A comparison of the pathogenicity of avian and swine H5N1 influenza viruses in Indonesia.
Highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 viruses are circulating in many countries. We recently discovered that these viruses have been transmitted to pigs on multiple occasions in Indonesia. To investigate whether avian H5N1 influenza viruses adapted to mammals through their introduction into pigs, we examined the growth of avian and swine isolates in cell culture and compared their pathogenicity in mice. We found that swine isolates were less virulent to mice than avian isolates, suggesting that the viruses became attenuated during their replication in pigs. Continuous surveillance of H5N1 viruses among pigs is clearly warranted.
Takano
Ryo
R
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Tokyo, Shirokanedai, Minato-ku, Japan.
Nidom
Chairul A
CA
Kiso
Maki
M
Muramoto
Yukiko
Y
Yamada
Shinya
S
Shinya
Kyoko
K
Sakai-Tagawa
Yuko
Y
Kawaoka
Yoshihiro
Y
D000818:Animals; D001717:Birds; D019267:Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007214:Indonesia; D053124:Influenza A Virus, H5N1 Subtype / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D005585:Influenza in Birds / Q000821:virology*; D007928:Lethal Dose 50; D051379:Mice; D009976:Orthomyxoviridae Infections / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D010802:Phylogeny; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017385:Sequence Homology; D013552:Swine; D013553:Swine Diseases / Q000821:virology*; D014774:Virulence
D019267:Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus; C109963:hemagglutinin, avian influenza A virus