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Mutations that adapt SARS-CoV-2 to mink or ferret do not increase fitness in the human airway

SARS-CoV-2 has a broad mammalian species tropism infecting humans, cats, dogs, and farmed mink. Since the start of the 2019 pandemic, several reverse zoonotic outbreaks of SARS-CoV-2 have occurred in mink, one of which reinfected humans and caused a cluster of infections in…

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Coinfection of chickens with H9N2 and H7N9 avian influenza viruses leads to emergence of reassortant H9N9 virus with increased fitness for poultry and a zoonotic potential

An H7N9 low pathogenicity avian influenza virus (LPAIV) emerged in 2013 through genetic reassortment between H9N2 and other LPAIVs circulating in birds in China. This virus causes inapparent clinical disease in chickens, but zoonotic transmission results in severe and fatal…

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Stem cell-derived porcine macrophages as a new platform for studying host-pathogen interactions

BACKGROUND: Infectious diseases of farmed and wild animals pose a recurrent threat to food security and human health. The macrophage, a key component of the innate immune system, is the first line of defence against many infectious agents and plays a major role in shaping…

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Differential Virus-Specific IFN-Gamma Producing T Cell Responses to Marek’s Disease Virus in Chickens With B19 and B21 MHC Haplotypes

Marek’s disease virus (MDV), the etiologic agent for Marek’s disease (MD), causes a deadly lymphoproliferative disease in chickens. Causes of the well-documented association between genetically defined lines of chicken and resistance to MD remain unknown. Here, the…

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Functional role and ribosomal position of the unique N-terminal region of DHX29, a factor required for initiation on structured mammalian mRNAs

Translation initiation on structured mammalian mRNAs requires DHX29, a DExH protein that comprises a unique 534-aa-long N-terminal region (NTR) and a common catalytic DExH core. DHX29 binds to 40S subunits and possesses 40S-stimulated NTPase activity essential for its…

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Researchers at Pirbright investigate the emergence of new bird flu viruses with the potential to infect people

Pirbright scientists have discovered that infection with two strains of avian flu can lead to the emergence of a new virus strain with the potential to jump from birds to humans. Human cases of avian influenza are extremely rare but can occur if a person comes into very…

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Peste des petits ruminants (PPR): eLearning

Learn about peste des petits ruminants virus, diagnosis and control.

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Engaging religious institutions and faith-based communities in public health initiatives: a case study of the Romanian Orthodox Church during the COVID-19 pandemic

The success of public health interventions is highly dependent on the compliance of the general population. State authorities often implement policies without consulting representatives of faith-based communities, thereby overlooking potential implications of public health…

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COVID-19 in Romania: what went wrong?

A catastrophic fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Romania raised international concern due to a rapid surge in the number of infections and the high associated mortality. A country of approximately 19 million inhabitants, Romania recorded close to 20,000 daily…

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Gene drive: a faster route to plant improvement

Gene drives for control of vector-borne diseases have been demonstrated in insects but remain challenging in plants. Theoretically, they could be transformative in speeding breeding programs and contributing to food security through providing novel weed control methods…