scholarly journals Peering Into Avian Influenza A(H5N8) for a Framework towards Pandemic Preparedness

Author(s):  
Joshua Yi Yeo ◽  
Samuel Ken-En Gan

2014 marked the first emergence of avian influenza A(H5N8) in Jeonbuk Province, South Korea, which then quickly spread worldwide. In the midst of the 2020-21 H5N8 outbreak, it spread to domestic poultry and wild waterfowl shorebirds, leading to the first human infection in Astrakhan Oblast, Russia. Despite being clinically asymptomatic and without direct human-to-human transmission, the World Health Organisation stressed the need for continued risk assessment given the nature of Influenza to reassort and generate novel strains. Given its promiscuity and spread to humans, the urgency to understand the mechanisms of possible species jumping to avert disastrous pandemics is increasing. Addressing the epidemiology of H5N8 and its mechanisms of species jumping and its implications, mutational and reassortment libraries can potentially be built, allowing them to be tested on various models complemented with deep-sequencing and automation. With the knowledge on mutational patterns, cellular pathways, drug resistance mechanisms and effects of host proteins can allow better preparedness against H5N8 and other influenza A viruses.

Viruses ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 2276
Author(s):  
Joshua Yi Yeo ◽  
Samuel Ken-En Gan

2014 marked the first emergence of avian influenza A(H5N8) in Jeonbuk Province, South Korea, which then quickly spread worldwide. In the midst of the 2020–2021 H5N8 outbreak, it spread to domestic poultry and wild waterfowl shorebirds, leading to the first human infection in Astrakhan Oblast, Russia. Despite being clinically asymptomatic and without direct human-to-human transmission, the World Health Organization stressed the need for continued risk assessment given the nature of Influenza to reassort and generate novel strains. Given its promiscuity and easy cross to humans, the urgency to understand the mechanisms of possible species jumping to avert disastrous pandemics is increasing. Addressing the epidemiology of H5N8, its mechanisms of species jumping and its implications, mutational and reassortment libraries can potentially be built, allowing them to be tested on various models complemented with deep-sequencing and automation. With knowledge on mutational patterns, cellular pathways, drug resistance mechanisms and effects of host proteins, we can be better prepared against H5N8 and other influenza A viruses.


2020 ◽  
Vol 222 (4) ◽  
pp. 528-537 ◽  
Author(s):  
Damien A M Philippon ◽  
Peng Wu ◽  
Benjamin J Cowling ◽  
Eric H Y Lau

Abstract Background Avian influenza A viruses (AIVs) are among the most concerning emerging and re-emerging pathogens because of the potential risk for causing an influenza pandemic with catastrophic impact. The recent increase in domestic animals and poultry worldwide was followed by an increase of human AIV outbreaks reported. Methods We reviewed the epidemiology of human infections with AIV from the literature including reports from the World Health Organization, extracting information on virus subtype, time, location, age, sex, outcome, and exposure. Results We described the characteristics of more than 2500 laboratory-confirmed human infections with AIVs. Human infections with H5N1 and H7N9 were more frequently reported than other subtypes. Risk of death was highest among reported cases infected with H5N1, H5N6, H7N9, and H10N8 infections. Older people and males tended to have a lower risk of infection with most AIV subtypes, except for H7N9. Visiting live poultry markets was mostly reported by H7N9, H5N6, and H10N8 cases, while exposure to sick or dead bird was mostly reported by H5N1, H7N2, H7N3, H7N4, H7N7, and H10N7 cases. Conclusions Understanding the profile of human cases of different AIV subtypes would guide control strategies. Continued monitoring of human infections with AIVs is essential for pandemic preparedness.


2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven Van Borm ◽  
Toon Rosseel ◽  
Sylvie Marché ◽  
Mieke Steensels ◽  
Didier Vangeluwe ◽  
...  

The complete coding sequences of four avian influenza A viruses (two H7N7, one H7N1, and one H9N2) circulating in wild waterfowl in Belgium from 2009 to 2012 were determined using Illumina sequencing. All viral genome segments represent viruses circulating in the Eurasian wild bird population.


2014 ◽  
Vol 19 (18) ◽  
Author(s):  
G S Freidl ◽  
A Meijer ◽  
E de Bruin ◽  
M de Nardi ◽  
O Munoz ◽  
...  

