tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Arch Virol
. 2026 Oct 28;171(12):313.
doi: 10.1007/s00705-026-06774-3.
Andrey S Gudymo 1 , Natalia P Kolosova 2 , Anastasia S Panova 1 , Kiunnei N Shadrinova 1 , Natalia I Goncharova 1 , Olga N Perfilieva 1 , Natalia V Danilchenko 1 , Anastasia A Moiseeva 1 , Elena I Danilenko 1 , Natalia N Vasiltsova 1 , Marina L Egorova 1 , Vasiliy Yu Marchenko 1
Affiliations Expand
The global spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) virus of clade 2.3.4.4b is accompanied by an increasing frequency of cross-species transmission events to mammals. In 2023, a mass epizootic among northern fur seals (Callorhinus ursinus) was recorded in the Russian Far East, associated with genotype A3 carrying the adaptive substitutions PB2-K482R and NP-N319K. The virus demonstrated high virulence in both mice and ferrets. To evaluate the transmissive potential of this reassortant, we experimentally investigated its capacity for contact transmission in a ferret animal model. Partial contact transmission was observed during co-housing with naïve animals: clinical signs of infection developed in three of four recipients, active viral replication was detected in one, and seroconversion was confirmed in two survivors. Potential de novo mammalian-adaptative mutation NS-I81T was detected in the virus from an infected donor ferret. This study provides the first experimental evidence of contact transmission capability among mammals for a clade 2.3.4.4b A(H5N1) isolate of genotype A3, correlating with the presence of specific molecular markers of adaptation. These findings underscore the necessity of prioritizing functional and genomic surveillance of circulating variants to enable timely assessment of their zoonotic risk and potential for sustained cross-species circulation.
. 2026 Oct 28;171(12):313.
doi: 10.1007/s00705-026-06774-3.
Contact transmission of fur seal-derived genotype A3 influenza A(H5N1) virus in ferrets
Andrey S Gudymo 1 , Natalia P Kolosova 2 , Anastasia S Panova 1 , Kiunnei N Shadrinova 1 , Natalia I Goncharova 1 , Olga N Perfilieva 1 , Natalia V Danilchenko 1 , Anastasia A Moiseeva 1 , Elena I Danilenko 1 , Natalia N Vasiltsova 1 , Marina L Egorova 1 , Vasiliy Yu Marchenko 1
Affiliations Expand
- PMID: 42955424
- DOI: 10.1007/s00705-026-06774-3
Abstract
The global spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) virus of clade 2.3.4.4b is accompanied by an increasing frequency of cross-species transmission events to mammals. In 2023, a mass epizootic among northern fur seals (Callorhinus ursinus) was recorded in the Russian Far East, associated with genotype A3 carrying the adaptive substitutions PB2-K482R and NP-N319K. The virus demonstrated high virulence in both mice and ferrets. To evaluate the transmissive potential of this reassortant, we experimentally investigated its capacity for contact transmission in a ferret animal model. Partial contact transmission was observed during co-housing with naïve animals: clinical signs of infection developed in three of four recipients, active viral replication was detected in one, and seroconversion was confirmed in two survivors. Potential de novo mammalian-adaptative mutation NS-I81T was detected in the virus from an infected donor ferret. This study provides the first experimental evidence of contact transmission capability among mammals for a clade 2.3.4.4b A(H5N1) isolate of genotype A3, correlating with the presence of specific molecular markers of adaptation. These findings underscore the necessity of prioritizing functional and genomic surveillance of circulating variants to enable timely assessment of their zoonotic risk and potential for sustained cross-species circulation.