TY - JOUR
T1 - Diverse infectivity, transmissibility, and pathobiology of clade 2.3.4.4 H5Nx highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses in chickens
AU - Kwon, Jung Hoon
AU - Bertran, Kateri
AU - Lee, Dong Hun
AU - Criado, Miria Ferreira
AU - Killmaster, Lindsay
AU - Pantin-Jackwood, Mary J.
AU - Swayne, David E.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
©, This work was authored as part of the Contributor's official duties as an Employee of the United States Government and is therefore a work of the United States Government. In accordance with 17 U.S.C. 105, no copyright protection is available for such works under U.S. Law.
PY - 2023
Y1 - 2023
N2 - Clade 2.3.4.4 Eurasian lineage H5Nx highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) has become the globally dominant clade and caused global outbreaks since 2014. The clade 2.3.4.4 viruses have evolved into eight hemagglutinin subgroups (2.3.4.4a-h). In this study, we evaluated the infectivity, pathobiology, and transmissibility of seven clade 2.3.4.4 viruses (two 2.3.4.4a, two 2.3.4.4b, one 2.3.4.4c and two 2.3.4.4e) in chickens. The two clade 2.3.4.4e viruses caused 100% mortality and transmissibility in chickens. However, clade 2.3.4.4a and c viruses showed 80–90% mortality and 67% transmissibility. Clade 2.3.4.4b viruses showed 100% mortality, but no transmission to co-housed chickens was observed based on lack of seroconversion. All the infected chickens died showing systemic infection, irrespective of subgroup. The results highlight that all the clade 2.3.4.4 HPAIVs used in this study caused high mortality in infected chickens, but the transmissibility of the viruses in chickens was variable in contrast to that of previous Eurasian-lineage H5N1 HPAIVs. Changes in the pathogenicity and transmissibility of clade 2.3.4.4 HPAIVs warrant careful monitoring of the viruses to establish effective control strategies.
AB - Clade 2.3.4.4 Eurasian lineage H5Nx highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) has become the globally dominant clade and caused global outbreaks since 2014. The clade 2.3.4.4 viruses have evolved into eight hemagglutinin subgroups (2.3.4.4a-h). In this study, we evaluated the infectivity, pathobiology, and transmissibility of seven clade 2.3.4.4 viruses (two 2.3.4.4a, two 2.3.4.4b, one 2.3.4.4c and two 2.3.4.4e) in chickens. The two clade 2.3.4.4e viruses caused 100% mortality and transmissibility in chickens. However, clade 2.3.4.4a and c viruses showed 80–90% mortality and 67% transmissibility. Clade 2.3.4.4b viruses showed 100% mortality, but no transmission to co-housed chickens was observed based on lack of seroconversion. All the infected chickens died showing systemic infection, irrespective of subgroup. The results highlight that all the clade 2.3.4.4 HPAIVs used in this study caused high mortality in infected chickens, but the transmissibility of the viruses in chickens was variable in contrast to that of previous Eurasian-lineage H5N1 HPAIVs. Changes in the pathogenicity and transmissibility of clade 2.3.4.4 HPAIVs warrant careful monitoring of the viruses to establish effective control strategies.
KW - Avian influenza virus
KW - chicken
KW - clade 2.3.4.4
KW - highly pathogenic avian influenza virus
KW - infectivity
KW - pathogenicity
KW - transmissibility
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85163199849&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/22221751.2023.2218945
DO - 10.1080/22221751.2023.2218945
M3 - Article
C2 - 37309051
AN - SCOPUS:85163199849
SN - 2222-1751
VL - 12
JO - Emerging Microbes and Infections
JF - Emerging Microbes and Infections
IS - 1
M1 - 2218945
ER -
