title: Molecular evolution of the H6 subtype influenza A viruses from poultry in eastern China from 2002 to 2010.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although extensive data demonstrates that the majority of H6 duck isolates belonged to a single H6N2 virus lineage with a single gene constellation in southern China from 2000 to 2005, the prevalence of H6N2 virus in poultry in Eastern China is largely unknown.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Epidemiology revealed that H6N2 viruses were the most frequently detected influenza subtypes in live bird markets from 2002 to 2008 in Eastern China, but from 2009 onwards, they were replaced with novel H6N6 viruses. We phylogenetically and antigenically analyzed 42 H6 viruses isolated mainly in domestic ducks from 2002 to 2010 in Eastern China. Surprisingly, none of these isolates grouped with the previously described H6N2 viruses which belonged to a single H6N2 virus lineage with a single gene constellation in domestic ducks in southern China from 2000 to 2005. Two distinct hemagglutinin lineages were identified and they all underwent frequent reassortment with multiple virus subtypes from the natural gene pool, but few reassortants were persistent or prevalent.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Five subtypes of H6 influenza viruses (H6N1, H6N2, H6N5, H6N6 and H6N8) cocirculated in Eastern China, which form a significant part of the natural influenza virus reservoir in domestic ducks, and significant viral reassortment is still ongoing in this species.
authors: College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu 225009, PR China.
authors: Guo
authors: G
authors: Zhao
authors: Xinlun
authors: X
authors: Lu
authors: Xiaobing
authors: X
authors: Gu
authors: Kunkun
authors: K
authors: Zhao
authors: Qingqing
authors: Q
authors: Song
authors: Jinjin
authors: J
authors: Pan
authors: Quangang
authors: Q
authors: Xu
authors: Zhiqiang
authors: Z
authors: Duan
authors: Daxin
authors: D
authors: Peng
authors: Shunlin
authors: S
authors: Hu
authors: Xiaoquan
authors: X
authors: Wang
authors: Xiufan
authors: X
authors: Liu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D005838:Genotype; D009980:Influenza A virus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005585:Influenza in Birds / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D011200:Poultry / Q000821:virology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral