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Emerg Microbes Infect
. 2025 May 21:2509742.
doi: 10.1080/22221751.2025.2509742. Online ahead of print. Pathogenicity and transmissibility of bovine-derived HPAI H5N1 B3.13 virus in pigs
Taeyong Kwon 1 , Jessie D Trujillo 1 , Mariano Carossino 2 3 , Heather M Machkovech 4 , Konner Cool 1 , Eu Lim Lyoo 1 , Gagandeep Singh 1 , Sujan Kafle 1 , Shanmugasundaram Elango 1 , Govindsamy Vediyappan 1 , Wanting Wei 4 , Nicholas Minor 5 , Franco S Matias-Ferreyra 1 , Igor Morozov 1 , Natasha N Gaudreault 1 , Udeni B R Balasuriya 2 , Lisa Hensley 6 , Diego G Diel 7 , Wenjun Ma 8 , Thomas C Friedrich 4 9 , Juergen A Richt 1
Affiliations
Since the first emergence of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 viruses in dairy cattle, the virus has continued to spread, reaching at least 17 states and at least 950 dairy herds in the United States. Subsequently, spillovers of the virus from dairy cattle to humans have been reported. Pigs are an important reservoir in influenza ecology because they serve as a mixing vessel in which novel reassortant viruses with pandemic potential can be generated. Here, we show that oro-respiratory infection of pigs resulted in productive replication of a bovine-derived HPAI H5N1 B3.13 virus. Infectious virus was mainly identified in the lower respiratory tract of principal infected pigs, and sero-conversion was observed in most of the principal pigs at later time points, suggesting limited replication of the bovine-derived HPAI H5N1 B3.13 virus in pigs. In one animal, we detected the emergence of a mutation in hemagglutinin (HA) previously associated with increased affinity for "mammalian-type" α2,6-linked sialic acid receptors, but this mutation did not reach majority consensus levels. Sentinel contact pigs remained sero-negative throughout the study, indicating lack of transmission. These results support that pigs are susceptible to a bovine-derived HPAI H5N1 B3.13 virus, but this virus did not replicate as robustly in pigs as mink-derived HPAI H5N1 and swine-adapted influenza viruses.
Keywords: cattle; genotype B3.13; highly pathogenic avian influenza; mammalian-adapting mutation; pathogenicity; pig; transmissibility.
. 2025 May 21:2509742.
doi: 10.1080/22221751.2025.2509742. Online ahead of print. Pathogenicity and transmissibility of bovine-derived HPAI H5N1 B3.13 virus in pigs
Taeyong Kwon 1 , Jessie D Trujillo 1 , Mariano Carossino 2 3 , Heather M Machkovech 4 , Konner Cool 1 , Eu Lim Lyoo 1 , Gagandeep Singh 1 , Sujan Kafle 1 , Shanmugasundaram Elango 1 , Govindsamy Vediyappan 1 , Wanting Wei 4 , Nicholas Minor 5 , Franco S Matias-Ferreyra 1 , Igor Morozov 1 , Natasha N Gaudreault 1 , Udeni B R Balasuriya 2 , Lisa Hensley 6 , Diego G Diel 7 , Wenjun Ma 8 , Thomas C Friedrich 4 9 , Juergen A Richt 1
Affiliations
- PMID: 40396285
- DOI: 10.1080/22221751.2025.2509742
Since the first emergence of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 viruses in dairy cattle, the virus has continued to spread, reaching at least 17 states and at least 950 dairy herds in the United States. Subsequently, spillovers of the virus from dairy cattle to humans have been reported. Pigs are an important reservoir in influenza ecology because they serve as a mixing vessel in which novel reassortant viruses with pandemic potential can be generated. Here, we show that oro-respiratory infection of pigs resulted in productive replication of a bovine-derived HPAI H5N1 B3.13 virus. Infectious virus was mainly identified in the lower respiratory tract of principal infected pigs, and sero-conversion was observed in most of the principal pigs at later time points, suggesting limited replication of the bovine-derived HPAI H5N1 B3.13 virus in pigs. In one animal, we detected the emergence of a mutation in hemagglutinin (HA) previously associated with increased affinity for "mammalian-type" α2,6-linked sialic acid receptors, but this mutation did not reach majority consensus levels. Sentinel contact pigs remained sero-negative throughout the study, indicating lack of transmission. These results support that pigs are susceptible to a bovine-derived HPAI H5N1 B3.13 virus, but this virus did not replicate as robustly in pigs as mink-derived HPAI H5N1 and swine-adapted influenza viruses.
Keywords: cattle; genotype B3.13; highly pathogenic avian influenza; mammalian-adapting mutation; pathogenicity; pig; transmissibility.