Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Multiple Reassorted Viruses as Cause of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A(H5N8) Virus Epidemic, the Netherlands, 2016

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Multiple Reassorted Viruses as Cause of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A(H5N8) Virus Epidemic, the Netherlands, 2016

    Emerg Infect Dis. 2017 Dec;23(12):1974-1981. doi: 10.3201/eid2312.171062.
    Multiple Reassorted Viruses as Cause of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A(H5N8) Virus Epidemic, the Netherlands, 2016.

    Beerens N, Heutink R, Bergervoet SA, Harders F, Bossers A, Koch G.
    Abstract

    In 2016, an epidemic of highly pathogenic avian influenza A virus subtype H5N8 in the Netherlands caused mass deaths among wild birds, and several commercial poultry farms and captive bird holdings were affected. We performed complete genome sequencing to study the relationship between the wild bird and poultry viruses. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the viruses are related to H5 clade 2.3.4.4 viruses detected in Russia in May 2016 but contained novel polymerase basic 2 and nucleoprotein gene segments and 2 different variants of the polymerase acidic segment. Molecular dating suggests that the reassortment events most likely occurred in wild birds in Russia or Mongolia. Furthermore, 2 genetically distinct H5N5 reassortant viruses were detected in wild birds in the Netherlands. Our study provides evidence for fast and continuing reassortment of H5 clade 2.3.4.4 viruses, which might lead to rapid changes in virus characteristics, such as pathogenicity, infectivity, transmission, and zoonotic potential.


    KEYWORDS:

    H5N8; HPAIV; Holland; avian influenza virus; complete genome sequencing; epidemic; highly pathogenic avian influenza virus; influenza; molecular clock; outbreak; phylogenetic analysis; reassortment; respiratory infections; the Netherlands; viruses; whole-genome sequencing

    PMID: 29148396 DOI: 10.3201/eid2312.171062
    Free full text
Working...
X