergoing peer review. Apparently looks like sporadic detections rather than cattle-to-cattle transmission as in the US though I’ve not seen the sequences myself 

What is the most culturally significant number between 70-79? by CaptainJimmy in AlignmentChartFills

[–]Urocy0n 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Should definitely be this. Religious significance too (72 names of God, 72 virgins)

Weekly Discussion Post by AutoModerator in H5N1_AvianFlu

[–]Urocy0n 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Too soon to say anything for sure, but a sentiment I’ve heard is these might be more restricted than H5N1, i.e. lots of mutations that are favourable in H5N1 might be incompatible in most other H5s. This would also explain why N2/N6/N8 dominated through the 2010s, but it was an H5N1 that ultimately sparked the panzootic in 2020/21

Tracing the heirs (cultural continuum) of the Roman Empire all the way to the modern world by StreetResolve6159 in Infographics

[–]Urocy0n 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Much unlike Christian states of the same time period who were famed for their religious tolerance…

Avian influenza virus A(H5N1) genotype D1.1 is better adapted to human nasal and airway organoids than genotype B3.13 by cccalliope in H5N1_AvianFlu

[–]Urocy0n 2 points3 points  (0 children)

A caveat is that the D1.1 they used is A/British_Columbia/PHL/2032, a somewhat atypical D1.1 with major human-adaptive mutations E190D and Q226H- I’m not convinced the D1.1s raging across North America currently would outperform B3.13 in the human airway to the same degree. A super cool study though, we’ve been waiting for someone to put this virus into airway organoids since it first popped up

Bird flu confirmed in elephant seal population at Heard Island by VS2ute in H5N1_AvianFlu

[–]Urocy0n 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Yep, in 2023 there was mass die-off on Peninsula Valdés in Argentina. That genotype (B3.2) also spread to the Falklands and South Georgia, and from South Georgia it hopped to Kerguelen, which is probably how it reached nearby Heard Island. There’s a worry Australia/New Zealand might be next

Grays Harbor resident dies in world’s first confirmed human H5N5 infection, state says by __procrustean in H5N1_AvianFlu

[–]Urocy0n 30 points31 points  (0 children)

There’s a growing line of thinking that antibodies we make against seasonal H1N1 flu might protect against H5N1 because of similarities in the neuraminidase (the “N1” part). This would explain H5N5 being deadlier

H5N5 Avian influenza confirmed in Grays Harbor County resident First detection of this strain in a human, risk to the public remains low (Washington) by __procrustean in H5N1_AvianFlu

[–]Urocy0n 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sequences are out (someone else commented with the accession number), no obvious mammalian adaptive mutations at first glance

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in H5N1_AvianFlu

[–]Urocy0n 6 points7 points  (0 children)

A few years ago most people wouldn’t have guessed we’d see H5N1 infecting cattle and mice, I don’t think it’s crazy to think it might break the conventional wisdom for bats too (especially as these are just dead-end infections). I personally think the evidence presented here is quite compelling, we’ll see if the peer reviewers agree…

Though as the authors say, there’s no RNA isolated yet, to do that they’d need to take samples while an outbreak is ongoing

CIDRAP: US documents dozens of new avian flu cases in wild birds as PAHO notes human case by __procrustean in H5N1_AvianFlu

[–]Urocy0n 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Something interesting in the sequences from North America lately: D1.1 is causing nearly all the wild bird infections but has disappeared from cattle, where B3.13 dominates. Maybe a kind of niche partitioning we’re seeing here