David J Bacsik, etc.,al. [preprint]Validation of H5 influenza virus subtyping RT-qPCR assay and low prevalence of H5 detection in 2024-2025 influenza virus season. https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.03.17.25324122
A sustained outbreak of H5N1 influenza virus among wild fowl and domestic livestock has caused more than 70 zoonotic infections in humans in the United States, including one death. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended rapid H5 subtyping for all hospitalized cases with influenza A virus infection to enable prompt initiation of antiviral treatment, as well as infection prevention and implementation of public health measures to control spread. To address these needs, we developed a multiplex RT-qPCR assay to subtype H5 influenza virus in nasal, nasopharyngeal, and conjunctival specimens with a limit of detection of 230 copies/mL. No cross-reactivity was observed with other common respiratory viruses, including seasonal H3N2 and H1N1 influenza A viruses. We retrospectively subtyped 590 influenza A-positive clinical specimens processed by University of Washington labs between March 2024 and February 2025, including 512 specimens collected during the 2024-2025 influenza season, and detected no H5 positives. After clinical implementation, we performed 85 clinically ordered H5 subtyping tests in February 2025 and again detected no positives. This work enhances clinical pandemic preparedness activities and highlights the exceedingly low prevalence of H5N1 influenza virus during the 2024-2025 respiratory season.
See Also:
Latest articles in those days:
- Engineered Bacillus subtilis to deliver dsRNA via extracellular vesicles against the H9N2 avian influenza virus 3 hours ago
- [preprint]Spatiotemporal dynamics and ecological risk factors of highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) in Canadian wildlife: A One Health surveillance analysis 3 hours ago
- Epidemiological and Virological Characteristics of H9N2 Avian Influenza Virus in Jiangsu Province, China, 2024 15 hours ago
- Innate Pathway Selection Modulates Antibody and T-Cell Responses to Mosaic Influenza Nucleoprotein in Cattle 1 days ago
- Game Over for the Baseline: Influenza Hospitalization Patterns Before, During, and After the COVID-19 Pandemic (FluSurv-NET, 2009–2025) 1 days ago
[Go Top] [Close Window]