Factors that trigger human infection with animal influenza virus progressing into a pandemic are poorly understood. Within a project developing an evidence-based risk assessment framework for influenza viruses in animals, we conducted a review of the literature for evidence of human infection with animal influenza viruses by diagnostic methods used. The review covering Medline, Embase, SciSearch and CabAbstracts yielded 6,955 articles, of which we retained 89; for influenza A(H5N1) and A(H7N9), the official case counts of the World Health Organization were used. An additional 30 studies were included by scanning the reference lists. Here, we present the findings for confirmed infections with virological evidence. We found reports of 1,419 naturally infected human cases, of which 648 were associated with avian influenza virus (AIV) A(H5N1), 375 with other AIV subtypes, and 396 with swine influenza virus (SIV). Human cases naturally infected with AIV spanned haemagglutinin subtypes H5, H6, H7, H9 and H10. SIV cases were associated with endemic SIV of H1 and H3 subtype descending from North American and Eurasian SIV lineages and various reassortants thereof. Direct exposure to birds or swine was the most likely source of infection for the cases with available information on exposure.


Author(s):  
Mohamed Derouich

Throughout the world, seasonal outbreaks of influenza affect millions of people, killing about 500,000 individuals every year. Human influenza viruses are classified into 3 serotypes: A, B, and C. Only influenza A viruses can infect and multiply in avian species. During the last decades, important avian influenza epidemics have occurred and so far, the epidemics among birds have been transmitted to humans; but the most feared problem is the risk of pandemics that may be caused by person-to person transmission. The present mathematical model deals with the dynamics of human infection by avian influenza both in birds and in humans. Stability analysis is carried out and the behaviour of the disease is illustrated by simulation with different parameters values.


2020 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 8-14
Author(s):  
Vladimir Savić

Over the past and the current centuries, human influenza pandemics have been attributable to viruses with an avian ancestry. Birds are the main source of influenza A viruses and harbour a variety of antigenic subtypes. Certain avian influenza viruses are capable for cross-species transmission including human infections. Although sustained intrehuman transmission of such viruses has not been documented so far, each human infection with avian influenza viruses provides chances for the virus adaptation towards efficient transmission within human population. Here are reviewed currently circulating avian influenza viruses that are of major significance for public health.


2001 ◽  
Vol 1219 ◽  
pp. 179-185 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y.P Lin ◽  
W Lim ◽  
V Gregory ◽  
K Cameron ◽  
M Bennett ◽  
...  

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Guo-Lin Wang ◽  
Gregory C Gray ◽  
Ji-Ming Chen ◽  
Mai-Juan Ma

Abstract Since the first outbreak of avian influenza A(H7N9) virus in China in early 2013, several interventions to control the transmission of H7N9 virus from poultry to humans have been implemented. Temporarily closing live poultry markets reduced the risk of human infection to an extent, but it did not prevent the spread of the H7N9 virus among poultry, and this spread eventually led to more human cases. Nevertheless, the mass vaccination of poultry after September 2017 has been highly effective in preventing the H7N9 virus infection in both poultry and humans. In light of the emergence of highly pathogenic H7N9 and H7N2 viruses in unimmunized ducks, vaccination among poultry, especially for ducks, should be accompanied with continued surveillance of H7N9 variants and other avian influenza A viruses that could signal a heightened pandemic risk.


2021 ◽  
pp. 104063872199481
Author(s):  
Yixin Xiao ◽  
Fan Yang ◽  
Fumin Liu ◽  
Hangping Yao ◽  
Nanping Wu ◽  
...  

The H2 subtypes of avian influenza A viruses (avian IAVs) have been circulating in poultry, and they have the potential to infect humans. Therefore, establishing a method to quickly detect this subtype is pivotal. We developed a TaqMan minor groove binder real-time RT-PCR assay that involved probes and primers based on conserved sequences of the matrix and hemagglutinin genes. The detection limit of this assay was as low as one 50% egg infectious dose (EID50)/mL per reaction. This assay is specific, sensitive, and rapid for detecting avian IAV H2 subtypes.


2016 ◽  
Vol 72 (2) ◽  
pp. 207-213 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kelvin K.W. To ◽  
Ivan F.N. Hung ◽  
Yin-Ming Lui ◽  
Florence K.Y. Mok ◽  
Andy S.F. Chan ◽  
...  

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