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Viruses Nov 20212014 marked the first emergence of avian influenza A(H5N8) in Jeonbuk Province, South Korea, which then quickly spread worldwide. In the midst of the 2020-2021 H5N8... (Review)
Review
2014 marked the first emergence of avian influenza A(H5N8) in Jeonbuk Province, South Korea, which then quickly spread worldwide. In the midst of the 2020-2021 H5N8 outbreak, it spread to domestic poultry and wild waterfowl shorebirds, leading to the first human infection in Astrakhan Oblast, Russia. Despite being clinically asymptomatic and without direct human-to-human transmission, the World Health Organization stressed the need for continued risk assessment given the nature of Influenza to reassort and generate novel strains. Given its promiscuity and easy cross to humans, the urgency to understand the mechanisms of possible species jumping to avert disastrous pandemics is increasing. Addressing the epidemiology of H5N8, its mechanisms of species jumping and its implications, mutational and reassortment libraries can potentially be built, allowing them to be tested on various models complemented with deep-sequencing and automation. With knowledge on mutational patterns, cellular pathways, drug resistance mechanisms and effects of host proteins, we can be better prepared against H5N8 and other influenza A viruses.
Topics: Animals; Birds; Humans; Influenza A Virus, H5N8 Subtype; Influenza in Birds; Pandemics; Phylogeny; Poultry; Poultry Diseases; Republic of Korea; Russia
PubMed: 34835082
DOI: 10.3390/v13112276 -
MBio Oct 2021Avian influenza viruses pose a continuous threat to both poultry and human health, with significant economic impact. The ability of viruses to reassort and jump the...
Avian influenza viruses pose a continuous threat to both poultry and human health, with significant economic impact. The ability of viruses to reassort and jump the species barrier into mammalian hosts generates a constant pandemic threat. H10Nx avian viruses have been shown to replicate in mammalian species without prior adaptation and have caused significant human infection and fatalities. They are able to rapidly reassort with circulating poultry strains and go undetected due to their low pathogenicity in chickens. Novel detections of both human reassortant strains and increasing endemicity of H10Nx poultry infections highlight the increasing need for heightened surveillance and greater understanding of the distribution, tropism, and infection capabilities of these viruses. In this minireview, we highlight the gap in the current understanding of this subtype and its prevalence across a vast range of host species and geographical locations.
Topics: Animals; Australia; Birds; Chickens; Host Specificity; Humans; Influenza in Birds; Influenza, Human; Orthomyxoviridae Infections; Pandemics; Poultry; Swine; Viral Zoonoses
PubMed: 34488450
DOI: 10.1128/mBio.01785-21 -
F1000Research 2022Avian influenza virus subtype H9N2 was first documented in Indonesia in 2017. It has become prevalent in chickens in many provinces of Indonesia as a result of... (Review)
Review
Avian influenza virus subtype H9N2 was first documented in Indonesia in 2017. It has become prevalent in chickens in many provinces of Indonesia as a result of reassortment in live bird markets. Low pathogenic avian influenza subtype H9N2 virus-infected poultry provides a new direction for the influenza virus. According to the latest research, the Indonesian H9N2 viruses may have developed through antigenic drift into a new genotype, posing a significant hazard to poultry and public health. The latest proof of interspecies transmission proposes that the next human pandemic variant will be the avian influenza virus subtype H9N2. Manipulation and elimination of H9N2 viruses in Indonesia, constant surveillance of viral mutation, and vaccine updates are required to achieve effectiveness. The current review examines should be investigates/assesses/report on the development and evolution of newly identified H9N2 viruses in Indonesia and their vaccination strategy.
Topics: Animals; Chickens; Humans; Indonesia; Influenza A Virus, H9N2 Subtype; Influenza in Birds; Poultry; Vaccination
PubMed: 35844820
DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.118669.2 -
Viruses Jun 2020Avian influenza viruses of the subtype H6Nx are being detected globally with increasing frequency. Some H6Nx lineages are becoming enzootic in Asian poultry and sporadic... (Review)
Review
Avian influenza viruses of the subtype H6Nx are being detected globally with increasing frequency. Some H6Nx lineages are becoming enzootic in Asian poultry and sporadic incursions into European poultry are occurring more frequently. H6Nx viruses that contain mammalian adaptation motifs pose a zoonotic threat and have caused human cases. Although currently understudied globally, H6Nx avian influenza viruses pose a substantial threat to both poultry and human health. In this review we examine the current state of knowledge of H6Nx viruses including their global distribution, tropism, transmission routes and human health risk.
Topics: Animals; Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus; Humans; Influenza A virus; Influenza in Birds; Influenza, Human; Poultry; Poultry Diseases
PubMed: 32580412
DOI: 10.3390/v12060673 -
Medical Science Monitor : International... Mar 2023Strains of avian influenza A, believed to have originated in poultry with transmission to wild birds, have been associated with epidemics and four major pandemics in...
