SUN H, Pu J, Wei Y, Sun Y, et al. Highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N6 viruses exhibit enhanced affinity for human type sialic acid receptor and in-contact transmission in model ferrets. J Virol. 2016 Apr 27. pii: JVI.00127-16.
Since May 2014, highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N6 virus has been reported to cause six severe human infections three of which were fatal. The biological properties of this subtype, in particular its relative pathogenicity and transmissibility in mammals are not known. We characterized the virus receptor binding affinity, pathogenicity and transmissibility in mice and ferrets of four H5N6 isolates derived from waterfowl in China from 2013-2014. All four H5N6 viruses have acquired binding affinity for human-like SAα2,6Gal linked receptor to be able to attach to human tracheal epithelial and alveolar cells. The emergent H5N6 viruses, which share high sequence similarity with the human isolate A/Guangzhou/39715/2014 (H5N6), were fully infective and highly transmissible by direct contact in ferrets but showed less severe pathogenicity in comparison with their parental H5N1 virus. The present results highlight the threat of emergent H5N6 viruses to poultry and human health and the need to closely track their continual adaptation in humans
See Also:
Latest articles in those days:
- [preprint]A systematic review of laboratory investigations into the pathogenesis of avian influenza viruses in wild avifauna of North America 15 hours ago
- [preprint]Seabird and sea duck mortalities were lower during the second breeding season in eastern Canada following the introduction of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A H5Nx viruses 15 hours ago
- [preprint]Novel introductions of human-origin H3N2 Influenza viruses in Swine, Chile 15 hours ago
- Long term evolution of human seasonal influenza virus A(H3N2) is associated with an increase in polymerase complex activity 15 hours ago
- Humoral correlates of protection against influenza A H3N2 virus infection 15 hours ago
[Go Top] [Close Window]