3rd Place Best Presentation Award for Habib Benainouna at the ÖIK 2025

Habib Benainouna, researcher at the Institute of Virology Innsbruck, has been awarded 3rd place for Best Presentation at the 18th Österreichischer Infektionskongress (ÖIK), organised by the Austrian Society for Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine (OEGIT). His abstract was selected among the five best submissions to the congress, and following his presentation the work was ranked third overall. The award was presented during the evening ceremony.

About the study

The awarded project — Genomic Surveillance of Respiratory Syncytial Virus Using Whole-Genome Nanopore Sequencing: Characterization of Fusion Protein Mutations and Lineage Diversity in Patients and Wastewater in Tyrol, Austria (2025–2026) — addresses a growing public health challenge. RSV is a leading cause of respiratory infections, particularly in infants and immunocompromised individuals. With monoclonal antibodies such as nirsevimab now used for prevention, tracking resistance mutations in circulating strains has become increasingly important.

The project analyses RSV from patient and wastewater samples across Tyrol using Nanopore whole-genome sequencing, enabling early detection of relevant genetic changes. Habib Benainouna contributes to sample processing, sequencing, and bioinformatic analysis, including the development of custom pipelines for mutation tracking at nirsevimab resistance sites. The work is carried out together with Wegene Borena and the Diagnostics team at the Institute.

Congratulations, Habib!