title: Pathogenicity in quails and mice of H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses isolated from ducks.
abstract: In our study, the pathogenicity of H5N1 influenza A viruses circulating in waterfowls in Southern China was investigated. Three H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) viruses isolated from ducks, A/Duck/Guangdong/383/2008(DK383), A/Duck/Guangdong/378/2008(DK378) and A/Duck/Guangdong/212/2004(DK212) were inoculated at 10(6) fifty-percent egg infectious doses (EID(50)) into ducks, quails and mice and showed varying levels of pathogenicity. In ducks, the mortality rates ranged from 0 to 60% and the mean death time (MDT) was 0-6.7 days post-inoculation (DPI). While the viruses were highly pathogenic in quails, resulting in 83.3-100% mortality and the MDT of 2.3-3 DPI, they were completely lethal in mice (100% mortality). The viruses replicated in many organs of ducks and quails and were found in the brain, and kidney, lung and spleen of the mice. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that DK383 and DK378 viruses of clade 2.3.2 belonged to genotype 11, while DK212 virus of clade 9 was genotype 3. Our study illustrated H5N1 influenza viruses within Clade 2.3.2 and 9 from duck in Southern China had very highly pathogenicity to Japanese quails and BALB/c mice, but viruses within Clade 2.3.2 had more highly lethality than those of clade 9 to Muscovy ducks. Therefore, they had posed a continued challenge for disease control and public health.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Animal Disease Control and Prevention, Ministry of Agriculture, Guangzhou, PR China.
authors.forename: Hailiang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Peirong
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jiao
authors.forename: Baoqin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.forename: Chenggang
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Liangmeng
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Fen
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Shan
authors.forename: Kaijian
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Chaoan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Xin
authors.forename: Kouxin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Liao
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002681:China; D003370:Coturnix; D004372:Ducks; D053124:Influenza A Virus, H5N1 Subtype / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D005585:Influenza in Birds / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D008460:Meat / Q000821:virology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D010802:Phylogeny; D017201:Virus Shedding