Transmission of a human isolate of clade 2.3.4.4b A(H5N1) virus in ferrets.

ABSTRACT: Since 2020, there has been unprecedented global spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) in wild bird populations with spillover into a variety of mammalian species and sporadically humans¹. In March 2024, clade 2.3.4.4b A(H5N1) virus was first detected in dairy cattle in the USA, with subsequent detection in numerous states², leading to more than a dozen confirmed human cases^3,4. In this study, we used the ferret, a well-characterized animal model that permits concurrent investigation of viral pathogenicity and transmissibility⁵, in the evaluation of A/Texas/37/2024 (TX/37) A(H5N1) virus isolated from a dairy farm worker in Texas⁶. Here we show that the virus has a remarkable ability for robust systemic infection in ferrets

SUBMITTER: Pulit-Penaloza JA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12004158 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature