Dataset Information

Multiple infections with H5N8 subtype high pathogenicity avian influenza viruses in a feral mallard.

ABSTRACT: During the 2020-2021 winter, Eurasian countries experienced large outbreaks caused by the clade 2.3.4.4b H5N8 subtype high pathogenicity avian influenza viruses (HPAIVs) in the wild bird populations. At least seven gene constellations have been found in the causal HPAIVs. When and where the various HPAIVs emerged remains unclear. Here, we successfully cloned H5N8 HPAIVs with multiple gene constellations from a tracheal swab of a dead mallard found at its wintering site in Japan in January 2021. According to their phylogeny, the bird was most likely co-infected with the E2 and E3 genotype clade 2.3.4.4b HPAIVs. The result indicates that feral waterbirds can be infected with multiple HPAIVs, and shed an HPAIV with novel gene constellation in Southern wintering sites.

SUBMITTER: Soda K

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10466058 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Multiple infections with H5N8 subtype high pathogenicity avian influenza viruses in a feral mallard.

Soda Kosuke K Usui Tatsufumi T Yamaguchi Tsuyoshi T Ito Toshihiro T

The Journal of veterinary medical science 20230616 8

During the 2020-2021 winter, Eurasian countries experienced large outbreaks caused by the clade 2.3.4.4b H5N8 subtype high pathogenicity avian influenza viruses (HPAIVs) in the wild bird populations. At least seven gene constellations have been found in the causal HPAIVs. When and where the various HPAIVs emerged remains unclear. Here, we successfully cloned H5N8 HPAIVs with multiple gene constellations from a tracheal swab of a dead mallard found at its wintering site in Japan in January 2021. ...[more]

PMID: 37331816

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Project description:Multiple recent outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N8 viruses originating in aquatic birds frequently occurred in most European countries, Russia, South Korea, and Japan during the winter of 2020-21, and one zoonotic event of poultry workers infected with novel H5N8 viruses were reported in Russia. Strikingly, these novel H5N8 viruses had emerged and been co-circulating in wild birds and poultry in multiple provinces of China during 2020-21. In China, the population of aquatic birds has risen significantly in the past twenty years, and China is regarded as the largest reservoir for influenza viruses carried in aquatic birds across the globe. Hence, the co-circulation of these novel H5N8 viruses poses an alarming threat to not only poultry industry but also human health. In this study, we sequenced full-length genomes of these H5N8 viruses circulating in China. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that poultry-origin H5N8 viruses in China fell within wild birds-origin clade 2.3.4.4b H5N8 viruses from Europe during 2020-21, and notably, were genetically closely related to human-infecting H5N8 viruses in Russia. Moreover, they possessed several molecular markers associated with mammalian adaption. Bayesian coalescent analysis showed that these H5N8 viruses might have introduced into China during June-September 2020, suggesting that these H5N8 viruses might have introduced via wild bird migration or poultry trade. Besides, we also found that the effective population size of clade 2.3.4.4b H5N8 viruses dramatically increased during the winter season of 2020/21, as is consistent with previous increase of genetic diversity during the winter seasons of 2013/14 and 2016/17, which indicated that the wild bird migration accelerates the genetic diversity of these H5N8 viruses during the winter season of 2020/21. Notably, these novel H5N8 viruses were lethal to chickens and mice, highly transmissible to ducks, and were antigenically distinct from 2.3.4.4h H5 viruses circulating in China, posing considerable threats to public health. Our findings offer novel insights into the evolution and risk assessment of H5N8 viruses during the winter season of 2020-21.

Project description:Background and aimIn late 2017, an H5N8 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus, clade 2.3.4.4, was isolated from domestic ducks in Egypt, which was associated with high morbidity and low mortality. The pathogenicity increased due to the continuous circulation of virus in ducks. Thus, this study aimed to monitor the pathogenesis and pathogenicity of new H5N8 Avian influenza (AI) virus in mule ducklings.Materials and methodsThe lethal dose 50 (LD50) for this new local HPAI H5N8 isolate was calculated. Twenty ducklings were inoculated with 0.1 mL of dilution containing 10 LD50 HPAI per duck. The clinical signs and mortalities were recorded until 30 days post-infection (DPI) to confirm viral pathogenesis. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction was used to detect viral shedding from collected cloacal swabs after 3rd, 5th, 7th, 10th, 14th, 21st, and 30th DPI. The main histopathological lesions associated with the presence of HPAI virus were also recorded on the 3rd and 14th DPI.ResultsThe result showed that the LD50 of the new HPAI H5N8 was 104 log10. Clinical signs were observed after 2nd DPI, but it was clinically severe on 3rd, 4th, and 5th DPI in the form of respiratory and gastric disorders, forming 90% of all diseased ducklings, whereas 30% of the infected ducks only showed nervous signs. The mortality rate peaked on 4th and 5th DPI with a cumulative mortality rate of 60% for the inoculated ducks, whereas no mortality was recorded after 6th DPI. Dead ducks showed typical postmortem lesions of AI disease. Necrosis and ecchymotic or petechial hemorrhages on the heart, pancreas, liver, and spleen were observed, whereas the lung showed pneumonia. With regard to viral shedding, infected ducklings shed the virus from its gut until 7th DPI, but the number of duck shedders gradually decreased until 14th DPI after viral shedding. The histopathological findings indicated that the spleen and thymus showed necrosis and hemorrhages, whereas the brain showed multifocal malacic foci and spread meningitis. Moreover, the lung had intrabronchial hyaline degeneration and fibrinous pneumonia on 3rd DPI. Furthermore, the liver showed multifocal necrotic foci and subcapsular hemorrhage, whereas the kidney showed remarkable tubular degeneration, mostly within the collecting tubules. Furthermore, the heart showed marked myocardiolysis of the cardiac muscle fibers. On 14th DPI, all histopathological lesions of the examined organs were restored to normal.ConclusionThe currently circulating HPAI H5N8 virus strain has high virulence, particularly for imported mule ducks that originated from non-vaccinated breeder ducks. Therefore, vaccination and quarantine measures must be applied on imported 1-day-old mule ducklings. Moreover, the pathogenesis must be reviewed and monitored for updating circulating AI strains caused by the continuous and rapid evolution of AI viruses.

Dataset Information

Multiple infections with H5N8 subtype high pathogenicity avian influenza viruses in a feral mallard.

Publications

Multiple infections with H5N8 subtype high pathogenicity avian influenza viruses in a feral mallard.

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