title: Novel avian-origin influenza A (H7N9) virus attaches to epithelium in both upper and lower respiratory tract of humans.
abstract: Influenza A viruses from animal reservoirs have the capacity to adapt to humans and cause influenza pandemics. The occurrence of an influenza pandemic requires efficient virus transmission among humans, which is associated with virus attachment to the upper respiratory tract. Pandemic severity depends on virus ability to cause pneumonia, which is associated with virus attachment to the lower respiratory tract. Recently, a novel avian-origin H7N9 influenza A virus with unknown pandemic potential emerged in humans. We determined the pattern of attachment of two genetically engineered viruses containing the hemagglutinin of either influenza virus A/Shanghai/1/13 or A/Anhui/1/13 to formalin-fixed human respiratory tract tissues using histochemical analysis. Our results show that the emerging H7N9 virus attached moderately or abundantly to both upper and lower respiratory tract, a pattern not seen before for avian influenza A viruses. With the caveat that virus attachment is only the first step in the virus replication cycle, these results suggest that the emerging H7N9 virus has the potential both to transmit efficiently among humans and to cause severe pneumonia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Viroscience, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Debby
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: van Riel
authors.affiliation: Department of Viroscience, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Lonneke M E
authors.initials: LME
authors.lastname: Leijten
authors.affiliation: Department of Viroscience, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Miranda
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: de Graaf
authors.affiliation: Department of Viroscience, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Jurre Y
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Siegers
authors.affiliation: Department of Viroscience, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Kirsty R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Short
authors.affiliation: Department of Viroscience, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Monique I J
authors.initials: MIJ
authors.lastname: Spronken
authors.affiliation: Department of Viroscience, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Eefje J A
authors.initials: EJA
authors.lastname: Schrauwen
authors.affiliation: Department of Viroscience, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Ron A M
authors.initials: RAM
authors.lastname: Fouchier
authors.affiliation: Department of Viroscience, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Albert D M E
authors.initials: ADME
authors.lastname: Osterhaus
authors.affiliation: Department of Viroscience, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Electronic address: t.kuiken@erasmusmc.nl.
authors.forename: Thijs
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kuiken
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D004848:Epithelium / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology*; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D006386:Hemagglutination Tests; D019267:Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D064766:Influenza A Virus, H7N9 Subtype / Q000502:physiology*; D005585:Influenza in Birds / Q000821:virology*; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000821:virology; D008875:Middle Aged; D016865:Reassortant Viruses; D011991:Receptors, Virus / Q000378:metabolism; D012137:Respiratory System / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology*; D014422:Turkeys; D053585:Virus Attachment; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D019267:Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus; D011991:Receptors, Virus
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