scholarly journals Influenza A Viruses and Zoonotic Events—Are We Creating Our Own Reservoirs?

Viruses ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 2250
Author(s):  
Susanne Kessler ◽  
Timm C. Harder ◽  
Martin Schwemmle ◽  
Kevin Ciminski
Keyword(s):  
Influenza A ◽  
Influenza Pandemic ◽  
Severe Disease ◽  
Swine Influenza ◽  
Human Infection ◽  
Influenza A Viruses ◽  
Livestock Farming ◽  
Zoonotic Infections ◽  
Pathogenic Viruses ◽  
Animal Reservoirs

Zoonotic infections of humans with influenza A viruses (IAVs) from animal reservoirs can result in severe disease in individuals and, in rare cases, lead to pandemic outbreaks; this is exemplified by numerous cases of human infection with avian IAVs (AIVs) and the 2009 swine influenza pandemic. In fact, zoonotic transmissions are strongly facilitated by manmade reservoirs that were created through the intensification and industrialization of livestock farming. This can be witnessed by the repeated introduction of IAVs from natural reservoirs of aquatic wild bird metapopulations into swine and poultry, and the accompanied emergence of partially- or fully-adapted human pathogenic viruses. On the other side, human adapted IAV have been (and still are) introduced into livestock by reverse zoonotic transmission. This link to manmade reservoirs was also observed before the 20th century, when horses seemed to have been an important reservoir for IAVs but lost relevance when the populations declined due to increasing industrialization. Therefore, to reduce zoonotic events, it is important to control the spread of IAV within these animal reservoirs, for example with efficient vaccination strategies, but also to critically surveil the different manmade reservoirs to evaluate the emergence of new IAV strains with pandemic potential.

scholarly journals Respiratory Illness in a Piggery Associated with the First Identified Outbreak of Swine Influenza in Australia: Assessing the Risk to Human Health and Zoonotic Potential

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 96 ◽  
Author(s):  
David W. Smith ◽  
Ian G. Barr ◽  
Richmond Loh ◽  
Avram Levy ◽  
Simone Tempone ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Influenza A ◽  
Haemagglutination Inhibition ◽  
Swine Influenza ◽  
Respiratory Illness ◽  
Influenza Viruses ◽  
Influenza A Viruses ◽  
Strict Adherence ◽  
Zoonotic Infections ◽  
Zoonotic Risk ◽  
Biosecurity Practices

Australia was previously believed to be free of enzootic swine influenza viruses due strict quarantine practices and use of biosecure breeding facilities. The first proven Australian outbreak of swine influenza occurred in Western Australian in 2012, revealing an unrecognized zoonotic risk, and a potential future pandemic threat. A public health investigation was undertaken to determine whether zoonotic infections had occurred and to reduce the risk of further transmission between humans and swine. A program of monitoring, testing, treatment, and vaccination was commenced, and a serosurvey of workers was also undertaken. No acute infections with the swine influenza viruses were detected. Serosurvey results were difficult to interpret due to previous influenza infections and past and current vaccinations. However, several workers had elevated haemagglutination inhibition (HI) antibody levels to the swine influenza viruses that could not be attributed to vaccination or infection with contemporaneous seasonal influenza A viruses. However, we lacked a suitable control population, so this was inconclusive. The experience was valuable in developing better protocols for managing outbreaks at the human–animal interface. Strict adherence to biosecurity practices, and ongoing monitoring of swine and their human contacts is important to mitigate pandemic risk. Strain specific serological assays would greatly assist in identifying zoonotic transmission.

scholarly journals Reassortment Events among Swine Influenza A Viruses in China: Implications for the Origin of the 2009 Influenza Pandemic

2011 ◽  
Vol 85 (19) ◽  
pp. 10279-10285 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. T.-Y. Lam ◽  
H. Zhu ◽  
J. Wang ◽  
D. K. Smith ◽  
E. C. Holmes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Influenza A ◽  
Influenza Pandemic ◽  
Swine Influenza ◽  
Influenza A Viruses ◽  
2009 Influenza Pandemic

Swine influenza vaccines: current status and future perspectives

2010 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 81-96 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wenjun Ma ◽  
Jürgen A. Richt
Keyword(s):  
Influenza A ◽  
Swine Influenza ◽  
Influenza Viruses ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Economic Losses ◽  
Influenza A Viruses ◽  
Swine Industry ◽  
Effective Strategies ◽  
Swine Disease ◽  
And Control

