Pathogenicity of Genetically Similar, H5N1 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Virus Strains in Chicken and the Differences in Sensitivity among Different Chicken Breeds

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 11; no. 4; p. e0153649
• Main Authors: Matsuu, Aya, Kobayashi, Tomoko, Patchimasiri, Tuangthong, Shiina, Takashi, Suzuki, Shingo, Chaichoune, Kridsada, Ratanakorn, Parntep, Hiromoto, Yasuaki, Abe, Haruka, Parchariyanon, Sujira, Saito, Takehiko
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 14.04.2016; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Analysis; Animal tissues; Animals; Avian flu; Avian influenza; Avian influenza virus; Avian Proteins - genetics; Biology and Life Sciences; Brain; Breeding; Chickens; Chickens - classification; Chickens - genetics; Chickens - virology; Cytokines - genetics; Epidemics; Genetic aspects; Genetic polymorphisms; Health aspects; Host Specificity; Humans; Inflammation; Influenza; Influenza A Virus, H5N1 Subtype - classification; Influenza A Virus, H5N1 Subtype - pathogenicity; Influenza in Birds - genetics; Influenza in Birds - virology; Interleukin 6; Kinases; Lethality; Lungs; Major histocompatibility complex; Medicine and health sciences; Molecular Sequence Data; Pandemics; Pathogenicity; Pathogens; People and Places; Poultry; Replication; Research and Analysis Methods; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; Sequence Analysis, DNA; Species Specificity; Spleen; Viral proteins; Virulence; Virus Replication; Virus Shedding; Viruses; Thailand; Southeast Asia; China; Japan; Africa; Bangkok Thailand
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0153649

Differences in the pathogenicity of genetically closely related H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses (HPAIVs) were evaluated in White Leghorn chickens. These viruses varied in the clinical symptoms they induced, including lethality, virus shedding, and replication in host tissues. A comparison of the host responses in the lung, brain, and spleen suggested that the differences in viral replication efficiency were related to the host cytokine response at the early phase of infection, especially variations in the proinflammatory cytokine IL-6. Based on these findings, we inoculated the virus that showed the mildest pathogenicity among the five tested, A/pigeon/Thailand/VSMU-7-NPT/2004, into four breeds of Thai indigenous chicken, Phadu-Hung-Dang (PHD), Chee, Dang, and Luang-Hung-Khao (LHK), to explore effects of genetic background on host response. Among these breeds, Chee, Dang, and LHK showed significantly longer survival times than White Leghorns. Virus shedding from dead Thai indigenous chickens was significantly lower than that from White Leghorns. Although polymorphisms were observed in the Mx and MHC class I genes, there was no significant association between the polymorphisms in these loci and resistance to HPAIV.