Post by Nadica (She/Her) on Aug 26, 2024 20:37:22 GMT
Surveillance of avian influenza viruses in Hebei Province of China from 2021 to 2023: identification of a novel reassortant H3N3 - Published Aug 20, 2024
Highlights
•A novel reassortant H3N3 virus was identified, for the first time, in Northern China.
•The currently predominant subtypes of AIVs have been isolated from Hebei region.
•AIVs may have infected local poultry, posing potential risk of transmission to human.
•These isolates may share a common ancestor with the Yellow River Basin isolates.
Abstract
Avian influenza remains a global public health concern for its well-known point mutation and genomic segment reassortment, through which plenty of serum serotypes are generated to escape existing immune protection in animal and human populations. Some occasional cases of human infection of avian influenza viruses (AIVs) since 2020 posed a potential pandemic risk through human-to-human transmission. Both east-west and north-south migratory birds fly through and linger in the Hebei Province of China as a stopover habitat, providing an opportunity for imported AIVs to infect the local poultry and for viral gene reassortment to generate novel stains. In this study, we collected more than 6,000 environmental samples (mostly feces) in Hebei Province from 2021 to 2023. Samples were screened using real-time RT-PCR, and virus isolation was performed using the chick embryo culture method. We identified 10 AIV isolates, including a novel reassortant H3N3 isolate. Sequencing analysis revealed these AIVs to be highly homologous to those isolated in the Yellow River Basin. Our findings supported that AIVs keep evolving to generate new isolates, necessitating a continuous risk assessment of local avian influenza in wild waterfowl in Hebei, China.
Highlights
•A novel reassortant H3N3 virus was identified, for the first time, in Northern China.
•The currently predominant subtypes of AIVs have been isolated from Hebei region.
•AIVs may have infected local poultry, posing potential risk of transmission to human.
•These isolates may share a common ancestor with the Yellow River Basin isolates.
Abstract
Avian influenza remains a global public health concern for its well-known point mutation and genomic segment reassortment, through which plenty of serum serotypes are generated to escape existing immune protection in animal and human populations. Some occasional cases of human infection of avian influenza viruses (AIVs) since 2020 posed a potential pandemic risk through human-to-human transmission. Both east-west and north-south migratory birds fly through and linger in the Hebei Province of China as a stopover habitat, providing an opportunity for imported AIVs to infect the local poultry and for viral gene reassortment to generate novel stains. In this study, we collected more than 6,000 environmental samples (mostly feces) in Hebei Province from 2021 to 2023. Samples were screened using real-time RT-PCR, and virus isolation was performed using the chick embryo culture method. We identified 10 AIV isolates, including a novel reassortant H3N3 isolate. Sequencing analysis revealed these AIVs to be highly homologous to those isolated in the Yellow River Basin. Our findings supported that AIVs keep evolving to generate new isolates, necessitating a continuous risk assessment of local avian influenza in wild waterfowl in Hebei, China.