Emerging Microbes & Infections最新文献

{"title":"Henipaviruses at the threshold: preparedness in the era of recurrent spillover.","authors":"Xinyu Wang, Wenhong Zhang","doi":"10.1080/22221751.2026.2667556","DOIUrl":"10.1080/22221751.2026.2667556","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Henipaviruses remain high-consequence zoonotic pathogens characterized by recurrent spillover, severe disease, and limited but consequential human-to-human transmission. In this commentary, we frame henipaviruses as \"threshold pathogens\": agents repeatedly approaching, but not yet consistently crossing, the boundary into sustained community transmission. Expanding viral diversity, widening ecological interfaces, and episodic outbreaks challenge conventional preparedness models, particularly for surveillance, countermeasure evaluation, and regulatory decision-making. We argue that future preparedness should move beyond outbreak counting towards integrated One Health surveillance, adaptive evidence-generation pathways, and trial-ready countermeasure strategies suited to pathogens with irregular emergence and high public health consequences.</p>","PeriodicalId":11602,"journal":{"name":"Emerging Microbes & Infections","volume":"15 1","pages":"2667556"},"PeriodicalIF":7.0,"publicationDate":"2026-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13250879/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148204579","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Syrian hamster is a valuable animal model for evaluating the transmissibility of emerging influenza viruses.","authors":"Jiongjie Li, Dongxue Wang, Bin Li, Jinming Ma, Xinwen He, Lei Chen, Huihui Kong, Guohua Deng, Pengfei Cui, Huanliang Yang, Fei Meng, Xianying Zeng, Guobin Tian, Jianzhong Shi, Hualan Chen","doi":"10.1080/22221751.2026.2629629","DOIUrl":"10.1080/22221751.2026.2629629","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Multiple influenza virus subtypes actively circulate in nature, and assessing their transmissibility provides crucial information for predicting their pandemic potential and for pandemic preparedness. Here, we evaluated the receptor-binding preferences, replication, and transmission of five different influenza viruses (i.e. CA/07-H1N1, GX/18-H1N1, CK/S2283-H3N8, CK/SD007-H9N2, and DK/35-H5N1) in Syrian hamsters. Receptor-binding analysis using biolayer interferometry revealed that four of these viruses preferentially bound α2,6-linked sialic acid receptors, whereas the H5N1 virus bound to α2,3-linked and α2,6-linked sialic acid receptors similarly. All five viruses replicated well in the respiratory tissues of Syrian hamsters, but did not cause obvious symptoms or death, indicating that Syrian hamsters can tolerate influenza virus infection and are not suitable for influenza virus pathogenicity studies. The four viruses that bound to α2,6-linked sialic acid receptors with higher affinity than to α2,3-linked sialic acid receptors were transmissible between Syrian hamsters via direct contact or respiratory droplets; however, the H5N1 virus was not transmissible through respiratory droplets, consistent with previously reported transmission characteristics observed for these viruses in guinea pigs and ferrets. Given that Syrian hamsters and humans have similar receptor expression patterns in their nasal mucosa, our findings suggests that Syrian hamsters can be used as a suitable animal model for evaluating the transmissibility of influenza viruses that preferentially bind to α2,6-linked sialic acid receptors.</p>","PeriodicalId":11602,"journal":{"name":"Emerging Microbes & Infections","volume":" ","pages":"2629629"},"PeriodicalIF":7.0,"publicationDate":"2026-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12990269/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146141306","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Differential properties of NS1 glycoproteins in West Nile and Usutu viruses.","authors":"Justine Revel, Jérémy Leroy, Stéphane Delbecq, Orianne Constant, Florent Henry Marty, Chaima Naili, Arthur Barthès, Anna Nagy, Jonas Schmidt-Chanasit, Dániel Cadar, Nor Yasmin Abd Rahaman, Anne-Dominique Lajoix, Caroline Desmetz, Yannick Simonin","doi":"10.1080/22221751.2026.2667565","DOIUrl":"10.1080/22221751.2026.2667565","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>West Nile virus (WNV) and Usutu virus (USUV) are neurotropic orthoflaviviruses of the <i>Flaviviridae</i> family, transmitted primarily by <i>Culex</i> mosquitoes and maintained in enzootic cycles involving birds. While WNV is a well-established human pathogen causing hundreds of neuroinvasive cases annually in Europe, USUV has emerged more recently, with fewer documented human infections but increasing evidence of neurovirulence. The viral nonstructural protein 1 (NS1) plays a central role in orthoflavivirus pathogenesis by modulating host immune responses, disrupting endothelial barrier integrity, and facilitating viral dissemination. However, the functional and biochemical properties of NS1 from WNV and USUV remain poorly characterized. We combined <i>in vitro</i>, <i>in vivo</i>, and clinical approaches to compare NS1 secretion, stability, and its impact on blood-brain barrier. Our results show that WNV NS1 is secreted at significantly higher levels, exhibits greater thermal stability, and disrupts brain endothelial barrier integrity <i>in vitro</i>. In contrast, USUV NS1 is secreted less efficiently, is slightly less stable, and does not compromise blood-brain barrier integrity, despite inducing distinct transcriptional responses in brain endothelial cells. In mice, WNV infection led to higher serum NS1 levels and stronger systemic inflammation than USUV. Clinically, WNV NS1 was detected mainly in patients with neurological symptoms, whereas USUV NS1 remained undetectable in all cases. Altogether, these findings reveal differential NS1 properties between these closely related viruses, with key implications for orthoflavivirus diagnosis and neurovirulence mechanisms.</p>","PeriodicalId":11602,"journal":{"name":"Emerging Microbes & Infections","volume":" ","pages":"2667565"},"PeriodicalIF":7.0,"publicationDate":"2026-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13224725/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147766240","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Distinct cytotoxic cell subsets underlie protective and non-protective immunity to African swine fever virus.","authors":"David Marín-Moraleda, Aida Tort-Miró, Enrique Ezcurra, Sergio Montaner-Tarbes, Jordana Muñoz-Basagoiti, Elena Coatu, María Jesús Navas, Marta Muñoz, Paula Monleon, Judith González-Oliver, Lola Pailler-García, Sonia Pina-Pedrero, Francesc Accensi, Fernando Rodríguez, Jordi Argilaguet","doi":"10.1080/22221751.2026.2685920","DOIUrl":"10.1080/22221751.2026.2685920","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Limited understanding of African swine fever (ASF) immunity remains a major barrier to the rational development of safe and effective vaccines. While antibody-mediated protection is still poorly defined, growing evidence highlights a central role for cellular immunity, particularly cytotoxic cells, as components associated with ASF virus (ASFV) infection control. However, the contribution of individual cytotoxic subsets across different virological and immunological contexts is not well characterized. Here, we investigated cytotoxic responses during BA71ΔCD2 live attenuated vaccine-induced protection and during late-stage lethal ASFV infection. Protective immunity was characterized by antigen-specific cytotoxic T-cell responses, whereas acute ASF was associated with broad cytotoxic activation. Early increases in perforin-positive CD4^-CD8αβ⁺ T cells coincided with the onset of protection, and elevated recall responses correlated with survival following lethal challenge, supporting their association with protective immunity. Additional correlates of protection included CD4⁺CD8αβ⁺ cytotoxic T cells, IFNγ-producing cells, and specific antibodies, illustrating the multifactorial nature of protective immunity. In contrast, pigs with acute ASF showed broad cytotoxic expansion, perforin-positive natural killer and γδ T cells showing the strongest association with viremia. Together, these findings advance our understanding of cytotoxic responses to ASFV and identify perforin-positive T cells, alongside complementary immune components, as potential correlates of protection for future vaccine development.</p>","PeriodicalId":11602,"journal":{"name":"Emerging Microbes & Infections","volume":" ","pages":"2685920"},"PeriodicalIF":7.0,"publicationDate":"2026-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13470925/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148162088","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Viral entry defines the hepatitis E virus species barrier in murine hepatocytes.","authors":"Nicola Frericks, Olinda Pinto Veiga, Leyla Sirkinti, Hoang Duy Nguyen, Tina Sliwinski, Hongbo Guo, Yannick Brüggemann, Thomas Burkard, Rainer G Ulrich, Richard J P Brown, Tran Tuoc, Huu Phuc Nguyen, Wenshi Wang, Daniel Todt, Volker Kinast, Eike Steinmann","doi":"10.1080/22221751.2026.2706321","DOIUrl":"10.1080/22221751.2026.2706321","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The <i>Paslahepevirus balayani</i> hepatitis E virus (HEV) and the distantly related <i>Rocahepevirus ratti</i> rat HEV pose a risk for zoonotic transmission to humans. Despite the broad host range, including its ability to infect certain rodent species, infections of animals of the genus <i>Mus</i> within the subfamily Murinae are rarely documented. Further, experimental infection of non-humanized mice has proven challenging. To dissect the molecular mechanisms underlying species barriers to HEV infection, this study aimed to investigate the virus replication cycle and immune-related determinants responsible for restricted HEV infection in murine hepatocytes. Murine hepatic cell lines supported moderate levels of zoonotic HEV replication and infectious virion production upon transfection of <i>in vitro</i> transcribed viral RNA. Notably, viral replication was not restricted by innate immune responses or presence of dominant restriction factors but was limited by absence of host-specific dependency factors in murine cell lines. While successful attachment to murine hepatic cells and recombinant capsid protein cleavage was observable, viral particle disassembly was not observed in murine hepatocytes, correlating with murine cell lines and primary murine hepatocytes being refractory to HEV infection. In summary, the murine barrier to HEV infection is defined at the viral entry stage, specifically by a block post attachment and before viral replication is initiated. These findings shed new light on the fundamental role of viral entry mechanisms in defining HEV species tropism.