Tropism of avian influenza A (H5N1) in the upper and lower respiratory tract

• Published in: Nature medicine Vol. 13; no. 2; pp. 147 - 149
• Main Authors: Nicholls, J M, Peiris, J S M, Chan, M C W, Chan, W Y, Wong, H K, Cheung, C Y, Kwong, D L W, Wong, M P, Chui, W H, Poon, L L M, Tsao, S W, Guan, Y
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Nature Publishing Group 01.02.2007
• Subjects: Avian flu; Cells, Cultured; Disease transmission; Epithelium - virology; Histocytochemistry; Hong Kong; Humans; Infections; Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype - metabolism; Influenza A Virus, H3N2 Subtype - metabolism; Influenza A Virus, H5N1 Subtype - metabolism; Influenza, Human - metabolism; Influenza, Human - transmission; Phytohemagglutinins - metabolism; Receptors, Cell Surface - metabolism; Respiratory diseases; Respiratory System - virology; Respiratory tract; Virology; Virus Attachment; Virus Replication - physiology; Hong Kong

Poor human-to-human transmission of influenza A H5N1 virus has been attributed to the paucity of putative sialic acid α2-3 virus receptors in the epithelium of the human upper respiratory tract, and thus to the presumed inability of the virus to replicate efficiently at this site. We now demonstrate...