title: Multiple gene segment reassortment between Eurasian and American lineages of influenza A virus (H6N2) in Guillemot (Uria aalge).
abstract: Guillemots banded in the northern Baltic Sea were screened for influenza A virus (IAV). Three out of 26 sampled birds tested positive by RT-PCR. Two of these were characterized as subtype H6N2. Phylogenetic analyses showed that five gene segments belonged to the American avian lineage of IAVs, whereas three gene segments belonged to the Eurasian lineage. Our findings indicate that avian IAVs may have a taxonomically wider reservoir spectrum than previously known and we present the first report of a chimeric avian IAV with genes of American and Eurasian origin in Europe.
authors.affiliation: Smedby Health Center, Kalmar County Council, Kalmar, Sweden.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wallensten
authors.forename: V J
authors.initials: VJ
authors.lastname: Munster
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Elmberg
authors.forename: A D M E
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Osterhaus
authors.forename: R A M
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Fouchier
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Olsen
mesh_terms: D000569:Americas; D000818:Animals; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D001717:Birds / Q000821:virology*; D005061:Europe, Eastern; D019267:Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus / Q000235:genetics; D009980:Influenza A virus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009439:Neuraminidase / Q000235:genetics; D009792:Oceans and Seas; D010802:Phylogeny; D016865:Reassortant Viruses / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification
chemical_list: D000956:Antigens, Viral; D019267:Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus; C109963:hemagglutinin, avian influenza A virus; D009439:Neuraminidase