</p>","PeriodicalId":11602,"journal":{"name":"Emerging Microbes & Infections","volume":"15 1","pages":"2706321"},"PeriodicalIF":7.0,"publicationDate":"2026-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13410553/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148591043","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A bivalent inactivated influenza vaccine incorporating epitope-optimized surface proteins confers cross-protective immunity against H9N2 influenza virus.","authors":"Mengchan Hao, Yiwei Guan, Meng Xu, Wenxue Yang, Yanhai Wang, Yuan Zhang, Jianjun Chen","doi":"10.1080/22221751.2026.2713325","DOIUrl":"10.1080/22221751.2026.2713325","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The H9N2 avian influenza virus (AIV) has caused substantial economic losses to the global poultry industry and poses a zoonotic threat to humans. Vaccination constitutes a pivotal strategy for the prevention and control of H9N2 AIVs. However, the ongoing antigenic evolution of the viruses pose a persistent challenge to the protective efficacy of existing vaccines. Therefore, the development of a broadly protective H9N2 influenza vaccine capable of eliciting cross-reactive immune responses is crucial for mitigating both the disease burden and the risk of pandemics. Here, we developed a bivalent chimeric inactivated vaccine, designated cHANA, by combining two individually rescued chimeric inactivated viruses, cHANA1 and cHANA2. Each recombinant virus carries one set of Epigraph-designed HA and NA immunogens, and the two sets were computationally optimized from global H9N2 HA and NA sequence datasets to complement each other in epitope coverage across the H9N2 viral population. Compared to the WHO-recommended candidate vaccine virus (CVV), AL/39, cHANA elicited more potent cross-reactive antibody responses and T cell immunity in mice. Furthermore, it elicited effective cross-protection against lethal challenge with heterologous H9N2 virus and significantly reduced pulmonary viral loads of mice. By conferring broad protective immunity, this vaccine represents a promising universal vaccine candidate for controlling H9N2 outbreaks.</p>","PeriodicalId":11602,"journal":{"name":"Emerging Microbes & Infections","volume":" ","pages":"2713325"},"PeriodicalIF":7.0,"publicationDate":"2026-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13491903/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148668591","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"RpoE-mediated virulence attenuation elicits protective immunity in hypervirulent <i>Klebsiella pneumoniae</i>.","authors":"Yaxuan Zhai, Qiyuan Jin, Jiawen Shi, Xiaoyun Zhang, Yan Qian, Yicheng Wen, Jie Zhu, Zhichen Zhu, Liang Wang, Qizhao Gao, Tao Wang, Wanxiang Li, Haifang Zhang, Liang Chen, Hong Du","doi":"10.1080/22221751.2026.2716501","DOIUrl":"10.1080/22221751.2026.2716501","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The global emergence of hypervirulent <i>Klebsiella pneumoniae</i> (hvKP) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) phenotypes has precipitated a severe public health crisis with limited therapeutic options. In particular, the hypervirulent ST65 and ST23 lineages, alongside the carbapenem-resistant ST11 lineage, have been reported to be emerging globally with the potential for continued large-scale dissemination. Despite the urgent need for preventive strategies, the regulatory networks governing hvKP virulence and their potential as targets for live attenuated vaccines remain inadequately explored. In this study, we elucidate a pathogenic mechanism driven by the transcription factor RpoE. Deletion of the <i>rpoE</i> gene in hvKP significantly attenuated virulence by directly downregulating the expression of type 3 fimbriae (T3F) and subsequently impairing biofilm formation. Based on this marked virulence attenuation, we evaluated the Δ<i>rpoE</i> strain as a potential live attenuated vaccine candidate. Remarkably, immunization elicited protective immune responses involving functional antibody responses and CD4⁺ T cell-associated immunity, conferring host protection against the tested ST11, ST23, and ST65 clinical isolates. Our findings define an RpoE-T3F regulatory axis involved in hvKP virulence and support Δ<i>rpoE</i> as a potential live attenuated vaccine candidate with protective efficacy against these tested clinically relevant KP strains.