title: Natural history of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1.
abstract: The ecology of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 has significantly changed from sporadic outbreaks in terrestrial poultry to persistent circulation in terrestrial and aquatic poultry and potentially in wild waterfowl. A novel genotype of HPAI H5N1 arose in 1996 in Southern China and through ongoing mutation, reassortment, and natural selection, has diverged into distinct lineages and expanded into multiple reservoir hosts. The evolution of Goose/Guangdong-lineage highly pathogenic H5N1 viruses is ongoing: while stable interactions exist with some reservoir hosts, these viruses are continuing to evolve and adapt to others, and pose an un-calculable risk to sporadic hosts, including humans.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Drive MS 330, Memphis, TN 3810, USA. Electronic address: Stephanie.sonnberg@stjude.org.
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sonnberg
authors.forename: Richard J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Webby
authors.forename: Robert G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Webster
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001717:Birds; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000266:history; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049674:History, 21st Century; D053124:Influenza A Virus, H5N1 Subtype / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity / Q000502:physiology*; D005585:Influenza in Birds / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000266:history / Q000635:transmission / Q000821:virology*
keywords: Clade; Lineage; Reservoir; Virus evolution; Wild bird