Co-infection of chickens with H9N2 and H7N9 avian influenza viruses leads to emergence of reassortant H9N9 virus with increased fitness for poultry and enhanced zoonotic potential
Posted April 05, 2021.
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View ORCID ProfileSushant Bhat, View ORCID ProfileJoe James, Jean-Remy Sadeyen, Sahar Mahmood, Holly Heverest, View ORCID ProfilePengxiang Chang, Sarah Walsh, Alexander MP Byrne, Benjamin Mollett, Fabian Lean, View ORCID ProfileJoshua E Sealy, View ORCID ProfileHolly Shelton, View ORCID ProfileMarek J Slomka, View ORCID ProfileSharon M Brookes, View ORCID ProfileMunir Iqbal
doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.04.05.438444
This article is a preprint and has not been certified by peer review [what does this mean?].
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Abstract
An H7N9 low pathogenicity avian influenza virus (LPAIV) emerged through genetic reassortment between H9N2 and other LPAIVs circulating in birds in China. This virus causes inapparent clinical disease in chickens, but zoonotic transmission results in severe and fatal disease in humans. We evaluated the consequences of reassortment between the H7N9 and the contemporary H9N2 viruses of G1 lineage that are enzootic in poultry across the Indian sub-continent and the Middle East. Co-infection of chickens with these viruses resulted in emergence of novel reassortant H9N9 viruses carrying genes derived from both H9N2 and H7N9 viruses. These reassortant H9N9 viruses showed significantly increased replication fitness, enhanced pathogenicity in chicken embryos and the potential to transmit via contact among ferrets. Our study highlights that the co-circulation of H7N9 and H9N2 viruses could represent a threat for the generation of novel reassortant viruses with greater virulence in poultry and an increased zoonotic potential.
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