OmniVira

Literature detail

The episodic resurgence of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5 virus.

Ruopeng Xie1,2 Kimberly M Edwards1,2 Michelle Wille3,4 Xiaoman Wei1,2 Sook-San Wong1,2 Mark Zanin1,5 Rabeh El-Shesheny6 Mariette Ducatez7 Leo L M Poon1,2,5 Ghazi Kayali8 Richard J Webby9 Vijaykrishna Dhanasekaran10,11
Affiliations 11 institutions
  1. School of Public Health, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
  2. HKU-Pasteur Research Pole, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
  3. Sydney Institute for Infectious Diseases, School of Medical Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
  4. Department of Microbiology and Immunology, at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
  5. Centre for Immunology & Infection, Hong Kong Science and Technology Park, Hong Kong SAR, China.
  6. Center of Scientific Excellence for Influenza Viruses, National Research Centre, Giza, Egypt.
  7. IHAP, Université de Toulouse, Institut national de recherche pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire de Toulouse, Toulouse, France.
  8. Human Link, DMCC, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
  9. Department of Infectious Diseases, St Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA.
  10. School of Public Health, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China. [email protected].
  11. HKU-Pasteur Research Pole, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China. [email protected].
PMID 37853121 2023 Nature eng ppublish
PubMed DOI Browse context

Article

Publication summary

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 activity has intensified globally since 2021, increasingly causing mass mortality in wild birds and poultry and incidental infections in mammals<sup>1-3</sup>. However, the ecological and virological properties that underscore future mitigation strategies still remain unclear. Using epidemiological, spatial and genomic approaches, we demonstrate changes in the origins of resurgent HPAI H5 and reveal significant shifts in virus ecology and evolution. Outbreak data show key resurgent events in 2016-2017 and 2020-2021, contributing to the emergence and panzootic spread of H5N1 in 2021-2022. Genomic analysis reveals that the 2016-2017 epizootics originated in Asia, where HPAI H5 reservoirs are endemic. In 2020-2021, 2.3.4.4b H5N8 viruses emerged in African poultry, featuring mutations altering HA structure and receptor binding. In 2021-2022, a new H5N1 virus evolved through reassortment in wild birds in Europe, undergoing further reassortment with low-pathogenic avian influenza in wild and domestic birds during global dissemination. These results highlight a shift in the HPAI H5 epicentre beyond Asia and indicate that increasing persistence of HPAI H5 in wild birds is facilitating geographic and host range expansion, accelerating dispersion velocity and increasing reassortment potential. As earlier outbreaks of H5N1 and H5N8 were caused by more stable genomic constellations, these recent changes reflect adaptation across the domestic-bird-wild-bird interface. Elimination strategies in domestic birds therefore remain a high priority to limit future epizootics.

Birds Disease Outbreaks Influenza A Virus, H5N1 Subtype Influenza in Birds Internationality Africa Animals Animals, Wild Asia Europe Evolution, Molecular Host Specificity Influenza A Virus, H5N8 Subtype Mammals Mutation Phylogeny Poultry

Structured evidence records

Evidence records

10 total
Genomic Evolution 3 records
Genomic Evolution Extraction confidence 0.95
Key finding

Genomic and evolutionary analyses showed that HPAI H5 viruses, including clade 2.3.4.4b H5N8 and H5N1, underwent region-specific evolution and reassortment events, with mutations in HA affecting receptor binding and shifts from Asia to Africa and Europe.

Virus
IAV
Host
Aves
Location
Not specified
Supporting text

Genomic analysis reveals that the 2016-2017 epizootics originated in Asia, where HPAI H5 reservoirs are endemic. In 2020-2021, 2.3.4.4b H5N8 viruses emerged in African poultry, featuring mutations altering HA structure and receptor binding. In 2021-2022, a new H5N1 virus evolved through reassortment in wild birds in Europe, undergoing further reassortment with low-pathogenic avian influenza in wild and domestic birds during global dissemination.

Genes or proteins
HA
Analysis methods
genomic analysis; phylogenetic analysis
Genomic Evolution Extraction confidence 0.95
Key finding

H5N8 viruses of clade 2.3.4.4b in African poultry showed HA mutations affecting receptor binding, indicating recent genomic evolution.

Virus
IAV H5N8
Host
Aves
Location
Not specified
Supporting text

In 2020-2021, 2.3.4.4b H5N8 viruses emerged in African poultry, featuring mutations altering HA structure and receptor binding.

Genes or proteins
HA
Analysis methods
genomic analysis
Genomic Evolution Extraction confidence 0.95
Key finding

A novel H5N1 lineage evolved via reassortment in European wild birds during 2021–2022 and further reassorted with low-pathogenic avian influenza in wild and domestic birds.

Virus
IAV H5N1
Host
Aves
Location
Not specified
Supporting text

In 2021-2022, a new H5N1 virus evolved through reassortment in wild birds in Europe, undergoing further reassortment with low-pathogenic avian influenza in wild and domestic birds during global dissemination.

Analysis methods
genomic analysis; phylogenetic analysis; reassortment analysis
Molecular Adaptation 2 records
Molecular Adaptation Extraction confidence 0.90
Key finding

2.3.4.4b H5N8 viruses in African poultry displayed HA mutations affecting receptor binding, indicating molecular adaptation relevant to host range.

Virus
IAV H5N8
Host
Not specified
Location
Not specified
Supporting text

In 2020-2021, 2.3.4.4b H5N8 viruses emerged in African poultry, featuring mutations altering HA structure and receptor binding.

Genes or proteins
HA
Receptors
receptor binding
Mechanism types
receptor_binding; host_range_adaptation
Molecular Adaptation Extraction confidence 0.85
Key finding

A novel H5N1 virus evolved via reassortment in wild birds and domestic birds, suggesting molecular adaptation that expanded host range and facilitated global spread.

Virus
IAV H5N1
Host
Not specified
Location
Not specified
Supporting text

In 2021-2022, a new H5N1 virus evolved through reassortment in wild birds in Europe, undergoing further reassortment with low-pathogenic avian influenza in wild and domestic birds during global dissemination.

Mechanism types
reassortment; host_range_adaptation
Reservoir Ecology 2 records
Reservoir Ecology Extraction confidence 0.75
Key finding

HPAI H5 viruses show ecological persistence in wild birds, maintaining endemic reservoirs in Asia and expanding geographically via wild-bird–domestic-bird interfaces.

Virus
IAV
Host
Aves
Location
Asia
Supporting text

Genomic analysis reveals that the 2016-2017 epizootics originated in Asia, where HPAI H5 reservoirs are endemic. In 2021-2022, a new H5N1 virus evolved through reassortment in wild birds in Europe, undergoing further reassortment with low-pathogenic avian influenza in wild and domestic birds during global dissemination. These results highlight a shift in the HPAI H5 epicentre beyond Asia and indicate that increasing persistence of HPAI H5 in wild birds is facilitating geographic and host range expansion.

Method
epidemiological approaches; spatial analysis; genomic analysis
Geographic raw
Asia
Reservoir Ecology Extraction confidence 0.75
Key finding

African poultry contributed to the ecological maintenance and emergence of H5N8 viruses within domestic bird reservoirs.

Virus
IAV H5N8
Host
Aves
Location
Africa
Supporting text

In 2020-2021, 2.3.4.4b H5N8 viruses emerged in African poultry, featuring mutations altering HA structure and receptor binding.

Method
genomic analysis
Geographic raw
Africa
Cross Species Transmission 1 records
Cross Species Transmission Extraction confidence 0.80
Key finding

Reassortment and adaptation of H5N1 in wild birds led to cross-species transmission between wild and domestic birds.

Virus
IAV H5N1
Host
Aves Aves
Location
Europe
Supporting text

In 2021–2022, a new H5N1 virus evolved through reassortment in wild birds in Europe, undergoing further reassortment with low-pathogenic avian influenza in wild and domestic birds during global dissemination. These recent changes reflect adaptation across the domestic-bird–wild-bird interface.

Method
genomic analysis; epidemiological analysis; spatial analysis
Study design
phylogenetic analysis
Transmission direction
animal-to-animal
Geographic raw
Europe
Outbreak Investigation 1 records
Outbreak Investigation Extraction confidence 0.90
Key finding

Epidemiological outbreak data identified resurgent episodes of H5N1 and H5N8 highly pathogenic avian influenza in domestic poultry and wild birds across Asia, Africa, and Europe between 2016 and 2022.

Virus
IAV H5N1
Host
Aves Aves Aves
Location
Africa
Supporting text

Outbreak data show key resurgent events in 2016-2017 and 2020-2021, contributing to the emergence and panzootic spread of H5N1 in 2021-2022. In 2020-2021, 2.3.4.4b H5N8 viruses emerged in African poultry, featuring mutations altering HA structure and receptor binding.

Method
epidemiological; spatial; genomic analysis
Transmission direction
animal-to-animal
Geographic raw
Africa
Outbreak setting
domestic-bird-wild-bird interface
Outbreak time
2020-2021
Recombination Or Reassortment 1 records
Recombination Or Reassortment Extraction confidence 0.95
Key finding

A new H5N1 recombinant virus arose in wild birds in Europe and subsequently reassorted with low-pathogenic avian influenza viruses from wild and domestic birds, contributing to its spread and host range expansion.

Host
Not specified
Location
Not specified
Supporting text

In 2021-2022, a new H5N1 virus evolved through reassortment in wild birds in Europe, undergoing further reassortment with low-pathogenic avian influenza in wild and domestic birds during global dissemination.

Event type
reassortment