Antiviral Susceptibilities of Avian Influenza A(H5), A(H7), and A(H9) Viruses Isolated in Japan

• Published in: Japanese Journal of Infectious Diseases Vol. 75; no. 4; pp. 398 - 402
• Main Authors: Takashita, Emi, Morita, Hiroko, Nagata, Shiho, Shirakura, Masayuki, Fujisaki, Seiichiro, Miura, Hideka, Takayama, Ikuyo, Arita, Tomoko, Suzuki, Yasushi, Yamaoka, Masaoki, Tanikawa, Taichiro, Tsunekuni, Ryota, Mine, Junki, Sakuma, Saki, Uchida, Yuko, Shibata, Akihiro, Iwanaka, Mari, Kishida, Noriko, Nakamura, Kazuya, Kageyama, Tsutomu, Watanabe, Shinji, Hasegawa, Hideki, The Influenza Virus Surveillance Group of Japan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Japan National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Japanese Journal of Infectious Diseases Editorial Committee 31.07.2022; Japan Science and Technology Agency
• Subjects: Amino acids; Antiviral agents; antiviral susceptibility; Avian flu; avian influenza; DNA-directed RNA polymerase; Exo-a-sialidase; Influenza; Influenza A; Inhibitors; neuraminidase inhibitor; Oseltamivir; Pandemics; Public health; RNA polymerase; RNA polymerase inhibitor; Viral infections; Viruses; Zanamivir; Japan; Avian influenza; neuraminidase inhibitor; antiviral susceptibility; RNA polymerase inhibitor
• ISSN: 1344-6304; 1884-2836; 1884-2836
• DOI: 10.7883/yoken.JJID.2021.751

The circulation of avian influenza A viruses in poultry is a public health concern due to the potential transmissibility and severity of these viral infections. Monitoring the susceptibility of these viruses to antivirals is important for developing measures to strengthen the level of preparedness against influenza pandemics. However, drug susceptibility information on these viruses is limited. Here, we determined the susceptibilities of avian influenza A(H5N1), A(H5N2), A(H5N8), A(H7N7), A(H7N9), A(H9N1), and A(H9N2) viruses isolated in Japan to the antivirals approved for use there: an M2 inhibitor (amantadine), neuraminidase inhibitors (oseltamivir, peramivir, zanamivir, and laninamivir) and RNA polymerase inhibitors (baloxavir and favipiravir). Genotypic methods that detect amino acid substitutions associated with antiviral resistance and phenotypic methods that assess phenotypic viral susceptibility to drugs have revealed that these avian influenza A viruses are susceptible to neuraminidase and RNA polymerase inhibitors. These results suggest that neuraminidase and RNA polymerase inhibitors currently approved in Japan could be a treatment option against influenza A virus infections in humans.