IMPAIRED NEURAMINIDASE AND POLYMERASE ACTIVITIES CORRESPOND WITH LIMITED AEROSOL INFECTIVITY OF B3.13 AND D1.1 H5N1 LINEAGES IN HUMAN RESPIRATORY CULTURES
L. Claire Gay, Dikshya Regmi, Flavio Cargnin Faccin, Ignacio Scanarotti, Alison Mark, C. Joaquín Cáceres, Teresa D. Mejías, Maria Corkran, Margaret A. Scull, Rafael Medina, Adolfo García‐Sastre, Daniel Roberto Perez
This study shows that H5N1 viruses from B3.13 and D1.1 lineages have reduced infectivity in human respiratory cultures due to impaired neuraminidase and polymerase activities, suggesting lower pandemic risk than traditional models indicate.
bioRxiv · Aug 25, 2026 · PreprintMicrobiology