Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41786120›Full record

ArticleInternational journal of infectious diseases : IJID : official publication of the International Society for Infectious Diseases2026

Lack of respiratory droplet transmission of two recent human influenza A(H5N1) viruses in female ferrets.

Tong Wang, Chunyang Gu, Lizheng Guan, Asim Biswas, Tadashi Maemura, Hassanein H Abozeid, Peter J Halfmann, Gabriele Neumann, Amie J Eisfeld, Yoshihiro Kawaoka

Abstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in International journal of infectious diseases : IJID : official publication of the International Society for Infectious Diseases, 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. 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

10 authors.

Tong WangDepartment of Pathobiological Sciences, Influenza Research Institute, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.
Chunyang GuDepartment of Pathobiological Sciences, Influenza Research Institute, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.
Lizheng GuanDepartment of Pathobiological Sciences, Influenza Research Institute, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.
Asim BiswasDepartment of Pathobiological Sciences, Influenza Research Institute, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.
Tadashi MaemuraDepartment of Pathobiological Sciences, Influenza Research Institute, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.
Hassanein H AbozeidDepartment of Pathobiological Sciences, Influenza Research Institute, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA; Department of Poultry Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt.
Peter J HalfmannDepartment of Pathobiological Sciences, Influenza Research Institute, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.
Gabriele NeumannDepartment of Pathobiological Sciences, Influenza Research Institute, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.
Amie J EisfeldDepartment of Pathobiological Sciences, Influenza Research Institute, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.
Yoshihiro KawaokaDepartment of Pathobiological Sciences, Influenza Research Institute, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA; Department of Virology, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan; Department of Virology, The University of Tokyo Pandemic Preparedness, Infection and Advanced research center (UTOPIA), University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan; International Virus Infectious Disease Research Center, National Institute of Global Health and Medicine, Japan Institute for Health Security, Tokyo, Japan. Electronic address: yoshihiro.kawaoka@wisc.edu.

Funding

NIAID Centers of Excellence for Influenza Research and Response: Universal Influenza Vaccine Research Activities75N93021C00014 · NIAID · ICAHN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT MOUNT SINAI · PI GARCIA-SASTRE, ADOLFO · 2021 to 2025
$62.6M
NIAID NIH HHS 75N93021C00014
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesClade 2.3.4.4b highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) (HPAI H5N1) viruses are widespread globally and have transmitted from birds to dairy cattle at least four times in the United States, including once by a genotype B3.13 virus and three times by genotype D1.1 viruses. Despite their prevalence and known ability to infect humans, only a few studies have examined respiratory droplet transmission capabilities of clade 2.3.4.4b viruses in mammalian models of influenza infection. Here, we aimed to further evaluate this.

methodsWe assessed respiratory droplet transmission of two recent human clade 2.3.4.4b HPAI H5N1 viruses-A/Michigan/90/2024 ('MI90-H5N1'), a B3.13 isolate, and plaque-purified A/British Columbia/PHL2032/2024 ('BC2032-H5N1'), a D1.1 isolate-in the ferret model.

resultsWe found that MI90-H5N1, in contrast to earlier findings, causes severe disease and partial lethality in ferrets, with virus spread to extra-respiratory organs and no respiratory droplet transmission. BC2032-H5N1 caused less severe disease with no lethality in ferrets and, consistent with a recent report, failed to transmit via respiratory droplets.

conclusionTogether with other reports, our results suggest that respiratory droplet transmissibility of clade 2.3.4.4b viruses is variable. Therefore, continued monitoring and risk assessment for emerging HPAI H5N1 viruses is essential to better understand their pandemic potential.

fundingThis work was supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Centers of Excellence for Influenza Research and Response (contract 75N93021C00014) and by grants from the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (JP25wm0125002, JP253fa627001, and JP24fk0108626).

Indexed as

Influenza A Virus, H5N1 SubtypeInfluenza, HumanOrthomyxoviridae InfectionsRespiratory Aerosols and DropletsAnimalsDisease Models, AnimalFemaleFerretsHumansClade 2.3.4.4bFerretH5N1InfluenzaRespiratory droplet transmission

Identifiers

PMID41786120
PMCPMC13093984

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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 OpenQuestion graph.