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Rapid evolution of A(H5N1) influenza viruses after intercontinental spread to North America

Medicine and Health

Rapid evolution of A(H5N1) influenza viruses after intercontinental spread to North America

A. Kandeil, C. Patton, et al.

Discover the alarming expansion of highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) viruses in 2021, as detected in North America. This groundbreaking research by Ahmed Kandeil and colleagues reveals the complexities of reassortment and the severe impact of these viruses on mammals, highlighting the urgent need for strategies to combat their evolution and potential pandemic risk.

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~3 min • Beginner • English
Abstract
Highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) viruses of clade 2.3.4.4b underwent an explosive geographic expansion in 2021 among wild birds and domestic poultry across Asia, Europe, and Africa. By the end of 2021, 2.3.4.4b viruses were detected in North America, signifying further intercontinental spread. Here we show that the western movement of clade 2.3.4.4b was quickly followed by reassortment with viruses circulating in wild birds in North America, resulting in the emergence of distinct combinations of ribonucleoprotein gene segments. These reassortant A(H5N1) viruses are genotypically and phenotypically diverse, with many causing severe disease with dramatic pathological involvement in mammals. The proclivity of the current A(H5N1) 2.3.4.4b virus lineage to reassort and target the central nervous system warrants concerted planning to combat the spread and evolution of the virus within the continent and to mitigate the impact of a potential influenza pandemic that could originate from similar A(H5N1) reassortants.
Publisher
Nature Communications
Published On
May 29, 2023
Authors
Ahmed Kandeil, Christopher Patton, Jeremy C. Jones, Trushar Jeevan, Walter N. Harrington, Sanja Trifković, Jon P. Seiler, Thomas Fabrizio, Karlie Woodard, Jasmine C. Turner, Jeri-Carol Crumpton, Lance Miller, Adam Rubrum, Jennifer DeBeauchamp, Charles J. Russell, Elena A. Govorkova, Peter Vogel, Mia Kim-Torchetti, Yohannes Berhane, David Stalknecht, Rebecca Poulson, Lisa Kercher, Richard J. Webby
Tags
avian influenza
H5N1
reassortment
geographic expansion
neurotropism
pandemic risk
mammalian disease
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