Emerg Infect Dis. 2018 Jul;24(7):1128-1238. doi: 10.3201/eid2407.171441.
Diversity of Influenza A(H5N1) Viruses in Infected Humans, Northern Vietnam, 2004-2010.
Imai H, Dinis JM, Zhong G, Moncla LH, Lopes TJS, McBride R, Thompson AJ, Peng W, Le MTQ, Hanson A, Lauck M, Sakai-Tagawa Y, Yamada S, Eggenberger J, O'Connor DH, Suzuki Y, Hatta M, Paulson JC, Neumann G, Friedrich TC, Kawaoka Y.
Abstract
Influenza viruses exist in each host as a collection of genetically diverse variants, which might enhance their adaptive potential. To assess the genetic and functional diversity of highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) viruses within infected humans, we used deep-sequencing methods to characterize samples obtained from infected patients in northern Vietnam during 2004-2010 on different days after infection, from different anatomic sites, or both. We detected changes in virus genes that affected receptor binding, polymerase activity, or interferon antagonism, suggesting that these factors could play roles in influenza virus adaptation to humans. However, the frequency of most of these mutations remained low in the samples tested, implying that they were not efficiently selected within these hosts. Our data suggest that adaptation of influenza A(H5N1) viruses is probably stepwise and depends on accumulating combinations of mutations that alter function while maintaining fitness.
KEYWORDS:
H5N1 subtype; Vietnam; adaptation; genetic diversity; humans; influenza; influenza virus; respiratory infections; viruses
PMID: 29912683 DOI: 10.3201/eid2407.171441
Diversity of Influenza A(H5N1) Viruses in Infected Humans, Northern Vietnam, 2004-2010.
Imai H, Dinis JM, Zhong G, Moncla LH, Lopes TJS, McBride R, Thompson AJ, Peng W, Le MTQ, Hanson A, Lauck M, Sakai-Tagawa Y, Yamada S, Eggenberger J, O'Connor DH, Suzuki Y, Hatta M, Paulson JC, Neumann G, Friedrich TC, Kawaoka Y.
Abstract
Influenza viruses exist in each host as a collection of genetically diverse variants, which might enhance their adaptive potential. To assess the genetic and functional diversity of highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) viruses within infected humans, we used deep-sequencing methods to characterize samples obtained from infected patients in northern Vietnam during 2004-2010 on different days after infection, from different anatomic sites, or both. We detected changes in virus genes that affected receptor binding, polymerase activity, or interferon antagonism, suggesting that these factors could play roles in influenza virus adaptation to humans. However, the frequency of most of these mutations remained low in the samples tested, implying that they were not efficiently selected within these hosts. Our data suggest that adaptation of influenza A(H5N1) viruses is probably stepwise and depends on accumulating combinations of mutations that alter function while maintaining fitness.
KEYWORDS:
H5N1 subtype; Vietnam; adaptation; genetic diversity; humans; influenza; influenza virus; respiratory infections; viruses
PMID: 29912683 DOI: 10.3201/eid2407.171441