Antigenic characterization of H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses isolated from poultry in India, 2006-2015.
Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) is a major health concern worldwide. In this study, we focused on antigenic analysis of HPAI H5N1 viruses isolated from poultry in India between 2006 and 2015 comprising 25 isolates from four phylogenetic clades 2.2 (1 isolate), 2.2.2.1 (1 isolate), 2.3.2.1a (17 isolates) and 2.3.2.1c (6 isolates). Seven H5N1 isolates from all four clades were selected for production of chicken antiserum, and antigenic analysis was carried out by hemagglutination inhibition (HI) assay. HI data indicated antigenic divergence (6-21 fold reduction in cross-reactivity) between the two recently emerged clades 2.3.2.1a and 2.3.2.1c. These two clades are highly divergent (21-128 fold reduction in HI titre) from the earlier clades 2.2 /2.2.2.1 isolated in India. However, a maximum of 2-fold and 4-fold reduction in cross-reactivity was observed within the isolates of homologous clades 2.3.2.1c and 2.3.2.1a, respectively. The molecular basis of inter-clade antigenic divergence was examined in the haemagglutinin (HA) antigenic sites of the H5N1 virus. Amino acid changes at 8 HA antigenic sites were observed between clades 2.3.2.1a and 2.3.2.1c, whereas 20-23 substitutions were observed between clades 2.3.2.1a/2.3.2.1c and 2.2/2.2.2.1. Therefore, a systematic analysis of antigenic drift of the contemporary field isolates is a pre-requisite for determining the suitable strain(s) for vaccine candidature.
ICAR-National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases, Anand Nagar, Bhopal, 462 022, India.|ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, India.
Sudipta
S
Bhat
ICAR-National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases, Anand Nagar, Bhopal, 462 022, India.
Shanmugasundaram
S
Nagarajan
ICAR-National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases, Anand Nagar, Bhopal, 462 022, India.
Manoj
M
Kumar
ICAR-National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases, Anand Nagar, Bhopal, 462 022, India.
Harshad V
HV
Murugkar
ICAR-National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases, Anand Nagar, Bhopal, 462 022, India.
Semmannan
S
Kalaiyarasu
ICAR-National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases, Anand Nagar, Bhopal, 462 022, India.
Govindarajulu
G
Venkatesh
ICAR-National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases, Anand Nagar, Bhopal, 462 022, India. chakradhar.tosh@gmail.com.
Chakradhar
C
Tosh
D019943:Amino Acid Substitution; D000818:Animals; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D002645:Chickens; D004372:Ducks; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006385:Hemagglutination Inhibition Tests; D019267:Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D053124:Influenza A Virus, H5N1 Subtype / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity; D005585:Influenza in Birds / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D010802:Phylogeny; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D014422:Turkeys; D014774:Virulence
D000956:Antigens, Viral; D019267:Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus