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Literature detail

A novel European H5N8 influenza A virus has increased virulence in ducks but low zoonotic potential.

Christian Grund1 Donata Hoffmann2 Reiner Ulrich3 Mahmoud Naguib1 Jan Schinköthe3 Bernd Hoffmann1 Timm Harder1 Sandra Saenger4 Katja Zscheppang5 Mario Tönnies6 Stefan Hippenstiel5 Andreas Hocke5 Thorsten Wolff4 Martin Beer7
Affiliations 7 institutions
  1. Institute of Diagnostic Virology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany.
  2. Institute of Diagnostic Virology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany. [email protected].
  3. Department of Experimental Animal Facilities and Biorisk Management, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany.
  4. Unit 17 Influenza and other Respiratory Viruses, Robert Koch Institut, Berlin, Germany.
  5. Department of Internal Medicine/Infectious Diseases and Respiratory Medicine, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt - Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany.
  6. HELIOS Clinic Emil von Behring, Department of Thoracic Surgery, Chest Hospital Heckeshorn, Berlin, Germany.
  7. Institute of Diagnostic Virology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany. [email protected].
PMID 30026505 2018 Emerg Microbes Infect eng epublish
PubMed DOI Browse context

Article

Publication summary

We investigated in a unique setup of animal models and a human lung explant culture biological properties, including zoonotic potential, of a representative 2016 highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) H5N8, clade 2.3.4.4 group B (H5N8B), that spread rapidly in a huge and ongoing outbreak series in Europe and caused high mortality in waterfowl and domestic birds. HPAIV H5N8B showed increased virulence with rapid onset of severe disease and mortality in Pekin ducks due to pronounced neuro- and hepatotropism. Cross-species infection was evaluated in mice, ferrets, and in a human lung explant culture model. While the H5N8B isolate was highly virulent for Balb/c mice, virulence and transmissibility were grossly reduced in ferrets, which was mirrored by marginal replication in human lung cultures infected ex vivo. Our data indicate that the 2016 HPAIV H5N8B is avian-adapted with augmented virulence for waterfowl, but has low zoonotic potential. The here tested combination of animal studies with the inoculation of human explants provides a promising future workflow to evaluate zoonotic potential, mammalian replication competence and avian virulence of HPAIV.

Animals Disease Outbreaks Ducks Ferrets Humans Influenza A Virus, H5N8 Subtype Influenza in Birds Influenza, Human Lung Mice, Inbred BALB C Poultry Diseases Virulence Virus Replication Zoonoses

Structured evidence records

Evidence records

7 total
Host Range Experiment 4 records
Host Range Experiment Extraction confidence 1.00
Key finding

The H5N8B influenza virus caused severe disease and mortality in Pekin ducks, demonstrating high virulence and avian adaptation.

Location
Not specified
Supporting text

HPAIV H5N8B showed increased virulence with rapid onset of severe disease and mortality in Pekin ducks due to pronounced neuro- and hepatotropism.

Method
experimental infection
Experimental system
in vivo animal experiment
Host Range Experiment Extraction confidence 1.00
Key finding

The H5N8B virus was highly virulent in Balb/c mice, showed reduced virulence and transmissibility in ferrets, and replicated only marginally in human lung explant cultures.

Location
Not specified
Supporting text

Cross-species infection was evaluated in mice, ferrets, and in a human lung explant culture model. While the H5N8B isolate was highly virulent for Balb/c mice, virulence and transmissibility were grossly reduced in ferrets, which was mirrored by marginal replication in human lung cultures infected ex vivo.

Method
experimental infection
Experimental system
in vivo animal experiment
Host Range Experiment Extraction confidence 1.00
Key finding

The H5N8B virus had reduced virulence and transmissibility in ferrets compared to its high virulence in ducks and mice.

Location
Not specified
Supporting text

Cross-species infection was evaluated in mice, ferrets, and in a human lung explant culture model. While the H5N8B isolate was highly virulent for Balb/c mice, virulence and transmissibility were grossly reduced in ferrets, which was mirrored by marginal replication in human lung cultures infected ex vivo.

Method
experimental infection
Experimental system
in vivo animal experiment
Host Range Experiment Extraction confidence 1.00
Key finding

In the human lung explant culture model, the H5N8B virus showed only marginal replication, indicating limited mammalian replication competence.

Location
Not specified
Supporting text

Cross-species infection was evaluated in mice, ferrets, and in a human lung explant culture model. While the H5N8B isolate was highly virulent for Balb/c mice, virulence and transmissibility were grossly reduced in ferrets, which was mirrored by marginal replication in human lung cultures infected ex vivo.

Method
experimental infection
Sample type
lung
Experimental system
ex vivo
Cross Species Transmission 1 records
Cross Species Transmission Extraction confidence 0.90
Key finding

The H5N8B virus could infect multiple mammalian species, being highly virulent in mice but less transmissible in ferrets, showing cross-species infection among non-human animals.

Virus
IAV
Location
Europe
Supporting text

Cross-species infection was evaluated in mice, ferrets, and in a human lung explant culture model. While the H5N8B isolate was highly virulent for Balb/c mice, virulence and transmissibility were grossly reduced in ferrets.

Method
infection experiment
Study design
animal experiment
Transmission direction
animal-to-animal
Geographic raw
Europe
Molecular Adaptation 1 records
Molecular Adaptation Extraction confidence 0.70
Key finding

The 2016 H5N8B avian influenza virus exhibits molecular adaptation for avian hosts, with increased virulence and tissue tropism in ducks, but limited mammalian replication indicating low zoonotic potential.

Virus
IAV H5N8
Host
Not specified
Location
Not specified
Supporting text

HPAIV H5N8B showed increased virulence with rapid onset of severe disease and mortality in Pekin ducks due to pronounced neuro- and hepatotropism. ... Our data indicate that the 2016 HPAIV H5N8B is avian-adapted with augmented virulence for waterfowl, but has low zoonotic potential.

Mechanism types
host_adaptation; tissue_tropism; pathogenicity
Outbreak Investigation 1 records
Outbreak Investigation Extraction confidence 0.80
Key finding

The 2016 HPAIV H5N8B caused high mortality in waterfowl and domestic birds during a European outbreak.

Virus
IAV H5N8
Location
Europe
Supporting text

We investigated in a unique setup of animal models and a human lung explant culture biological properties, including zoonotic potential, of a representative 2016 highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) H5N8, clade 2.3.4.4 group B (H5N8B), that spread rapidly in a huge and ongoing outbreak series in Europe and caused high mortality in waterfowl and domestic birds.

Method
animal models; human lung explant culture
Transmission direction
unknown
Geographic raw
Europe
Outbreak time
2016
Outbreak scale
huge and ongoing outbreak series