@ERINHA-RI

25–26 Feb 2026, Rome: the RICH Europe Symposium highlights best practices in RI collaboration, interoperability & data sharing across @horizoneu.bsky.social

Diana Stepanyan will present ISIDORe: how integrated RI services accelerate research on epidemic-prone pathogens.

🔗 shorturl.at/OrZJU

Recently published on CORDIS • CCHFVACIM CCHFVACIM Builds on EU Research to Advance a Vaccine Significant progress has been made in the global fight against Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) — a severe tick-borne viral disease with fatality rates that can reach 40 % and no licensed vaccine available. CCHF is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected Hyalomma ticks, and […]

🚀 #CCHFVACIM is advancing an mRNA vaccine against CCHF toward Phase II trials — building on CCHFVaccine results.

Progress relies on sustained BSL-3/4 access and strong European collaboration.

🔗 Read more: https://cchfvacim.pulse.ly/w0zkvexwgw

Science alone won’t stop Lassa fever
3 vaccine candidates are in development; one could be licensed within a decade.
West African countries must prepare now: define priority groups, strengthen regulation, secure financing, plan delivery, and build trust
https://project-syndicate.pulse.ly/xq1qpeyqci

Preventive action against deadly tick-borne disease Significant progress has been made in developing a vaccine for a little-known but potentially deadly tick-borne virus that could pose a...

🔬 From neglected disease to vaccine candidates.

#CCHFVaccine advanced CCHF research w/ new models, secure sample pipelines & high-containment access

🧬 DNA & mRNA vaccines now lead the way — EU collaboration turning preparedness into solutions.

https://europa.pulse.ly/n46d36bhj3

@ec.europa.eu

Mpox continues to circulate globally.
2025: 52,845 confirmed cases / 98 countries.

New outbreak in Madagascar (Dec 2025), clade Ib, community transmission ongoing.

Research infrastructures matter.
#Mpox #ERINHA

https://who.pulse.ly/b4qtsarahe

Preventive action against deadly tick-borne disease Significant progress has been made in developing a vaccine for a little-known but potentially deadly tick-borne virus that could pose a...

🦠 A little-known virus. A very real risk for Europe

Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) is a deadly tick-borne disease (up to 40% fatality) with no licensed vaccine


🔗 Read on CORDIS:https://cordis.europa.eu/article/id/463154-preventive-action-against-deadly-tick-borne-disease

#CCHFVACIM

Six years after COVID-19’s global alarm: Is the world better prepared for the next pandemic? Six years ago, the Director-General of the World Health Organization sounded the highest global alarm available under international law at the time, declaring the outbreak of a new coronavirus disease (later known as COVID-19) a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). While the PHEIC was declared over in May 2023, the impact of COVID-19 remains etched in our collective memory – and continues to be felt worldwide.

🌍 Six years after COVID-19: are we better prepared for the next pandemic?
https://who.pulse.ly/gfqruvz3lm

✅ Yes, because major progress has been made
⚠️ No, because these gains remain fragile and uneven

#PandemicPreparedness #WHO #ERINHA #OneHealth #Solidarity #ResearchInfrastructures

What is Nipah virus? And what makes it so deadly? The fatality rate in humans can be between 40% and 75%.

🔍 Understanding emerging health risks through scientific expertise

As new cases of Nipah virus have been reported in India, The Conversation has published an in-depth, well-contextualised analysis by Allen Cheng, Professor of Infectious Diseases.

https://theconversation.pulse.ly/rska4mshba

WHO regrets the US notification of withdrawal, warning it weakens global health security.

The organization defends its COVID-19 response, rejects claims of politicization, and reaffirms its impartial, evidence-based mandate:https://who.pulse.ly/eq04kv08zn

Intranasal administration of broad-spectrum macrocyclic peptide inhibitor protects against SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variants - Nature Communications Newly emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants underscore the need for broad-spectrum antiviral solutions. This study shows a macrocyclic peptide inhibitor that locks the SARS-CoV-2 spike trimer into a “closed” conformation by engaging a conserved region, and demonstrates that intranasal administration of the peptide inhibitor protects against Omicron variants.

