Published Date: 2007-12-19 17:00:18
Subject: PRO/AH/EDR> Influenza A (H2N3) virus, swine - USA
Archive Number: 20071219.4079
INFLUENZA A (H2N3) VIRUS, SWINE - USA
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Date: 17-18 Dec 2007
Source: Proc Natl Acad Science USA Early Edition [edited]
<http://www.pnas.org/cgi/content/abstract/0710286104v1?etoc>
[Below is the abstract of a paper in the online edition of the Proceedings
of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA (PNAS), which describes the
characterization of an influenza virus with potential to become the
precursor of a human pandemic virus.]
Identification of H2N3 influenza A viruses from swine in the United States
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By Wenjun Ma, Amy L Vincent, Marie R Gramer, Christy B Brockwell, Kelly M
Lager, Bruce H Janke, et al. At the Department of Veterinary Diagnostic and
Production Animal Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State
University, Ames, IA 50011; Virus and Prion Diseases of Livestock Research
Unit, National Animal Disease Center, Agricultural Research Service, United
States Department of Agriculture, Ames, IA 50010; Veterinary Diagnostic
Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, St.
Paul, MN 55108; St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38018;
and Interdisciplinary Program, University of Tennessee Health Science
Center, Memphis, TN 38163
Abstract
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Although viruses of each of the 16 influenza A HA subtypes are potential
human pathogens, only viruses of the H1, H2, and H3 subtype are known to
have been successfully established in humans. H2 influenza viruses have
been absent from human circulation since 1968, and as such they pose a
substantial human pandemic risk. In this report, we isolate and
characterize genetically similar avian/swine virus reassortant H2N3
influenza A viruses isolated from diseased swine from 2 farms in the United
States. These viruses contained leucine at position 226 of the H2 protein,
which has been associated with increased binding affinity to the mammalian
alpha-2,6Gal-linked sialic acid virus receptor. Correspondingly, the H2N3
viruses were able to cause disease in experimentally infected swine and
mice without prior adaptation. In addition, the swine H2N3 virus was
infectious and highly transmissible in swine and ferrets. Taken together,
these findings suggest that the H2N3 virus has undergone some adaptation to
the mammalian host and that their spread should be very closely monitored.
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ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>
[The current concentration of attention on the potential of avian influenza
A/H5N1 virus to evolve into a human pandemic pathogen should not divert
attention from the presence in the environment of other potential
precursors of influenza viruses with equal or perhaps greater potential to
become human pandemic pathogens. - Mod.CP]
See Also
Avian influenza, human (113): pandemic prediction 20070726.24102005
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Influenza virus, 1918 pandemic strain: reconstruction (02) 20051006.2919
Avian influenza, human - East Asia (111): pandemic preparedness 20050804.2264
.................cp/msp/sh
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