Journal
CELL HOST & MICROBE
Volume 15, Issue 6, Pages 692-705Publisher
CELL PRESS
DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2014.05.006
Keywords
-
Categories
Funding
- NIGMS [GM62116]
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Public Health Service
- ERATO (Japan Science and Technology Agency)
- Strategic Basic Research Programs of Japan Science and Technology Agency, Japan
- University Research Fellowship from the Royal Society
- [RO1 AI080598]
- [R56 AI099275]
- Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research [25450422] Funding Source: KAKEN
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Wild birds harbor a large gene pool of influenza A viruses that have the potential to cause influenza pandemics. Foreseeing and understanding this potential is important for effective surveillance. Our phylogenetic and geographic analyses revealed the global prevalence of avian influenza virus genes whose proteins differ only a few amino acids from the 1918 pandemic influenza virus, suggesting that 1918-like pandemic viruses may emerge in the future. To assess this risk, we generated and characterized a virus composed of avian influenza viral segments with high homology to the 1918 virus. This virus exhibited pathogenicity in mice and ferrets higher than that in an authentic avian influenza virus. Further, acquisition of seven amino acid substitutions in the viral polymerases and the hemagglutinin surface glycoprotein conferred respiratory droplet transmission to the 1918-like avian virus in ferrets, demonstrating that contemporary avian influenza viruses with 1918 virus-like proteins may have pandemic potential.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available