Characterization of H9N2 Avian Influenza Viruses Isolated from Poultry Products in a Mouse Model

• Published in: Viruses Vol. 14; no. 4; p. 728
• Main Authors: Murakami, Jurika, Shibata, Akihiro, Neumann, Gabriele, Imai, Masaki, Watanabe, Tokiko, Kawaoka, Yoshihiro
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 30.03.2022; MDPI
• Subjects: Amino acids; Animals; Antibiotics; Avian flu; avian influenza viruses; Body weight; Body weight loss; Chickens; China; Disease Models, Animal; Eggs; Experiments; Fibroblasts; Genes; H9N2; H9N2; avian influenza viruses; pathogenicity and replicative ability in mammals; Infections; Influenza A Virus, H5N1 Subtype; Influenza A Virus, H7N9 Subtype; Influenza A Virus, H9N2 Subtype; Influenza A Virus, H9N2 Subtype - genetics; Influenza in Birds; Mammals; Meat; Meat products; Mice; Microbiology; Orthomyxoviridae; pathogenicity and replicative ability in mammals; Phylogeny; Poultry; Poultry Diseases; Poultry Products; QR1-502; Respiratory tract diseases; Viruses; China; Hong Kong China; Vietnam; United States > US; Japan; H9N2; pathogenicity and replicative ability in mammals; avian influenza viruses
• DOI: 10.3390/v14040728
• ISSN: 1999-4915

Low pathogenic H9N2 avian influenza viruses have spread in wild birds and poultry worldwide. Recently, the number of human cases of H9N2 virus infection has increased in China and other countries, heightening pandemic concerns. In Japan, H9N2 viruses are not yet enzootic; however, avian influenza viruses, including H5N1, H7N9, H5N6, and H9N2, have been repeatedly detected in raw poultry meat carried by international flight passengers from Asian countries to Japan. Although H9N2 virus-contaminated poultry products intercepted by the animal quarantine service at the Japan border have been characterized in chickens and ducks, the biological properties of those H9N2 viruses in mammals remain unclear. Here, we characterized the biological features of two H9N2 virus isolates [A/chicken/Japan/AQ-HE28-50/2016 (Ck/HE28-50) and A/chicken/Japan/AQ-HE28-57/2016 (Ck/HE28-57)] in a mouse model. We found that these H9N2 viruses replicate well in the respiratory tract of infected mice without adaptation, and that Ck/HE28-57 caused body weight loss in the infected mice. Our results indicate that H9N2 avian influenza viruses isolated from raw chicken meat products illegally brought to Japan can potentially infect and cause disease in mammals.