Vincent Jacobus Munster

Lower pathogenicity but similar genital shedding of monkeypox virus clade Ib compared to clade Ia in a rodent model

Highly efficient anogenital transmission of clade Ia mpox virus associated with increased shedding.

This study investigates mpox virus transmission in prairie dogs, finding that anogenital mucosal routes lead to high shedding and efficient transmission.

Recent Bovine HPAI H5N1 Isolate is Highly Virulent for Mice, Rapidly Causing Acute Pulmonary and Neurologic Disease

This study compares the virulence of recent bovine and non-bovine HPAI H5N1 isolates in mice, finding the bovine isolate causes severe respiratory and neurologic disease.

Increased contact transmission of contemporary Human H5N1 compared to Bovine and Mountain Lion H5N1 in a hamster model

The study compares contact transmissibility of human, bovine, and mountain lion H5N1 isolates in Syrian hamsters, finding human isolate has higher contact transmissibility despite limited overall transmission.

Sex bias determines MERS-CoV infection outcomes in a mouse model of differential pathogenicity

This study shows that female mice tolerate low-dose MERS-CoV infection but experience severe inflammation with high dose, while male mice have uniformly lethal outcomes regardless of dose.

Enhanced encephalitic tropism of bovine H5N1 compared to the Vietnam H5N1 isolate in mice

This study compares the tissue tropism of two HPAI H5N1 isolates in mice, finding that the bovine isolate replicates in the brain and causes more neurotropism and inflammation than the human isolate.

Jamaican fruit bats (Artibeus jamaicensis) competence for Ebola virus but not Marburg virus is driven by intrinsic differences in viral entry and IFN-I signaling antagonism.

This study shows Jamaican fruit bats can support EBOV replication and shedding but not MARV, due to differences in viral entry and IFN-I signaling suppression.

Environmental stability of HPAIV H5N1 in raw milk, wastewater and on surfaces

The paper assesses the environmental stability of H5N1 influenza virus in raw milk, wastewater, and on surfaces, finding slow decay in milk suggests transmission risks.

Evolution of Omicron lineage towards increased fitness in the upper respiratory tract in the absence of severe lung pathology

This study evaluates the fitness and pathogenesis of Omicron variants in the upper and lower respiratory tracts, finding increased URT fitness with reduced lung pathology.