Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42578664›Full record

ArticleJournal of virology2026

Risk assessment of avian influenza A(H5N5) virus from the first human case using the ferret model.

Joanna Pulit-Penaloza, Jessica A Belser, Nicole Brock, Troy J Kieran, Claudia Pappas, Hui Zeng, Xiangjie Sun, Juan A De La Cruz, Yasuko Hatta, Han Di and 2 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of virology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Avian influenza overview June-August 2026.EFSA journal. European Food Safety Authority · 2026
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Joanna Pulit-PenalozaInfluenza Division, NCIRD, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-2187-5872
Jessica A BelserInfluenza Division, NCIRD, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-0755-7368
Nicole BrockInfluenza Division, NCIRD, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
Troy J KieranInfluenza Division, NCIRD, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
Claudia PappasInfluenza Division, NCIRD, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
Hui ZengInfluenza Division, NCIRD, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
Xiangjie SunInfluenza Division, NCIRD, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-9872-1337
Juan A De La CruzInfluenza Division, NCIRD, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
Yasuko HattaInfluenza Division, NCIRD, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
Han DiInfluenza Division, NCIRD, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
C Todd DavisInfluenza Division, NCIRD, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-1429-974X
Taronna R MainesInfluenza Division, NCIRD, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-4097-6724

Funding

JG CDC HHS
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The incursion of Eurasian-origin genotype A6 A(H5N5) virus into North America expanded the genetic diversity among North American highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses and heightened concern about zoonotic risk. Following a fatal human infection with the A(H5N5) virus A/Washington/2148/2025, viral replication was assessed in polarized human bronchial epithelial cells, and pathogenicity, transmissibility in direct contact and respiratory droplet models, and airborne virus shedding were evaluated in ferrets to inform pandemic risk assessment. A(H5N5) displayed robust replication in Calu-3 cells at 33°C and 37°C, showing kinetics and peak titers comparable to those of contemporary genotype B3.13 and D1.1 A(H5N1) viruses. In ferrets, A(H5N5) replicated efficiently in the respiratory tract, disseminated to extrapulmonary tissues, and caused fatal disease in all inoculated animals. Airborne transmission was not observed, and infrequent, low-level detection of virus in air samples paralleled that of A(H5) viruses that are not transmissible via air in ferrets. In a direct contact model, limited transmission was detected within 4 days of exposure, with evidence of lower respiratory tract replication in contact animals. These findings indicate that the A(H5N5) virus has the capacity for robust replication in an airway epithelial cell line and can cause severe systemic infection and mortality in ferrets but has not acquired adaptations for airborne spread in mammals. Collectively, these results underscore heterogeneity among clade 2.3.4.4b A(H5Nx) viruses in North America and the need for genotype-by-genotype evaluation of newly emerged viruses to understand public health risk.IMPORTANCEThe emergence of Eurasian-origin genotype A6 highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N5) virus in North America has increased viral diversity and raised concerns about zoonotic and pandemic risk. In this study, we evaluated the replication kinetics, pathogenesis, and transmission of A/Washington/2148/2025 A(H5N5) virus, which was isolated from the first reported human infection with this influenza virus subtype, using polarized human bronchial epithelial cells and the ferret model. The A(H5N5) virus replicated efficiently

Indexed as

Influenza A virusInfluenza, HumanOrthomyxoviridae InfectionsAnimalsCell LineDisease Models, AnimalEpithelial CellsFerretsHumansInfluenza A Virus, H5N1 SubtypeRisk AssessmentVirus ReplicationVirus SheddingA(H5N5)ferret modelinfluenzapathogenesistransmission

Identifiers

PMID42578664
PMCPMC13595979

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.