AbstractSwine influenza is an important contagious disease in pigs caused by influenza A viruses. Although only three subtypes of influenza A viruses, H1N1, H1N2 and H3N2, predominantly infect pigs worldwide, it is still a big challenge for vaccine manufacturers to produce efficacious vaccines for the prevention and control of swine influenza. Swine influenza viruses not only cause significant economic losses for the swine industry, but are also important zoonotic pathogens. Vaccination is still one of the most important and effective strategies to prevent and control influenza for both the animal and human population. In this review, we will discuss the current status of swine influenza worldwide as well as current and future options to control this economically important swine disease.

Avian Influenza Human Infections at the Human-Animal Interface

2020 ◽  
Vol 222 (4) ◽  
pp. 528-537 ◽  
Author(s):  
Damien A M Philippon ◽  
Peng Wu ◽  
Benjamin J Cowling ◽  
Eric H Y Lau
Keyword(s):  
Avian Influenza ◽  
Influenza A ◽  
Control Strategies ◽  
Influenza Pandemic ◽  
World Health ◽  
Emerging Pathogens ◽  
Influenza A Viruses ◽  
Dead Bird ◽  
Risk Of Death ◽  
Human Infections

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.

scholarly journals Spatiotemporal Distribution and Evolution of the A/H1N1 2009 Pandemic Influenza Virus in Pigs in France from 2009 to 2017: Identification of a Potential Swine-Specific Lineage

2018 ◽  
Vol 92 (24) ◽  
Author(s):  
Amélie Chastagner ◽  
Séverine Hervé ◽  
Emilie Bonin ◽  
Stéphane Quéguiner ◽  
Edouard Hirchaud ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Influenza Virus ◽  
Influenza A ◽  
Phylogenetic Analyses ◽  
Swine Influenza ◽  
H1n1 Influenza ◽  
Antigenic Drift ◽  
Influenza A Viruses ◽  
Evolutionary Patterns ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Na Sequences

ABSTRACT The H1N1 influenza virus responsible for the most recent pandemic in 2009 (H1N1pdm) has spread to swine populations worldwide while it replaced the previous seasonal H1N1 virus in humans. In France, surveillance of swine influenza A viruses in pig herds with respiratory outbreaks led to the detection of 44 H1N1pdm strains between 2009 and 2017, regardless of the season, and findings were not correlated with pig density. From these isolates, 17 whole-genome sequences were obtained, as were 6 additional hemagglutinin (HA)/neuraminidase (NA) sequences, in order to perform spatial and temporal analyses of genetic diversity and to compare evolutionary patterns of H1N1pdm in pigs to patterns for human strains. Following mutation accumulation and fixation over time, phylogenetic analyses revealed for the first time the divergence of a swine-specific genogroup within the H1N1pdm lineage. The divergence is thought to have occurred around 2011, although this was demonstrated only through strains isolated in 2015 to 2016 in the southern half of France. To date, these H1N1pdm swine strains have not been related to any increased virulence in swine herds and have not exhibited any antigenic drift compared to seasonal human strains. However, further monitoring is encouraged, as diverging evolutionary patterns in these two species, i.e., swine and humans, may lead to the emergence of viruses with a potentially higher risk to both animal and human health.IMPORTANCE Pigs are a “mixing vessel” for influenza A viruses (IAVs) because of their ability to be infected by avian and human IAVs and their propensity to facilitate viral genomic reassortment events. Also, as IAVs may evolve differently in swine and humans, pigs can become a reservoir for old human strains against which the human population has become immunologically naive. Thus, viruses from the novel swine-specific H1N1pdm genogroup may continue to diverge from seasonal H1N1pdm strains and/or from other H1N1pdm viruses infecting pigs and lead to the emergence of viruses that would not be covered by human vaccines and/or swine vaccines based on antigens closely related to the original H1N1pdm virus. This discovery confirms the importance of encouraging swine IAV monitoring because H1N1pdm swine viruses could carry an increased risk to both human and swine health in the future as a whole H1N1pdm virus or gene provider in subsequent reassortant viruses.

