title: Influenza B virus in seals.
abstract: Influenza B virus is a human pathogen whose origin and possible reservoir in nature are not known. An influenza B virus was isolated from a naturally infected harbor seal (Phoca vitulina) and was found to be infectious to seal kidney cells in vitro. Sequence analyses and serology indicated that influenza virus B/Seal/Netherlands/1/99 is closely related to strains that circulated in humans 4 to 5 years earlier. Retrospective analyses of sera collected from 971 seals showed a prevalence of antibodies to influenza B virus in 2% of the animals after 1995 and in none before 1995. This animal reservoir, harboring influenza B viruses that have circulated in the past, may pose a direct threat to humans.
authors.affiliation: National Influenza Center, Department of Virology, Erasmus University, Doctor Molewaterplein 50, 3015 GE Rotterdam, Netherlands.
authors.forename: A D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Osterhaus
authors.forename: G F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Rimmelzwaan
authors.forename: B E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Martina
authors.forename: T M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Bestebroer
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Fouchier
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D002460:Cell Line; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004197:Disease Reservoirs; D004285:Dogs; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005814:Genes, Viral; D006385:Hemagglutination Inhibition Tests; D019267:Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D009981:Influenza B virus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D009500:Neutralization Tests; D009976:Orthomyxoviridae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D010614:Pharynx / Q000821:virology; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D046048:Seals, Earless / Q000821:virology*; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D017201:Virus Shedding
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D019267:Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins