Influenza A Virus Morbidity and Titer Measurements in Ferrets

851 ferrets inoculated with 135 unique influenza A viruses provide serial morbidity and viral titer data. The dataset was compiled by the NCIRD/ID/IPB/Pathogenesis Laboratory Team using a uniform experimental protocol and published in 2024. It represents the largest publicly available collection of individual-level in vivo IAV infection outcomes from this animal model.

Use Cases

• Predicting lethal outcomes from features like inoc_dose, HA subtype, and serial wt_loss measurements using machine learning.
• Modeling the association between daily viral titer measurements (e.g., d1_inoc through d9_inoc) and clinical signs like temperature (temp) and weight loss (wt_loss).
• Assessing virus transmissibility risk (RD_trans) based on virus origin (Origin), NA subtype, and HPAI classification.
• Analyzing the time course of infection by correlating specific morbidity days (e.g., lethal_day, temp_5_day) with viral load data across respiratory tract samples.

Strengths

• 851 individual animal records enable detailed per-ferret analysis.
• 135 unique virus strains provide a broad basis for comparative studies.
• Data collected under a uniform protocol by a single research group reduces experimental variability.

Limitations

• Sample size for specific virus strains or outcomes may be small due to the 135 viruses spread across 851 ferrets.
• Geographic origin of viruses and ferret demographics are not detailed, limiting ecological or host factor analyses.
• Temporal coverage of the experiments is not specified, which may affect relevance to contemporary circulating strains.

Provenance

Source

NCIRD/ID/IPB/Pathogenesis Laboratory Team, data.cdc.gov

Collection Method

Aggregated from in vivo experiments conducted under a uniform protocol.

Freshness

Data was last updated on the platform in March 2026, with primary descriptor publication in 2024.