Genome Analysis Linking Recent European and African Influenza (H5N1) Viruses

TitleGenome Analysis Linking Recent European and African Influenza (H5N1) Viruses
Publication TypeJournal Articles
Year of Publication2007
AuthorsSalzberg SL, Kingsford C, Cattoli G, Spiro DJ, Janies DA, Aly MMehrez, Brown IH, Couacy-Hymann E, De Mia GMario, Dung DHuu, Guercio A, Joannis T, Ali ASafar Make, Osmani A, Padalino I, Saad MD, Savić V, Sengamalay NA, Yingst S, Zaborsky J, Zorman-Rojs O, Ghedin E, Capua I
JournalEmerging Infectious DiseasesEmerg Infect DisEmerging Infectious DiseasesEmerg Infect Dis
Volume13
Type of Article10.3201/eid1305.070013
ISBN Number1080-6040
Abstract

Although linked, these viruses are distinct from earlier outbreak strains., To better understand the ecology and epidemiology of the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus in its transcontinental spread, we sequenced and analyzed the complete genomes of 36 recent influenza A (H5N1) viruses collected from birds in Europe, northern Africa, and southeastern Asia. These sequences, among the first complete genomes of influenza (H5N1) viruses outside Asia, clearly depict the lineages now infecting wild and domestic birds in Europe and Africa and show the relationships among these isolates and other strains affecting both birds and humans. The isolates fall into 3 distinct lineages, 1 of which contains all known non-Asian isolates. This new Euro-African lineage, which was the cause of several recent (2006) fatal human infections in Egypt and Iraq, has been introduced at least 3 times into the European-African region and has split into 3 distinct, independently evolving sublineages. One isolate provides evidence that 2 of these sublineages have recently reassorted.