The 2.3.4.4b clade of the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus causing outbreaks in wild and domestic birds around the world, continues to spread in dairy farms across the United States since March 2024, with 18 human cases reported thus far. These HPAI viruses recently caused morbidity and mortality in over 60 mammalian species, mostly carnivores, after consuming infected carcasses. Although cows had not been considered to be at risk of infection, the current outbreak in the U.S. demonstrates influenza remains unpredictable.
Over a thousand full virus genome sequences from this outbreak, collected from mammalian and avian specimens in at least 18 States, have thus far been made available in GISAID EpiFlu. Since the last update on 10 October 2024, data of one new specimen collected from a farm worker in California on 2-Oct has been made available by the U.S. CDC, in addition to 38 new specimens collected from dairy cows made available by the USDA. Although only the collection year and United States as a location was provided, the phylogenetic trees place them close to the human specimens collected in California.
Since November 2023, the Eastern parts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) continue to see a significant number of cases of the mpox virus Clade Ib that is spreading through regional travel to neighboring Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda. Outside of Africa three cases with a travel history were reported in India, Sweden and Thailand.
GISAID EpiPox currently provides access to 112 genome sequences and associated metadata of the mpox virus Clade Ib. According to the CDC, early data indicate that a large proportion of Clade Ib cases among adults are associated with intimate human contact, including via ongoing transmission believed to be occurring in some countries where the virus is not normally found. The phylodynamics of Clade Ib can be monitored on GISAID’s up-to-date phylogenetic trees.
(Melbourne, Australia) An advisory group of experts taking part in a meeting organized by the WHO Global Influenza Programme between 23-26 September 2024 analyzed influenza virus surveillance data generated by the WHO Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System (GISRS), and issued on 27 September 2024, recommendations on the composition of the influenza vaccines for the following influenza season.
These recommendations are used by the national vaccine regulatory agencies and the pharmaceutical companies to develop, produce and license influenza vaccines.
(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.
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.
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.
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.
Congratulations to GISAID for ten years of successful work on pandemic influenza preparedness. As one of the key players in ensuring effective data sharing GISAID has made a significant contribution to global health security
Prof. Jane Halton AO PSM
Chair, Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations CEPI
Commemorating the centenary of the 1918 pandemic, the most catastrophic event in the recorded history of influenza, it is reassuring to know that GISAID is ready and prepared when a similar event emerges and threatens global health. Congratulations on bringing together one of the most successful global collaborations ever achieved
Prof. Dr Rob Webster
St Jude Children’s Research
Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee
The unique contribution of the GISAID data sharing mechanism is the confidence it has engendered among scientific and political communities as it has added to their capabilities to collaborate more effectively to combat influenza viruses
Dr med David Nabarro
United Nations System Coordinat.
for Avian & Human Influenza (ret)
We do need substantially innovative mechanisms for microbe sharing, if mankind is to survive future pandemics. GISAID is an excellent example!!!
