Baloxavir improves disease outcomes in mice after intranasal or ocular infection with Influenza A virus H5N1-contaminated cow's milk

  • Nat Microbiol. 2025 Apr;10(4):836-840. doi: 10.1038/s41564-025-01961-5.
Jeremy C Jones  1 ,  Konstantin Andreev  1 ,  Thomas P Fabrizio  1 ,  Andrew S Bowman  2 ,  Elena A Govorkova  1 ,  Richard J Webby  3
Affiliations
  • 1. Department of Host-Microbe Interactions, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA.
  • 2. Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
  • 3. Department of Host-Microbe Interactions, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA. [email protected].
PMID: 40097765 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-025-01961-5
Abstract

Testing approved antivirals against A(H5N1) influenza viruses circulating in peridomestic species, including dairy cows, is critical to public health and pre-pandemic planning. It cannot be tested in humans due to A(H5N1) disease severity. Here, in mice, we demonstrate that US FDA-approved baloxavir treatment mediates improved disease outcomes (survival and viral dissemination) over oseltamivir after lethal intranasal and ocular challenge with A(H5N1)-contaminated cow milk.

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