Pathogenicity of H5N1 influenza A viruses isolated in Vietnam between late 2003 and 2005.
Since late 2003, highly pathogenic H5N1 influenza A viruses have spread among poultry and wild aquatic birds in Asian countries. Transmission of these viruses to humans can be lethal. Most human cases of infection with H5N1 viruses have occurred in Vietnam. Therefore, to understand the pathogenicity in mammals of these H5N1 viruses, we took viruses isolated from poultry (5 strains) and humans (2 strains) in Vietnam and tested their virulence in mice. The results showed that the H5N1 viruses from humans were pathogenic in mice and that one avian isolate was also pathogenic. These findings suggested that the H5N1 viruses circulating in poultry adapted during replication in humans or that strains pathogenic in mice were transmitted directly to humans.
Muramoto
Yukiko
Y
International Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
Le
Thi Quynh Mai
TQ
Phuong
Lien Song
LS
Nguyen
Tung
T
Nguyen
Thu Ha
TH
Sakai-Tagawa
Yuko
Y
Horimoto
Taisuke
T
Kida
Hiroshi
H
Kawaoka
Yoshihiro
Y
D000818:Animals; D001717:Birds; D006801:Humans; D053124:Influenza A Virus, H5N1 Subtype / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D005585:Influenza in Birds / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D014744:Vietnam / Q000453:epidemiology; D014774:Virulence