Frequency of D222G and Q223R hemagglutinin mutants of pandemic (H1N1) 2009 influenza virus in Japan between 2009 and 2010.

ABSTRACT:

Background

In April 2009, a novel swine-derived influenza A virus (H1N1pdm) emerged and rapidly spread around the world, including Japan. It has been suggested that the virus can bind to both 2,3- and 2,6-linked sialic acid receptors in infected mammals, in contrast to contemporary seasonal H1N1 viruses, which have a predilection for 2,6-linked sialic acid.

Methods/results

To elucidate the existence and transmissibility of α2,3 sialic acid-specific viruses in H1N1pdm, amino acid substitutions within viral hemagglutinin molecules were investigated, especially D187E, D222G, and Q223R, which are related to a shift from human to avian receptor specificity. Samples from individuals infected during the first and second waves of the outbreak in Japan were examined using a high-thro

SUBMITTER: Yasugi M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3281909 | biostudies-literature | 2012

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature