Detection of Avian H7N9 Influenza A Viruses in the Yangtze Delta Region of China During Early H7N9 Outbreaks.
Since the first H7N9 human case in Shanghai, February 19, 2013, the emerging avian-origin H7N9 influenza A virus has become an epizootic virus in China, posing a potential pandemic threat to public health. From April 2 to April 28, 2013, some 422 oral-pharyngeal and cloacal swabs were collected from birds and environmental surfaces at five live poultry markets (LPMs) and 13 backyard poultry farms (BPFs) across three cities, Wuxi, Suzhou, and Nanjing, in the Yangtze Delta region. In total 22 isolates were recovered, and six were subtyped as H7N9, nine as H9N2, four as H7N9/H9N2, and three unsubtyped influenza A viruses. Genomic sequences showed that the HA and NA genes of the H7N9 viruses were similar to those of the H7N9 human isolates, as well as other avian-origin H7N9 isolates in the region, but the PB1, PA, NP, and MP genes of the sequenced viruses were more diverse. Among the four H7N9/H9N2 mixed infections, three were from LPM, whereas the other one was from the ducks at one BPF, which were H7N9 negative in serologic analyses. A survey of the bird trading records of the LPMs and BPFs indicates that trading was a likely route for virus transmission across these regions. Our results suggested that better biosecurity and more effective vaccination should be implemented in backyard farms, in addition to biosecurity management in LPMs.
A Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biological Engineering and Technology, Ministry of Agriculture, National Center for Engineering Research of Veterinary Bio-products, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China.|B Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonosis, Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province, China.|H These authors contributed equally to this work.
Yin
Y
Li
A Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biological Engineering and Technology, Ministry of Agriculture, National Center for Engineering Research of Veterinary Bio-products, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China.|B Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonosis, Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province, China.|H These authors contributed equally to this work.
Xin-Mei
XM
Huang
A Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biological Engineering and Technology, Ministry of Agriculture, National Center for Engineering Research of Veterinary Bio-products, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China.|B Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonosis, Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province, China.|H These authors contributed equally to this work.
Dong-Min
DM
Zhao
A Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biological Engineering and Technology, Ministry of Agriculture, National Center for Engineering Research of Veterinary Bio-products, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China.|B Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonosis, Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province, China.|H These authors contributed equally to this work.
Yu-Zhuo
YZ
Liu
A Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biological Engineering and Technology, Ministry of Agriculture, National Center for Engineering Research of Veterinary Bio-products, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China.|B Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonosis, Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province, China.
Kong-Wang
KW
He
C Jiangsu Animal Disease Control Center, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China.
Yao-Xing
YX
Liu
C Jiangsu Animal Disease Control Center, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China.
Chang-Hai
CH
Chen
D Department of Basic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS 39762.
Li-Ping
LP
Long
D Department of Basic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS 39762.
Yifei
Y
Xu
A Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biological Engineering and Technology, Ministry of Agriculture, National Center for Engineering Research of Veterinary Bio-products, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China.|B Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonosis, Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province, China.
Xing-Xing
XX
Xie
A Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biological Engineering and Technology, Ministry of Agriculture, National Center for Engineering Research of Veterinary Bio-products, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China.|B Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonosis, Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province, China.
Kai-Kai
KK
Han
A Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biological Engineering and Technology, Ministry of Agriculture, National Center for Engineering Research of Veterinary Bio-products, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China.|B Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonosis, Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province, China.
Xiao-Yan
XY
Liu
A Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biological Engineering and Technology, Ministry of Agriculture, National Center for Engineering Research of Veterinary Bio-products, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China.|B Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonosis, Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province, China.
Jing
J
Yang
E Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine Station of Suzhou, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China.
You-Fa
YF
Zhang
F Wuxi Animal Disease Control Center, Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, China.
Feng
F
Fan
G Department of Infectious Diseases, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place, Memphis, TN 38105.
Richard
R
Webby
D Department of Basic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS 39762.
Xiu-Feng
XF
Wan
D000818:Animals; D002645:Chickens; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D004372:Ducks; D064766:Influenza A Virus, H7N9 Subtype / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000502:physiology; D053127:Influenza A Virus, H9N2 Subtype / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology; D005585:Influenza in Birds / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D010802:Phylogeny; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*
H7N9; avian influenza virus; backyard poultry farm; domestic poultry; influenza A virus; live poultry market; wild bird