We found highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) virus clade 2.3.4.4b associated with meningoencephalitis in a stranded harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena). The virus was closely related to strains responsible for a concurrent avian influenza outbreak in wild birds. This case highlights the potential risk for virus spillover to mammalian hosts.
H5N1 subtypeinfluenzainfluenza A virusinfluenza in birdsmammalsmeningitis/encephalitispathologyPhocoenaporpoisesSwedenviruseswild animalszoonosesInfluenza A virusInfluenza A Virus, H5N1 SubtypeInfluenza in BirdsPhocoenaAnimals
Structured evidence records
Evidence records
3 total
Cross Species Transmission1 records
Cross Species TransmissionExtraction confidence 0.90
Key finding
H5N1 virus closely related to avian outbreak strains was detected in a harbor porpoise, indicating avian-to-mammal transmission.
We found highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) virus clade 2.3.4.4b associated with meningoencephalitis in a stranded harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena). The virus was closely related to strains responsible for a concurrent avian influenza outbreak in wild birds.
Phylogenetic and genetic analyses showed that the H5N1 virus from the harbor porpoise was closely related to avian outbreak strains, indicating genetic linkage and evolutionary relationship between avian and mammalian hosts.
We found highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) virus clade 2.3.4.4b associated with meningoencephalitis in a stranded harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena). The virus was closely related to strains responsible for a concurrent avian influenza outbreak in wild birds.
Analysis methods
genetic analysis; phylogenetic analysis
Spillover Event1 records
Spillover EventExtraction confidence 0.95
Key finding
Avian influenza A(H5N1) virus closely related to bird outbreak strains was detected in a harbor porpoise, representing avian-to-mammal spillover in Sweden.
We found highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) virus clade 2.3.4.4b associated with meningoencephalitis in a stranded harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena). The virus was closely related to strains responsible for a concurrent avian influenza outbreak in wild birds.
Method
virological analysis; phylogenetic analysis
Study design
case report
Transmission direction
animal-to-human
Geographic raw
Sweden
Country inferred
Sweden
Citation context
References
10 references
Reference network
Force-directed citation graph. OmniVira-indexed references are prioritized and recursively expanded up to three steps.
; European Food Safety Authority; European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control; European Union Reference Laboratory for Avian Influenza. Avian influenza overview March - June 2022
Adlhoch
2022
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Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in Europe: update
Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale de
2021
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Recent increase in seal deaths in Maine linked to avian flu [cited 2022 Sep 12]
A brief introduction to influenza a virus in marine mammals. In: Spackman E, editor. Animal influenza virus. Methods in molecular biology, vol. 2123. New York: Humana; 2020. p. 429–450. 10.1007/978-1-0716-0346-8_33
Runstadler
2020
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A first: Avian influenza detected in American dolphin [cited 2022 Sep 12]