</p>","PeriodicalId":11602,"journal":{"name":"Emerging Microbes & Infections","volume":" ","pages":"2716501"},"PeriodicalIF":7.0,"publicationDate":"2026-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13491909/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148683736","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Statement of Retraction: Monkeypox virus induces ferroptosis to facilitate viral replication and promotes inflammatory responses.","authors":"","doi":"10.1080/22221751.2026.2710009","DOIUrl":"10.1080/22221751.2026.2710009","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":11602,"journal":{"name":"Emerging Microbes & Infections","volume":"15 1","pages":"2710009"},"PeriodicalIF":7.0,"publicationDate":"2026-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13449425/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148677423","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Extracellular vesicles participate in proteostasis and heat shock adaptation in <i>Plasmodium falciparum</i>.","authors":"Yunuen Avalos-Padilla, Lucía Román-Álamo, Inés Bouzón-Arnáiz, Elsa M Arce, Diego Muñoz-Torrero, Xavier Fernàndez-Busquets","doi":"10.1080/22221751.2026.2686468","DOIUrl":"10.1080/22221751.2026.2686468","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Heat shock is a hallmark of clinical malaria, where <i>Plasmodium falciparum</i> parasites are exposed to recurrent febrile episodes exceeding 40 °C, which lead to acute proteotoxic stress. Parasite survival under these conditions relies on efficient proteostasis mechanisms and molecular chaperones, yet how stress resilience is coordinated beyond chaperone responses remains poorly understood.Here, we identify a stress-associated role for extracellular vesicles (EVs) in parasite heat shock adaptation linked to vesicular trafficking mediated by <i>Pf</i>Vps60, an Endosomal Sorting Complex Required for Transport (ESCRT) protein. Using a <i>Pf</i>Vps60 knockout (<i>Pf</i>Vps60KO) line, we show that disruption of ESCRT-dependent vesicular trafficking affects EV cargo composition during thermal stress. Proteomic profiling revealed that 44.8% of EV-associated proteins from <i>P. falciparum</i> 3D7 overlapped with a previously defined set of aggregation-prone proteins. Loss of <i>Pf</i>Vps60 impaired EV-mediated export of the chaperones <i>Pf</i>Hsp70-x and <i>Pf</i>Hsp110, altered aggregation dynamics and induced the redistribution of protein aggregates near the parasitophorous vacuole, reduced induction of the cytosolic chaperone <i>Pf</i>Hsp70-1, and resulted in early loss of parasite viability following heat shock. Supplementation of <i>Pf</i>Vps60KO parasites with EVs derived from heat-stressed 3D7 parasites partially rescued heat shock tolerance in a dose-dependent manner. EVs released shortly after thermal stress were enriched in aggregation-prone proteins and associated with neighbouring uninfected erythrocytes, suggesting EV-mediated intercellular communication during febrile episodes. Together, these findings support a role for EV-associated cargo as a previously unexplored component of <i>P. falciparum</i> proteostasis during heat shock adaptation, identifying stress-induced EVs as a potential parasite vulnerability for malaria intervention.</p>","PeriodicalId":11602,"journal":{"name":"Emerging Microbes & Infections","volume":" ","pages":"2686468"},"PeriodicalIF":7.0,"publicationDate":"2026-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13312847/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148197835","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The development of biologically contained Sudan virus as an alternative and safe tool for fundamental filovirus research.","authors":"Jens Verlinden, Joren Stroobants, Kato Govaerts, Tony Wawina Bokalanga, Winston Chiu, Joost Schepers, Thibault Francken, Bert Vanmechelen, Miles W Carroll, Kurt Vermeire, Piet Maes","doi":"10.1080/22221751.2026.2678654","DOIUrl":"10.1080/22221751.2026.2678654","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Sudan virus (SUDV; species <i>Orthoebolavirus sudanense</i>) remains a major public health threat, yet research is limited by restricted access to biosafety level 4 (BSL-4) facilities. To address this, we developed a biologically contained SUDV lacking the essential VP30 gene, restricting replication to VP30-expressing cells. We demonstrate efficient virus rescue, strict functional and genetic containment, and replication kinetics comparable to wild-type SUDV in permissive cells. Using heterologous VP30-expressing cell lines, we observe strong cross-functionality among orthoebolaviruses, whereas Marburg virus VP30 shows minimal activity, highlighting genus-specific constraints. The system supports high-throughput antiviral screening and confirms robust activity of remdesivir. In addition, resistance profiling identified substitutions at residue F549 of viral polymerase L as key determinants for remdesivir resistance, with additional mutations at M675. Together, this biologically contained SUDV system enables safe study of viral replication, antiviral discovery, and resistance evolution under lower biosafety conditions.</p>","PeriodicalId":11602,"journal":{"name":"Emerging Microbes & Infections","volume":"15 1","pages":"2678654"},"PeriodicalIF":7.0,"publicationDate":"2026-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13276821/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148263833","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}