title: The mouse model is suitable for the study of viral factors governing transmission and pathogenesis of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) viruses in mammals.
abstract: Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) viruses of the H5 and H7 subtype pose a major public health threat due to their capacity to cross the species barrier and infect mammals, for example dogs, cats and humans. In the present study we tested the capacity of selected H7 and H5 HPAI viruses to infect and to be transmitted from infected BALB/c mice to contact sentinels. Previous experiments have shown that viruses belonging to both H5 and H7 subtypes replicate in the respiratory tract and central nervous system of experimentally infected mice. In this study we show that selected H7N1 and H5N1 HPAI viruses can be transmitted from mouse-to-mouse by direct contact, and that in experimentally infected animals they exhibit a different pattern of replication and transmission. Our results can be considered as a starting point for transmission experiments involving other influenza A viruses with alpha 2-3 receptor affinity in order to better understand the viral factors influencing transmissibility of these viruses in selected mammalian species.
authors.affiliation: OIE/FAO and National Reference Laboratory for Avian Influenza and Newcastle disease, OIE Collaborating Centre for Diseases at the Animal-Human Interface, Research & Development Department, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Viale dell'Università 10, 35020 Legnaro, Padova, Italy. mrigoni@izsvenezie.it
authors.forename: Michela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rigoni
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Toffan
authors.forename: Elisabetta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Viale
authors.forename: Marzia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mancin
authors.forename: Filippo
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cilloni
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bertoli
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Salomoni
authors.forename: Sabrina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Marciano
authors.forename: Adelaide
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Milani
authors.forename: Bianca
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zecchin
authors.forename: Ilaria
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Capua
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cattoli
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D053124:Influenza A Virus, H5N1 Subtype / Q000472:pathogenicity* / Q000502:physiology; D057916:Influenza A Virus, H7N1 Subtype / Q000472:pathogenicity* / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009666:Nose / Q000821:virology; D009976:Orthomyxoviridae Infections / Q000821:virology*; D013997:Time Factors; D017201:Virus Shedding