Ocular infectivity and replication of a clade 2.3.4.4b A(H5N1) influenza virus associated with human conjunctivitis in a dairy farm worker in the USA: an in-vitro and ferret study

See complete study by Belser et al (Lancet Microbe, 2025). Serologically naive ferrets were inoculated with A/Texas/37/2024 A(H5N1) influenza virus to determine pathogenicity and tropism of the virus following different respiratory or ocular exposure routes. Specimens (nasal wash, tissues) with high-titer infectious virus detection were sequenced on the day indicated to assess if different inoculation routes resulted in consistent detection of amino acid variants. Sample metadata includes the individual ferret IDs, tissue type, and collection day post-inoculation.