The US Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has reported dozens of new H5N1 avian flu detections in wild waterfowl in several states, and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has published an epidemiologic update tallying 76 human H5N1 cases, including 2 deaths, in five countries in the Americas in the past 4 years.

APHIS announced H5N1 identifications in several states, including mallard ducks in New Hampshire; black vultures in Indiana, Kentucky, Utah, and West Virginia; Canada geese and a turkey vulture in Utah; a bald eagle and mallard in Wisconsin; and an unidentified type of goose in Washington state.

H5N1 was also found in four different species in Montana; green- and blue-winged teals and a mallard in Oregon; Canada geese in Arizona and Illinois; seven species in Minnesota; an unidentified type of duck in Texas; and green- and blue-winged teals in Wyoming.

Non-avian animal infections rising

In its first avian flu update since May 15, PAHO noted one additional case of human H5N1 infection. In that timespan, 22 countries on three continents, including the Americas, have reported mammalian H5N1 outbreaks to the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH). 

In recent years, there has been an increase in the detection of A(H5N1) viruses in non-avian species worldwide.

"In recent years, there has been an increase in the detection of A(H5N1) viruses in non-avian species worldwide, including terrestrial and marine mammals, both wild and domestic (companion and production)," the report said.

"Since 2022 and as of epidemiological week 41 of 2025, a total of 19 countries and territories in the Americas Region reported 5,063 outbreaks of avian influenza A(H5N1) to WOAH," PAHO added. "Historically, from early 2003 to August 25, 2025, 990 human cases of avian influenza A(H5N1) were reported to the World Health Organization (WHO), including 475 deaths (48% fatality rate), in 25 countries worldwide."

Biotechnology company Peptilogics announced today that it has completed a $78 million financing round to support a phase 2/3 trial of its investigational treatment for prosthetic joint infections (PJIs).

The upcoming randomized controlled trial will enroll 240 patients beginning in December to determine whether zaloganan, an antibacterial and antibiofilm peptide developed by the Pittsburgh-based company, is superior to the current standard of care for PJIs in reducing clinical failure rates. The trial will also evaluate hospitalization duration, readmission rates, and the need for additional surgical procedures. Failure rates for current approaches range from 15% to 50%.

An estimated 45,000 PJI cases occur in the United States each year, and more are expected as the population ages and the number of knee and hip replacements rises. 

Drug targets biofilms

Zaloganan works by targeting and disrupting bacterial membranes and has demonstrated broad-spectrum activity against a wide range of pathogens. In a phase 1 trial in patients with PJIs, which are mediated by biofilms from the causative pathogens that grow on implanted hardware, 13 of 14 patients who received zaloganan irrigation during debridement, antibiotics, and implant retention procedures remained infection-free at 12 months.

"Biofilm is the common enemy and the reason why existing standard-of-care surgical interventions fail, even with systemic antibiotics," Peptilogics CEO Nick Pachuda, DPM, said in the press release. "Zaloganan quickly penetrates the biofilm locally and kills the hiding bacteria."

Among the investors in the Series B2 financing round is the AMR Action Fund, which was launched in 2020 to help companies developing promising treatments for antibiotic-resistant infections.   

"Periprosthetic joint infections are a striking example of how antimicrobial resistance is rapidly undermining modern medicine," said AMR Action Fund CEO Henry Skinner, PhD. "The financial costs, diminished quality of life, and mortality associated with such infections are frankly unacceptable, and we are pleased to support the Peptilogics team as they advance zaloganan through the clinic and toward patients in need."

In January the Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Biopharmaceutical Accelerator (CARB-X) awarded Peptilogics $3.3 million to develop a slow-release version of zaloganan.

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  Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is investigating the year's first case of locally acquired dengue in a San Gabriel Valley resident. The patient, who became ill in late September and is recovering, reported no travel to areas endemic for the mosquito-borne infection. Last year was the first year LA reported local dengue, with 14 cases. The risk of widespread dengue virus transmission in Los Angeles County is low, officials said.

• The US National Emerging Special Pathogens Training and Education Center has announced a $37.5 million grant that will give $500,000 to as many as 75 healthcare facilities to become or maintain status as a Level 2 Special Pathogen Treatment Centers, which are designed to provide safe, high-quality care during high-consequence infectious disease outbreaks. The grant is funded by the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response.
• In an update today from the Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), officials said no new Ebola cases have been reported for 16 days, and mpox is down 65% from its peak. But Rift Valley fever (RVF) cases in people and animals are rising in Senegal and Mauritania and have killed at least 17 people, the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) said in a statement today. RVF is a viral hemorrhagic fever that affects mainly livestock but can also infect people. "These outbreaks appear to be linked to heavy rainfall and flooding in preceding months which have created favourable conditions for disease transmission," the WOAH statement said. "As RFV is a transboundary animal disease, regional cooperation will be essential to assess and manage the risk posed by these outbreaks."