Low Virulence and Lack of Airborne Transmission of the Dutch Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Virus H5N8 in Ferrets

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 10; no. 6; p. e0129827
• Main Authors: Richard, Mathilde, Herfst, Sander, van den Brand, Judith M. A., Lexmond, Pascal, Bestebroer, Theo M., Rimmelzwaan, Guus F., Koopmans, Marion, Kuiken, Thijs, Fouchier, Ron A. M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 19.06.2015; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Amino Acid Substitution; Amino acids; Animals; Avian flu; Avian influenza; Avian influenza viruses; Chickens; Dogs; Europe; Far East; Ferrets - virology; Genes, Viral; Health risks; Influenza; Influenza A virus - classification; Influenza A virus - genetics; Influenza A virus - pathogenicity; Influenza in Birds; Lectins; Madin Darby Canine Kidney Cells; Mutation; Orthomyxoviridae; Orthomyxoviridae Infections - pathology; Orthomyxoviridae Infections - transmission; Orthomyxoviridae Infections - virology; Pandemics; Poultry; Public health; Risk assessment; Vaccines; Viral Load; Virulence; Virulence (Microbiology); Virulence - genetics; Viruses; Far East; Europe; South Korea; Netherlands; China; Japan; North America; Indonesia
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0129827

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N8 viruses that emerged in poultry in East Asia spread to Europe and North America by late 2014. Here we show that the European HPAI H5N8 viruses differ from the Korean and Japanese HPAI H5N8 viruses by several amino acids and that a Dutch HPAI H5N8 virus had low virulence and was not transmitted via the airborne route in ferrets. The virus did not cross-react with sera raised against pre-pandemic H5 vaccine strains. This data is useful for public health risk assessments.