Intranasal, broad-spectrum, structurally validated: a new macrocyclic peptide shows strong protection against SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variants.


📄 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-68462-9

🔬 New in Nature Communications: evidence of silent #mpox exposure in healthy adults in Nigeria.

🧬 Combining serology + genomics, the study shows how residual smallpox immunity shapes transmission — and why integrated surveillance matters.

📄 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-68335-1

Ethiopia declares end of first-ever Marburg virus disease outbreak The Government of Ethiopia has officially declared the end of its first-ever outbreak of Marburg virus disease (MVD) following the completion of enhanced surveillance and the mandatory follow-up period, with no new confirmed cases reported for consecutive 42 days.

Ethiopia declares end of first-ever Marburg virus disease outbreak

https://www.afro.who.int/countries/ethiopia/news/ethiopia-declares-end-first-ever-marburg-virus-disease-outbreak

#Marburg in Tanzania (outbreaks 2023 & 2025): genome sequencing shows the strains were near-identical (>99.71% identity). Likely local spillover + limited human-to-human spread → need stronger eco/behavioral studies + surveillance in the Great Lakes zone.

https://cdc.pulse.ly/otayrzokqs

Lessons from Rwanda’s response to the Marburg virus outbreak - Nature Medicine

Rwanda’s #Marburg response cut fatality rates to ~23% through rapid surveillance, genomics & coordinated action.
A clear case for sustained investment in preparedness and research infrastructures.

Nature Medicine: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-025-04163-y

Research and development priorities for Nipah virus outbreak preparedness - Nature Health Standardized clinical assays, diagnostic assays and, ultimately, a vaccine are needed to prepare for future Nipah virus outbreaks.

#Nipah virus remains a high-risk pandemic threat with up to 70% fatality and no licensed vaccine. A new Nature Health Comment highlights urgent needs for better diagnostics, standardized assays, and vaccine-ready models to strengthen global outbreak preparedness.

https://nature.pulse.ly/7dktxy8mw4

European Union allocates €1.2 million in response to the Marburg outbreak in Ethiopia The European Union together with its Member States is the world's leading donor of humanitarian aid. Relief assistance is an expression of European solidarity towards people in need around the world. It aims to save lives, prevent and alleviate human suffering, and safeguard the integrity and human dignity of populations affected by natural disasters and human-made crises. Through its European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations department, the European Union helps millions of victims of conflicts and disasters every year. Headquartered in Brussels and with a global network of field offices, the EU assists the most vulnerable people, based on humanitarian needs.

The EU has allocated €1.2 million in emergency aid to support the response to the Marburg outbreak in southern Ethiopia, strengthening surveillance, patient care, contact tracing and community engagement through WHO, International Medical Corps and the Red Cross.
https://europa.pulse.ly/n3mybebsgd

🧪 As a partner in #ISIDORe, #ERINHA contributes its expertise on high-risk pathogens and preparedness, supporting Europe’s capacity to respond to emerging infectious diseases.

👉 Read on CORDIS: https://shorturl.at/k1SyC


#ResearchInfrastructures #InfectiousDiseases #EUProjects

Oral 4′-fluorouridine rescues nonhuman primates from advanced Lassa fever - Nature Treatment with 4′-fluorouridine (also known as EIDD-2749) in an African green monkey (Chlorocebus aethiops) model of Lassa disease resulted in complete clearance of infectious virus in a high proportion of cases and prolonged survival to the pre-determined study end-point in all cases.

Emerging infectious diseases

New in Nature: the oral antiviral 4′-fluorouridine protected non-human primates from lethal Lassa fever when administered at an advanced stage of infection.

