title: Interspecies transmission and host restriction of avian H5N1 influenza virus.
abstract: Long-term endemicity of avian H5N1 influenza virus in poultry and continuous sporadic human infections in several countries has raised the concern of another potential pandemic influenza. Suspicion of the avian origin of the previous pandemics results in the close investigation of the mechanism of interspecies transmission. Entry and fusion is the first step for the H5N1 influenza virus to get into the host cells affecting the host ranges. Therefore receptor usage study has been a major focus for the last few years. We now know the difference of the sialic acid structures and distributions in different species, even in the different parts of the same host. Many host factors interacting with the influenza virus component proteins have been identified and their role in the host range expansion and interspecies transmission is under detailed scrutiny. Here we review current progress in the receptor usage and host factors.
authors.affiliation: CAS Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology (CASPMI), Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, 100101, China.
authors.forename: Di
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Xiaoling
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Jinghua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Wen-Jun
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: George Fu
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Gao
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001717:Birds; D002415:Cats / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D053124:Influenza A Virus, H5N1 Subtype / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D005585:Influenza in Birds / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000635:transmission; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000635:transmission; D009976:Orthomyxoviridae Infections / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission; D011200:Poultry / Q000821:virology; D013552:Swine / Q000821:virology