title: Pathobiological Characterization of a Novel Reassortant Highly Pathogenic H5N1 Virus Isolated in British Columbia, Canada, 2015.
abstract: In the current study, we describe the pathobiologic characteristics of a novel reassortant virus - A/chicken/BC/FAV-002/2015 (H5N1) belonging to clade 2.3.4.4 that was isolated from backyard chickens in British Columbia, Canada. Sequence analyses demonstrate PB1, PA, NA and NS gene segments were of North American lineage while PB2, HA, NP and M were derived from a Eurasian lineage H5N8 virus. This novel virus had a 19 amino acid deletion in the neuraminidase stalk. We evaluated the pathogenic potential of this isolate in various animal models. The virus was highly pathogenic to mice with a LD50 of 10 plaque forming units (PFU), but had limited tissue tropism. It caused only subclinical infection in pigs which did result in seroconversion. This virus was highly pathogenic to chickens, turkeys, juvenile Muscovy ducks (Cairnia moschata foma domestica) and adult Chinese geese (Anser cynoides domesticus) causing a systemic infection in all species. The virus was also efficiently transmitted and resulted in mortality in naïve contact ducks, geese and chickens. Our findings indicate that this novel H5N1 virus has a wide host range and enhanced surveillance of migratory waterfowl may be necessary in order to determine its potential to establish itself in the wild bird reservoir.
authors.affiliation: Canadian Food Inspection Agency, National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada R3E 3M4.|Department of Animal Science, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada.
authors.forename: Yohannes
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Berhane
authors.affiliation: Public Health Agency of Canada, National Microbiology Laboratory, 1015 Arlington Street, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.|Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada.
authors.forename: Darwyn
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kobasa
authors.affiliation: Canadian Food Inspection Agency, National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada R3E 3M4.
authors.forename: Carissa
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Embury-Hyatt
authors.affiliation: Canadian Food Inspection Agency, National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada R3E 3M4.
authors.forename: Brad
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pickering
authors.affiliation: Canadian Food Inspection Agency, National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada R3E 3M4.|Department of Immunology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada.
authors.forename: Shawn
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Babiuk
authors.affiliation: Animal Health Centre, Ministry of Agriculture, Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada V3G 2M3.
authors.forename: Tomy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Joseph
authors.affiliation: Animal Health Centre, Ministry of Agriculture, Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada V3G 2M3.
authors.forename: Victoria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bowes
authors.affiliation: Canadian Food Inspection Agency, National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada R3E 3M4.
authors.forename: Mathew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Suderman
authors.affiliation: Public Health Agency of Canada, National Microbiology Laboratory, 1015 Arlington Street, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
authors.forename: Anders
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Leung
authors.affiliation: Canadian Food Inspection Agency, National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada R3E 3M4.
authors.forename: Colleen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cottam-Birt
authors.affiliation: Canadian Food Inspection Agency, National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada R3E 3M4.
authors.forename: Tamiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hisanaga
authors.affiliation: Canadian Food Inspection Agency, National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada R3E 3M4.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pasick
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild; D001955:British Columbia; D002645:Chickens / Q000821:virology*; D004372:Ducks / Q000821:virology; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D005777:Geese / Q000821:virology; D053124:Influenza A Virus, H5N1 Subtype / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D051379:Mice; D009439:Neuraminidase / Q000235:genetics*; D009976:Orthomyxoviridae Infections / Q000821:virology*; D010802:Phylogeny; D016865:Reassortant Viruses / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D017384:Sequence Deletion; D013552:Swine; D019562:Viral Load; D056189:Viral Tropism
chemical_list: D009439:Neuraminidase