Michelle N. Vu

This study analyzes an H5N5 influenza virus isolate that caused a human fatality, finding it lacks key traits associated with human pandemic potential.

The paper assesses transmission efficiency of D1.1 H5N1 strains in ferrets, finding only one human isolate efficiently transmits, linked to the PB2 D701N mutation.

The study assesses the pandemic risk of a fatal zoonotic H3N8 influenza virus from chickens, finding it has moderate pandemic potential due to its ability to infect humans and replicate in human cells.

The paper investigates H5N1 transmission on dairy farms by sampling air, wastewater, and milk, finding infectious virus in air and wastewater, viral RNA in cow breath, and subclinical infections in cows.

This study shows that the furin cleavage site (FCS) is essential for SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis but not for transmission, as a mutant lacking FCS was transmissible in hamsters but caused less severe disease.