In Focus
H5N1 Bird Flu Circulating in Dairy Cows Across the U.S.
The clade of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) viruses causing outbreaks in wild and domestic birds around the world, is now appearing in dairy farms across several U.S. states. These viruses recently caused morbidity and mortality in over 60 mammalian species, mostly carnivores, after consuming infected carcasses. Although cows were until recently not considered to be at risk of infection, the current outbreak demonstrates influenza remains unpredictable.
The route of exposure of these dairy cows and the mode of virus transmission are still unknown. The virus RNA was found at high concentrations in raw milk. Several animal species at dairy farms and three farm worker were also affected. Initial data released by the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service on GISAID show that the viruses in these dairy cows, other animals and several farm workers are closely related.
GISAID-WHO Training Workshop at Options XII
In collaboration with the WHO's Global Influenza Programme (GIP) and the WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza, the GISAID Data Science Initiative is holding a workshop on the St. Lucia Campus of the University of Queensland on 28 September 2024. The goal is to strengthen the Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System (GISRS) by enhancing genomic surveillance, data sharing, and bioinformatics analysis for respiratory viruses, including influenza, SARS-CoV-2, and RSV.
GISAID will also exhibit during Options XII for the Control of Influenza to showcase new developments of its platform during the in-person gathering of public health professionals.
Thailand shares first genome of Mpox clade Ib collected on the Asian continent
Thailand's National Institute of Health released the viral genome of the first Asian mpox clade Ib case through GISAID EpiPox (EPI_ISL_19350788), collected from a traveler from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on 16-Aug-2024 consistent with its phylogenetic position in the clade I tree. This follows the release of the first European case from Sweden one day earlier.
Since November 2023, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has seen a significant increase in mpox cases and the emergence of the new mpox clade Ib variant. Monkeypox virus clade Ib which was first identified in DRC has also been detected in Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda. Thus far, 75 genome sequences of mpox clade 1b from the DRC, Uganda, Kenya, Sweden and Thailand have been made available on GISAID EpiPox.
Brazil and Indonesia conclude the first Arbovirus Summit
(Bali) Indonesia's Minister of Health, Budi Gunadi Sadikin and Brazil's Minister of Health, Dr. Nísia Trindade Lima convened a two-day summit to gather policy makers, experts in global health and leading researchers of arboviruses, to respond to the significant increase in cases of Dengue virus infections across South America and Southeast Asia. The Arbovirus Summit discussed the urgent need to strengthen integrated arbovirus surveillance and management.
Held at the recently inaugurated GISAID Academy 22-23 April 2024, the Summit showcased innovations in vector control strategies, breakthroughs in antivirals and vaccine development and explore the implementation of global genomic surveillance of arbovirus as a tool for monitoring the effectiveness of intervention strategies as well as viral spread and evolution.
GISAID joins the G20 Joint Finance & Health Ministerial Meeting
Yogyakarta, 20-21 June. Under the motto ‘Strengthening Global Health Architecture’ a delegation from GISAID attended the G20 Finance and Health Ministers meeting hosted by Indonesia, to discuss with G20 Member States’ and its partners their vision for GISAID+ (GISAID plus).
Global leaders reflected on the need to coordinate and strengthen resources during future pandemics. In particular Member States stressed the essential role GISAID plays in global health security, and discussed how global leaders could support GISAID’s expansion as a global resource to respond to other priority pathogens with major impact and pandemic-potential.
CBD Study finds 'GISAID might provide useful lessons and insight to ABS discussions'
A peer-reviewed fact-finding and scoping study on digital sequence information on genetic resources in the context of the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Nagoya Protocol, highlights key advantages of GISAID’s sharing mechanism and a fair and equitable benefit-sharing resulting from access to data.
With the core principals of timely international sharing of health data for protecting populations against lethal infectious disease outbreaks and adherence to scientific etiquette of acknowledgement of the source of data has resulted in global trust and confidence in GISAID.
Public-Private Partnerships of the GISAID Initiative
The GISAID Initiative involves public-private partnerships, among them the partnership with the Federal Republic of Germany, and governmental public-health and academic institutions in Argentina, Brazil, China, Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Russia, Senegal, Singapore, South Africa, and the support by Friends of GISAID, a registered non-profit association and administrative arm of the Initiative.
GISAID Resources
Data Acknowledgement Locator