scholarly journals Genetic and Antigenic Evolution of European Swine Influenza A Viruses of HA-1C (Avian-Like) and HA-1B (Human-Like) Lineages in France from 2000 to 2018

Viruses ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 1304
Author(s):  
Amélie Chastagner ◽  
Séverine Hervé ◽  
Stéphane Quéguiner ◽  
Edouard Hirchaud ◽  
Pierrick Lucas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acid ◽  
Influenza A ◽  
Phylogenetic Analyses ◽  
Swine Influenza ◽  
Amino Acid Sequences ◽  
Antigenic Drift ◽  
Influenza A Viruses ◽  
Double Deletion ◽  
Antigenic Evolution ◽  
Amino Acid Mutations

This study evaluated the genetic and antigenic evolution of swine influenza A viruses (swIAV) of the two main enzootic H1 lineages, i.e., HA-1C (H1av) and -1B (H1hu), circulating in France between 2000 and 2018. SwIAV RNAs extracted from 1220 swine nasal swabs were hemagglutinin/neuraminidase (HA/NA) subtyped by RT-qPCRs, and 293 virus isolates were sequenced. In addition, 146 H1avNy and 105 H1huNy strains were submitted to hemagglutination inhibition tests. H1avN1 (66.5%) and H1huN2 (25.4%) subtypes were predominant. Most H1 strains belonged to HA-1C.2.1 or -1B.1.2.3 clades, but HA-1C.2, -1C.2.2, -1C.2.3, -1B.1.1, and -1B.1.2.1 clades were also detected sporadically. Within HA-1B.1.2.3 clade, a group of strains named “Δ146-147” harbored several amino acid mutations and a double deletion in HA, that led to a marked antigenic drift. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that internal segments belonged mainly to the “Eurasian avian-like lineage”, with two distinct genogroups for the M segment. In total, 17 distinct genotypes were identified within the study period. Reassortments of H1av/H1hu strains with H1N1pdm virus were rarely evidenced until 2018. Analysis of amino acid sequences predicted a variability in length of PB1-F2 and PA-X proteins and identified the appearance of several mutations in PB1, PB1-F2, PA, NP and NS1 proteins that could be linked to virulence, while markers for antiviral resistance were identified in N1 and N2. Altogether, diversity and evolution of swIAV recall the importance of disrupting the spreading of swIAV within and between pig herds, as well as IAV inter-species transmissions.

scholarly journals Virus persistence in pig herds led to successive reassortment events between swine and human influenza A viruses, resulting in the emergence of a novel triple-reassortant swine influenza virus

2019 ◽  
Vol 50 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Amélie Chastagner ◽  
Emilie Bonin ◽  
Christelle Fablet ◽  
Stéphane Quéguiner ◽  
Edouard Hirchaud ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Influenza A ◽  
Swine Influenza Virus ◽  
Swine Influenza ◽  
Infection Risk ◽  
Pandemic H1n1 ◽  
Human Influenza ◽  
Influenza A Viruses ◽  
Virus Persistence ◽  
Zoonotic Viruses ◽  
Swine Influenza A Virus

Abstract This report describes the detection of a triple reassortant swine influenza A virus of H1avN2 subtype. It evolved from an avian-like swine H1avN1 that first acquired the N2 segment from a seasonal H3N2, then the M segment from a 2009 pandemic H1N1, in two reassortments estimated to have occurred 10 years apart. This study illustrates how recurrent influenza infections increase the co-infection risk and facilitate evolutionary jumps by successive gene exchanges. It recalls the importance of appropriate biosecurity measures inside holdings to limit virus persistence and interspecies transmissions, which both contribute to the emergence of new potentially zoonotic viruses.

scholarly journals Detection of Antigenic Variants of Subtype H3 Swine Influenza A Viruses from Clinical Samples

2017 ◽  
Vol 55 (4) ◽  
pp. 1037-1045 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brigitte E. Martin ◽  
Andrew S. Bowman ◽  
Lei Li ◽  
Jacqueline M. Nolting ◽  
David R. Smith ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Influenza A ◽  
Large Population ◽  
Swine Influenza ◽  
Influenza Viruses ◽  
Proximity Ligation Assay ◽  
Clinical Samples ◽  
Influenza Surveillance ◽  
Influenza A Viruses ◽  
Virus Propagation ◽  
Vaccination Programs

ABSTRACT A large population of genetically and antigenically diverse influenza A viruses (IAVs) are circulating among the swine population, playing an important role in influenza ecology. Swine IAVs not only cause outbreaks among swine but also can be transmitted to humans, causing sporadic infections and even pandemic outbreaks. Antigenic characterizations of swine IAVs are key to understanding the natural history of these viruses in swine and to selecting strains for effective vaccines. However, influenza outbreaks generally spread rapidly among swine, and the conventional methods for antigenic characterization require virus propagation, a time-consuming process that can significantly reduce the effectiveness of vaccination programs. We developed and validated a rapid, sensitive, and robust method, the polyclonal serum-based proximity ligation assay (polyPLA), to identify antigenic variants of subtype H3N2 swine IAVs. This method utilizes oligonucleotide-conjugated polyclonal antibodies and quantifies antibody-antigen binding affinities by quantitative reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR). Results showed the assay can rapidly detect H3N2 IAVs directly from nasal wash or nasal swab samples collected from laboratory-challenged animals or during influenza surveillance at county fairs. In addition, polyPLA can accurately separate the viruses at two contemporary swine IAV antigenic clusters (H3N2 swine IAV-α and H3N2 swine IAV-ß) with a sensitivity of 84.9% and a specificity of 100.0%. The polyPLA can be routinely used in surveillance programs to detect antigenic variants of influenza viruses and to select vaccine strains for use in controlling and preventing disease in swine.

scholarly journals Divergent Human-Origin Influenza Viruses Detected in Australian Swine Populations

2018 ◽  
Vol 92 (16) ◽  
Author(s):  
Frank Y. K. Wong ◽  
Celeste Donato ◽  
Yi-Mo Deng ◽  
Don Teng ◽  
Naomi Komadina ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Influenza Virus ◽  
Influenza A ◽  
Swine Influenza ◽  
Influenza Viruses ◽  
Antigenic Drift ◽  
Human Origin ◽  
Human Influenza ◽  
Influenza A Viruses ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Antigenic Properties

ABSTRACTGlobal swine populations infected with influenza A viruses pose a persistent pandemic risk. With the exception of a few countries, our understanding of the genetic diversity of swine influenza viruses is limited, hampering control measures and pandemic risk assessment. Here we report the genomic characteristics and evolutionary history of influenza A viruses isolated in Australia from 2012 to 2016 from two geographically isolated swine populations in the states of Queensland and Western Australia. Phylogenetic analysis with an expansive human and swine influenza virus data set comprising >40,000 sequences sampled globally revealed evidence of the pervasive introduction and long-term establishment of gene segments derived from several human influenza viruses of past seasons, including the H1N1/1977, H1N1/1995, H3N2/1968, and H3N2/2003, and the H1N1 2009 pandemic (H1N1pdm09) influenza A viruses, and a genotype that contained gene segments derived from the past three pandemics (1968, reemerged 1977, and 2009). Of the six human-derived gene lineages, only one, comprising two viruses isolated in Queensland during 2012, was closely related to swine viruses detected from other regions, indicating a previously undetected circulation of Australian swine lineages for approximately 3 to 44 years. Although the date of introduction of these lineages into Australian swine populations could not be accurately ascertained, we found evidence of sustained transmission of two lineages in swine from 2012 to 2016. The continued detection of human-origin influenza virus lineages in swine over several decades with little or unpredictable antigenic drift indicates that isolated swine populations can act as antigenic archives of human influenza viruses, raising the risk of reemergence in humans when sufficient susceptible populations arise.IMPORTANCEWe describe the evolutionary origins and antigenic properties of influenza A viruses isolated from two separate Australian swine populations from 2012 to 2016, showing that these viruses are distinct from each other and from those isolated from swine globally. Whole-genome sequencing of virus isolates revealed a high genotypic diversity that had been generated exclusively through the introduction and establishment of human influenza viruses that circulated in past seasons. We detected six reassortants with gene segments derived from human H1N1/H1N1pdm09 and various human H3N2 viruses that circulated during various periods since 1968. We also found that these swine viruses were not related to swine viruses collected elsewhere, indicating independent circulation. The detection of unique lineages and genotypes in Australia suggests that isolated swine populations that are sufficiently large can sustain influenza virus for extensive periods; we show direct evidence of a sustained transmission for at least 4 years between 2012 and 2016.

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