Read more: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09906-y

#HighConsequencePathogens #AntiviralResearch

detection of Hendra virus in a bat

🦇 Hendra virus detected in a bat in Australia’s Northern Territory (first confirmed NT detection; test 11 Dec 2025).
Authorities say risk remains unchanged, but surveillance & biosecurity matter to reduce spillover risk.


https://daf.nt.gov.au/news/2025/first-nt-detection-of-hendra-virus-in-a-bat

🔬 In Bangladesh, 5 severe “Nipah-like” cases linked to raw date palm sap tested NiV-negative. Sequencing identified Pteropine orthoreovirus (PRV), highlighting the need for broad surveillance & differential diagnosis in spillover settings.

https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/31/12/25-0797_article#;

One Health Trial Design could speed up #Lassa vaccine trials by combining ecological surveillance + viral genomics + socio-behavioral monitoring → smarter site selection + better case accrual + stronger real-world effectiveness estimates.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-025-04018-6

🧬 Lessons from the 2016 Ebola outbreak helped accelerate the first Lassa fever vaccine, now in Phase 1 human trials (Oxford + CEPI). The ChAdOx1 platform (used for COVID-19) will next be tested in Ghana, with plans for later trials in Nigeria.


Read more: https://shorturl.at/b4M7w

Discovery of potent cross-neutralizing antibodies against Marburg and Ravn viruses with therapeutic potential - npj Viruses Marburg virus (MARV) and Ravn virus (RAVV) are highly pathogenic filoviruses that cause Marburg virus disease (MVD), for which no approved treatment currently exists. In this study, we describe a panel of 10 novel mouse-derived monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), all exhibiting neutralizing activity again...

🔬 New study in npj Viruses identifies cross-neutralizing antibodies that protect against both Marburg and Ravn viruses, two deadly filoviruses with no approved treatments. Lead candidates showed 100% protection in animal models.

👉 https://www.nature.com/articles/s44298-025-00168-z

⚠️ Nigeria: Lassa fever CFR reaches 18.2% (Week 50, 2025): 1,097 confirmed cases, 201 deaths across 21 states.

No approved Lassa fever vaccine yet—highlighting the need for stronger preparedness and research.

https://shorturl.at/yOR5d

🧬 Preparedness for high-risk pathogens: mRNA vaccines advance against Nipah virus.mRNA-LNP candidates targeting NiV F and G proteins provide robust immunity and full protection in hamsters — underlining the value of high-containment research.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41541-025-01336-1

Geographical and Ecological Drivers of Zoonotic Viral Spillover: A Review of Emerging and Re-emerging Outbreaks Over the past two decades, outbreaks of zoonotic viruses have become increasingly frequent and severe, posing substantial threats to public health systems and the global economy. The viruses responsible for these outbreaks, such as SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, Zika, Ebola, Nipah, avian influenza, and, most r...

🦠🌍 Zoonotic spillovers are rising. Deforestation, urbanization, intensive farming & climate change increase human–wildlife contact and outbreak risk. #OneHealth


Read more: https://shorturl.at/mBNFV!/

The quest to hatch a bird-flu vaccine Although development of a jab for the H5N1 strain of avian flu is well under way, other strains are receiving less attention — and political obstacles to research could hamper progress.

🦠 H5N1: a warning worth taking seriously
Finland became the first country to vaccinate high-risk groups against #H5N1 after a major outbreak in fur farms. Human cases are still rare, but the virus is spreading widely in animals and could mutate


https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-03612-5

🔬 New work in PLOS Pathogens shows how human gut #organoids can advance research on #Ebola and #Marburg virus infections in human-relevant systems: https://shorturl.at/V2GcS

🧩 How advanced in vitro models and high-containment infrastructures support preparedness in infectious disease research.

🚨 Big step for epidemic preparedness: Oxford just vaccinated the first volunteer in a first-in-human trial of the ChAdOx1 #Lassa fever vaccine. No licensed vaccine exists yet, ViTaL01 will assess safety + immune response.


Read more: https://openaccessgovernment.pulse.ly/hxnmbzomou

England health officials identify newly evolved variant of mpox Virus caught by person who travelled to Asia combines more severe form of mpox with less virulent type

UKHSA has found a new recombinant #mpox variant in England, mixing clade Ib + clade IIb — proof mpox is still evolving. Vaccination remains key for eligible risk groups.


https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/dec/08/england-health-officials-identify-newly-evolved-strain-of-mpox