Pathogenicity and transmissibility of bovine H5N1 influenza virus

• Published in: Nature (London) Vol. 633; no. 8029; pp. 426 - 432
• Main Authors: Eisfeld, Amie J., Biswas, Asim, Guan, Lizheng, Gu, Chunyang, Maemura, Tadashi, Trifkovic, Sanja, Wang, Tong, Babujee, Lavanya, Dahn, Randall, Halfmann, Peter J., Barnhardt, Tera, Neumann, Gabriele, Suzuki, Yasuo, Thompson, Alexis, Swinford, Amy K., Dimitrov, Kiril M., Poulsen, Keith, Kawaoka, Yoshihiro
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 12.09.2024; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 13/1; 13/106; 631/326/596/1578; 631/326/596/2555; 631/326/596/2563; 64/60; Animal euthanasia; Animal lactation; Animals; Avian flu; Cattle; Cattle Diseases - epidemiology; Cattle Diseases - transmission; Cattle Diseases - virology; Cow's milk; Dairy cattle; Disease transmission; Epidemics; Farms; Female; Females; Ferrets - virology; Health risk assessment; Health risks; Humanities and Social Sciences; Humans; Infections; Influenza; Influenza A Virus, H5N1 Subtype - immunology; Influenza A Virus, H5N1 Subtype - isolation & purification; Influenza A Virus, H5N1 Subtype - pathogenicity; Influenza A Virus, H5N1 Subtype - physiology; Influenza, Human - epidemiology; Influenza, Human - transmission; Influenza, Human - virology; Laryngeal Masks - virology; Mammals; Mammary gland; Mammary glands; Mammary Glands, Animal - virology; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Milk; Milk - virology; multidisciplinary; Mustela; Orthomyxoviridae Infections - epidemiology; Orthomyxoviridae Infections - immunology; Orthomyxoviridae Infections - transmission; Orthomyxoviridae Infections - veterinary; Orthomyxoviridae Infections - virology; Pathogenicity; Pathogens; Public health; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Seroconversion; Sialic acids; Sialic Acids - metabolism; Tropism; United States - epidemiology; Viral Tropism; Viral Zoonoses; Virulence; Viruses; United States; New Mexico; United States > US; Spain
• ISSN: 0028-0836; 1476-4687; 1476-4687
• DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07766-6

Highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza (HPAI H5N1) viruses occasionally infect, but typically do not transmit, in mammals. In the spring of 2024, an unprecedented outbreak of HPAI H5N1 in bovine herds occurred in the USA, with virus spread within and between herds, infections in poultry and cats, and spillover into humans, collectively indicating an increased public health risk 1 , 2 , 3 – 4 . Here we characterize an HPAI H5N1 virus isolated from infected cow milk in mice and ferrets. Like other HPAI H5N1 viruses, the bovine H5N1 virus spread systemically, including to the mammary glands of both species, however, this tropism was also observed for an older HPAI H5N1 virus isolate. Bovine HPAI H5N1 virus bound to sialic acids expressed in human upper airways and inefficiently transmitted to exposed ferrets (one of four exposed ferrets seroconverted without virus detection). Bovine HPAI H5N1 virus thus possesses features that may facilitate infection and transmission in mammals. HPAI H5N1 virus isolated from infected cow milk is characterized in mice and ferrets, was inefficiently transmitted in ferrets, and bound to sialic acids expressed in human upper airways, showing features that may facilitate infection in mammals.