title: New H6 influenza virus reassortment strains isolated from Anser fabalis in Anhui Province, China.
abstract: H6 subtype avian influenza viruses are globally distributed and, in recent years, have been isolated with increasing frequency from both domestic and wild bird species as well as infected humans. Many reports have examined the viruses in the context of poultry or several wild bird species, but there is less information regarding their presence in migratory birds.
  
  
  
  Hemagglutination and hemagglutination inhibition tests were used to measure HA activity for different HA subtypes. Whole viral genomes were sequenced and analysed using DNAstar and MEGA 6 to understand their genetic evolution. Pathogenicity was evaluated using a mouse infection model.
  
  
  
  We isolated 13 strains of H6 virus from faecal samples of migratory waterfowl in Anhui Province of China in 2014. Phylogenetic analysis showed gene reassortment between Eurasian and North American lineages. Five of the identified H6 strains had the ability to infect mice without adaptation.
  
  
  
  Our findings suggest that regular surveillance of wild birds, especially migratory birds, is important for providing early warning and control of avian influenza outbreaks.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biotechnology, Harbin Veterinary Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin, China.|College of Wildlife Resources, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China.
authors.forename: Ye
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ge
authors.affiliation: College of Wildlife Resources, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China.
authors.forename: Hongliang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chai
authors.affiliation: School of Life Sciences, Anqing Normal University, Anqing, Anhui Province, China.
authors.forename: Zhiqiang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.affiliation: Natural Protection & Management Station of Forestry Department Centre of Anhui Province, Hefei, Anhui Province, China.
authors.forename: Xianfu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biotechnology, Harbin Veterinary Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin, China.
authors.forename: Qiucheng
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biotechnology, Harbin Veterinary Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin, China.
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biotechnology, Harbin Veterinary Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin, China.
authors.forename: Si
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: College of Wildlife Resources, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China.
authors.forename: Yuping
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hua
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biotechnology, Harbin Veterinary Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin, China. dgh1971@163.com.
authors.forename: Guohua
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biotechnology, Harbin Veterinary Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin, China. chenhualan@caas.cn.
authors.forename: Hualan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D046090:Anseriformes / Q000821:virology*; D002681:China; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005243:Feces / Q000821:virology; D016679:Genome, Viral; D006385:Hemagglutination Inhibition Tests; D006386:Hemagglutination Tests; D009980:Influenza A virus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009976:Orthomyxoviridae Infections / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D010802:Phylogeny; D016865:Reassortant Viruses / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
keywords: Anser fabalis; Avian influenza virus; H6 subtype