Strains of avian influenza A, believed to have originated in poultry with transmission to wild birds, have been associated with epidemics and four major pandemics in humans in the past century. The 1918 influenza pandemic was caused by an avian strain of the influenza A(H1N1) virus that initially adapted to infect humans and then rapidly spread between humans. Since 2021, highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus subtypes have been identified in poultry and wild birds. In October 2022, the HPAI virus variant A(H5N1) was isolated from intensively farmed American mink. The World Health Organization (WHO), the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the European Union Reference Laboratory for Avian Influenza (EURL) have stated that the risk of human infection from birds and mammals and human-to-human transmission from known HPAI viruses is currently low. However, they recommend increased infection surveillance and preparedness. This editorial aims to present the status of HPAI virus transmission in poultry, wild birds, and mammals to highlight the importance of international infection surveillance, control, and preparedness to prevent the next human influenza pandemic.
Topics: United States; Animals; Humans; Poultry; Influenza, Human; Influenza in Birds; Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype; Influenza A Virus, H5N1 Subtype; Birds; Mammals
PubMed: 36855861
DOI: 10.12659/MSM.939968 -
Poultry Science Jan 2022In 2021, France faced large avian influenza outbreaks, like in 2016 and 2017. Controlling these outbreaks required the preventive depopulation of a large number of duck...
In 2021, France faced large avian influenza outbreaks, like in 2016 and 2017. Controlling these outbreaks required the preventive depopulation of a large number of duck farms. A previous study in 2017 showed that the quality of decontamination of trucks and transport crates used for depopulation was often insufficient. A new study was then set up to evaluate cleaning and disinfection (C&D) of trucks and crates used for duck depopulation and whether practices had changed since 2017. Three methods were used to assess decontamination: 1) detection of avian influenza virus (AIV) genome, 2) visual inspection of cleanliness, and 3) microbial counts, considering that 2 and 3 are commonly used in abattoirs. Another objective of the study was to evaluate the correlation between results obtained with the 3 methods. In 5 abattoirs, 8 trucks and their crates were sampled by swabbing to detect AIV genome by rRT-PCR before and after decontamination. Visual cleanliness scores and coliform counts were also determined on crates after C&D. Trucks and crates were decontaminated according to the abattoirs' protocols. Before C&D, 3 quarters of crates (59/79) and 7 of 8 trucks were positive for AIV genome. C&D procedures were reinforced in 2021 compared to 2017; use of detergent solution and warm water were more common. Nevertheless, 28% of the crates were positive for AIV genome after C&D, despite the fact that cleaning scores and microbiological counts were satisfactory for 84% and 91% of the crates, respectively. No correlation was observed between results for AIV genome detection and results from visual control or from coliform counts. Abattoirs are encouraged to use environmental sampling coupled with AIV genome detection to monitor the quality of cleaning and disinfection of trucks and crates during AI outbreaks. Reinforcement of biosecurity measures at abattoirs is still needed to avoid residual contamination of the equipment and cross-contamination during the decontamination process.
Topics: Animals; Biosecurity; Chickens; Disease Outbreaks; Disinfection; Influenza in Birds
PubMed: 34823166
DOI: 10.1016/j.psj.2021.101569 -
Viruses Nov 2022The ponds of the Moscow region during the autumn migration of birds are a place with large concentrations of mallard ducks, which are the main hosts of avulaviruses...
The ponds of the Moscow region during the autumn migration of birds are a place with large concentrations of mallard ducks, which are the main hosts of avulaviruses (avian paramyxoviruses) and influenza A viruses (IAV). The purpose of this study was the determination of the biological diversity of IAV and avulaviruses isolated from mallards in Moscow's ponds. A phylogenetic analysis of IAV was performed based on complete genome sequencing, and virus genomic reassortment in nature was studied. Almost all IAV genome segments clustered with apathogenic duck viruses according to phylogenetic analysis. The origin of the genes of Moscow isolates were different; some of them belong to European evolutionary branches, some to Asian ones. The majority of closely related viruses have been isolated in the Western Eurasian region. Much less frequently, closely related viruses have been isolated in Siberia, China, and Korea. The quantity and diversity of isolated viruses varied considerably depending on the year and have decreased since 2014, perhaps due to the increasing proportion of nesting and wintering ducks in Moscow.
Topics: Animals; Phylogeny; Influenza in Birds; Moscow; Ponds; Influenza A virus; Ducks
PubMed: 36560628
DOI: 10.3390/v14122624 -
Knowledge, Attitudes, and Risk Perception Toward Avian Influenza Virus Exposure Among Cuban Hunters.Frontiers in Public Health 2021A critical step for decreasing zoonotic disease threats is to have a good understanding of the associated risks. Hunters frequently handle potentially infected birds, so...