Dr Suwit Wibulpolprasert
Ministry of Public Health, Thailand
International Health Policy Program Foundation
IFPMA acknowledges GISAID’s important role in providing the platform for the open and timely sharing of influenza data and building greater trust among countries and stakeholders, a key element to influenza global pandemic preparedness
Thomas B. Cueni
Director General
International Federation of Pharma
Manufacturers & Associations
The tenth anniversary of GISAID represents a landmark in global solidarity. A pandemic strain of influenza is perhaps the world's greatest threat. Everything GISAID stands for: virus sharing, cutting-edge research, open access, and international cooperation to guarantee health security couldn't be more important
Prof. Lawrence O. Gostin
WHO Collaborating Center on
National and Global Health Law
Georgetown University
GISAID’s trustworthy data sharing principles forever transformed global collaboration in the fight against influenza, enabling unprecedented rapid response to outbreaks. In 2013, Nature called China’s sharing of H7N9 avian influenza data through GISAID ‘next to exemplary’
Prof. Dr George Fu Gao
Director General
Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention
The core principles enshrined in GISAID's sharing mechanism are a shining beacon of hope. A recognized leader in influenza pandemic preparedness, thanks to its brilliant performance in data sharing
Ambassador Makarim Wibisono
Republic of Indonesia (ret)
Professor, Universitas Airlangga
A key to protecting the world from future viral threats is having immediate and open access to critical viral data. GISAID has established a highly effective, trusted and time-tested model for influenza data sharing that could serve as an important model for other viral families
Dr Dennis Carroll
Global Health Security
US Agency for International Development (USAID)
GISAID successfully built upon the collaborative ethos of the 70-year old WHO Global Influenza Programme, to complement and extend the sharing of viruses, reagents & essential information
Dr med Wenqing Zhang
World Health Organization
Global Influenza Programme
The GISAID Initiative was established to champion (and enhance) rapid sequence data sharing for seasonal and pandemic influenza preparedness - a global public health imperative. GISAID’s success exceeded our expectations and provides an important model for rapid data sharing for other pathogens with pandemic potential
Dr Nancy J. Cox
WHO Collaborating Center for Surveillance, Epidemiology and Control of Influenza
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (ret)
Not all big ideas become a reality and not all big ideas fill a global need. As a public-private partnership GISAID is a model for data sharing in the digital age. On its 10th anniversary we may look back at the initial inspiration and the headline of the supporting editorial in Nature that puts the point succinctly: Sharing saves lives
Dr med Bruce G. Gellin
Global Immunization, President
Sabin Vaccine Institute
ECDC congratulates GISAID for a successful 10 years of advocating for and implementing sharing of influenza sequence data. The initiative plays a key role in global and European pandemic preparedness and increases our understanding of the annual influenza seasons
Dr Mike Catchpole
European Centre for Disease
Prevention and Control (ECDC)
GISAID has advanced influenza virus data sharing to a new level, greatly contributing to the global effort to detect, respond, and mitigate seasonal and pandemic influenza
Prof. Dr med Peter Jay Hotez
Baylor College of Medicine, Dean
National School Tropical Medicine
I congratulate the GISAID Initiative on its ten-year anniversary as it continues its important work to promote the international sharing of influenza virus sequences and data
Ambassador John E. Lange
U.S. Department of State (ret)
United Nations Foundation
Over the past decade, GISAID has been an invaluable global partner in fostering open access to data related to influenza, a central issue related to influenza and all EIDs
Prof. Dr med Keiji Fukuda
The University of Hong Kong
School of Public Health
GISAID encourages increased collection and rapid dissemination of data that improves our understanding of the complex and dynamic epidemiology of influenza viruses. On behalf of OFFLU network, we offer our congratulations on the contribution GISAID has made to build international collaboration over the last 10 years
Dr Peter Daniels
Dr David Swayne
OFFLU OIE/FAO Network of
Expertise on Animal Influenza
The pioneering concept of transparent data sharing developed GISAID into the premier source of influenza virus sequence information and proven its worth in outbreak situations
Prof. Dr Thomas C. Mettenleiter
Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute
Federal Research Institute
for Animal Health, Germany
Ten years after GISAID first introduced its game-changing mechanism, breaking data sharing barriers, it continues to be a most trusted leader in pandemic preparedness & response
Prof. Dr Yuelong Shu
Sun Yat-sen University, Dean
School of Public Health, Shenzhen
GISAID has become the most complete public database for influenza virus sequence data in support of fundamental science and public and animal health applications
Prof. Dr Ron Fouchier
Erasmus MC Rotterdam
Viroscience & Nat'l Influenza Cntr
By sharing influenza virus sequences among scientists around the world, GISAID has had a tremendous impact on influenza virus research
Prof. Dr Yoshihiro Kawaoka
University of Wisconsin-Madison
University of Tokyo
From the latest seasonal to new zoonotic and animal influenza viruses, GISAID always has the most relevant strains and exciting new analysis tools
Dr Sebastian Maurer-Stroh
Agency for Science, Technology
and Research A*STAR Singapore
20,008,647
genetic sequence submissions