title: Characterisation of an avian influenza A virus isolated from a human--is an intermediate host necessary for the emergence of pandemic influenza viruses?
abstract: The partial sequencing of the internal and the neuraminidase genes of isolate 268/96 obtained from a woman with conjunctivitis showed all seven to have closest homology with avian influenza viruses. The entire nucleotide sequence of the haemagglutinin gene of 268/96 had close, 98.2%, homology with an H7N7 virus isolated from turkeys in Ireland in 1995. This appears to be the first reported case of isolation of an influenza A virus from a human being infected as a result of direct natural transmission of an avian influenza virus from birds.
authors.affiliation: Central Veterinary Laboratory (Weybridge), Addlestone, Surrey, U.K.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Banks
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Speidel
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Alexander
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D001717:Birds / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D005814:Genes, Viral; D006801:Humans; D009980:Influenza A virus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission / Q000821:virology*; D007494:Ireland; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D014422:Turkeys / Q000821:virology