A critical step for decreasing zoonotic disease threats is to have a good understanding of the associated risks. Hunters frequently handle potentially infected birds, so they are more at risk of being exposed to zoonotic avian pathogens, including avian influenza viruses (AIVs). The objective of the current study was to gain a better understanding of Cuban hunters' general hunting practices, focusing on their knowledge and risk perception on avian influenza. An anonymous and voluntary semi-structured questionnaire was designed and applied to 398 hunters. Multiple correspondence analyses found relationships with potential exposure of AIVs to people and domestic animals. The main associated risks factors identified were not taking the annual flu vaccine (60.1%) and not cleaning hunting knives (26.3%); Direct contact with water (32.1%), cleaning wild birds at home (33.2%); receiving assistance during bird cleaning (41.9%), keeping poultry at home (56.5%) and feeding domestic animals with wild bird leftovers (30.3%) were also identified as significant risk factors. The lack of use of some protective measures reported by hunters had no relationship with their awareness on avian influenza, which may imply a lack of such knowledge. The results evidenced that more effective risk communication strategies about the consequences of AIVs infecting human or other animals, and the importance of reducing such risks, are urgently needed.
Topics: Animals; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Humans; Influenza A virus; Influenza in Birds; Perception; Zoonoses
PubMed: 34368040
DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2021.644786 -
Archives of Razi Institute 2021Ducks play an important role in the transmission of avian influenza to poultry farms. Because of the importance of vaccination in reducing virus shedding, this study...
Ducks play an important role in the transmission of avian influenza to poultry farms. Because of the importance of vaccination in reducing virus shedding, this study evaluated avian influenza-killed vaccine H9N2 on tissue distribution and shedding of avian influenza virus H9N2 in ducklings. One hundred-day-old ducklings were purchased and, after bleeding from 20 birds, were kept in four separate rooms under standard conditions. Groups 1 and 2 were vaccinated at 9 days, and groups 2 and 3 were challenged with 0.1 ml of allantoic fluid containing 10 EID (A/chicken/Iran/Aid/2013(H9)) virus intranasally at 30 days. Group 4 chicks were kept as the control group. Chicks were observed two times daily. On days 1, 3, 5, and 8 after inoculation, 3 chicks were randomly selected from each group and cloaca and trachea swabs samples were collected from each bird. Then the ducklings were euthanized and trachea, lung, spleen, intestine, liver, and brain tissue samples were collected for molecular detection. The virus was detected in the tissues and tracheal and cloacal swabs by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and anti-AIV titres were measured by HI test. The results showed no clinical signs in the challenged groups. In the vaccinated challenged group, virus was detected only in cloacal swabs, but in the unvaccinated challenged group, virus was detected more in tracheal swabs than in cloacal swabs. In challenged-unvaccinated chicks, virus was detected in the trachea and lungs, and in challenged-vaccinated birds, virus was detected in the intestines. In conclusion, vaccinating ducks against the AI H9N2 virus reduced shedding and tissue distribution of AI viruses in challenged ducks.
Topics: Animals; Chickens; Ducks; Influenza A Virus, H9N2 Subtype; Influenza in Birds; Tissue Distribution; Vaccines, Inactivated
PubMed: 34824737
DOI: 10.22092/ari.2020.342078.1452 -
Emerging Microbes & Infections Dec 2022Highly pathogenic influenza A(H5N8) viruses have caused several worldwide outbreaks in birds and are able cross the species barrier to infect humans, posing a...
Highly pathogenic influenza A(H5N8) viruses have caused several worldwide outbreaks in birds and are able cross the species barrier to infect humans, posing a substantial threat to public health. After the first detection of H5N8 viruses in deceased swans in Inner Mongolia, we performed early warning and active monitoring along swan migration routes in central China. We isolated and sequenced 42 avian influenza viruses, including 40 H5N8 viruses, 1 H5N2 virus, and 1 H9N2 virus, in central China. Our H5N8 viruses isolated in swan stopover sites and wintering grounds showed high nucleotide homologies in the whole genome, revealing a common evolutionary source. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the H5 viruses of clade 2.3.4.4b prevalent in 2020 have further diverged into two sub-clades: b1 and b2. The phylogeographic analysis also showed that the viruses of sub-clade b2 most likely originated from poultry in Russia. Notably, whooper swans were found to be responsible for the introduction of sub-clade b2 viruses in central China; whooper and tundra swans play a role in viral spread in the Yellow River Basin and the Yangtze River Basin, respectively. Our findings highlight swans as an indicator species for transborder spreading and monitoring of the H5N8 virus.
Topics: Animal Migration; Animals; Anseriformes; China; Evolution, Molecular; Genome, Viral; Influenza A Virus, H5N2 Subtype; Influenza A Virus, H5N8 Subtype; Influenza A Virus, H9N2 Subtype; Influenza in Birds; Phylogeny; Phylogeography; Poultry; Prevalence; Russia; Whole Genome Sequencing
PubMed: 34825854
DOI: 10.1080/22221751.2021.2011622