title: Host species barriers to influenza virus infections.
abstract: Most emerging infectious diseases in humans originate from animal reservoirs; to contain and eradicate these diseases we need to understand how and why some pathogens become capable of crossing host species barriers. Influenza virus illustrates the interaction of factors that limit the transmission and subsequent establishment of an infection in a novel host species. Influenza species barriers can be categorized into virus-host interactions occurring within individuals and host-host interactions, either within or between species, that affect transmission between individuals. Viral evolution can help surmount species barriers, principally by affecting virus-host interactions; however, evolving the capability for sustained transmission in a new host species represents a major adaptive challenge because the number of mutations required is often large.
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, Erasmus Medical Center, 3015 GE Rotterdam, Netherlands. t.kuiken@erasmusmc.nl
authors.forename: Thijs
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kuiken
authors.forename: Edward C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Holmes
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: McCauley
authors.forename: Guus F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Rimmelzwaan
authors.forename: Catherine S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: Bryan T
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Grenfell
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001717:Birds; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D053124:Influenza A Virus, H5N1 Subtype / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000472:pathogenicity* / Q000502:physiology; D009980:Influenza A virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000472:pathogenicity* / Q000502:physiology; D005585:Influenza in Birds / Q000635:transmission / Q000821:virology; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000635:transmission* / Q000821:virology*; D009154:Mutation; D009976:Orthomyxoviridae Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000635:transmission / Q000662:veterinary / Q000821:virology; D011200:Poultry; D016865:Reassortant Viruses; D011991:Receptors, Virus / Q000378:metabolism; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D013045:Species Specificity; D014779:Virus Replication; D015047:Zoonoses
chemical_list: D011991:Receptors, Virus