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Literature detail

Epidemiological data of an influenza A/H5N1 outbreak in elephant seals in Argentina indicates mammal-to-mammal transmission.

Marcela M Uhart1,2 Ralph E T Vanstreels3 Martha I Nelson4 Valeria Olivera5 Julieta Campagna6 Victoria Zavattieri6 Philippe Lemey7 Claudio Campagna6 Valeria Falabella6 Agustina Rimondi8,9
Affiliations 9 institutions
  1. Karen C. Drayer Wildlife Health Center, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, USA. [email protected].
  2. Southern Right Whale Health Monitoring Program, Puerto Madryn, Argentina. [email protected].
  3. Karen C. Drayer Wildlife Health Center, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, USA.
  4. National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, USA.
  5. Instituto de Virología e Innovaciones Tecnológicas, INTA-CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
  6. Wildlife Conservation Society, Argentina Program, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
  7. Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, Laboratory for Clinical and Epidemiological Virology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
  8. Instituto de Virología e Innovaciones Tecnológicas, INTA-CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina. [email protected].
  9. Robert Koch Institute-Alexander von Humboldt fellowship, Berlin, Germany. [email protected].
PMID 39528494 2024 Nat Commun eng epublish
PubMed DOI Browse context

Article

Publication summary

H5N1 high pathogenicity avian influenza virus has killed thousands of marine mammals in South America since 2022. Here we report epidemiological data and full genome characterization of clade 2.3.4.4b H5N1 HPAI viruses associated with a massive outbreak in southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina) at Península Valdés, Argentina, in October 2023. We also report on H5N1 viruses in concurrently dead terns. Our genomic analysis shows that viruses from pinnipeds and terns in Argentina form a distinct clade with marine mammal viruses from Peru, Chile, Brazil and Uruguay. Additionally, these marine mammal clade viruses share an identical set of mammalian adaptation mutations which were also present in tern viruses. Our combined ecological and phylogenetic data support mammal-to-mammal transmission and occasional mammal-to-bird spillover and suggest multinational transmission of H5N1 viruses in mammals. We reflect that H5N1 viruses becoming more evolutionary flexible and adapting to mammals in new ways could have global consequences for wildlife, humans, and/or livestock.

Disease Outbreaks Influenza A Virus, H5N1 Subtype Orthomyxoviridae Infections Phylogeny Seals, Earless Animals Argentina Genome, Viral

Structured evidence records

Evidence records

5 total
Cross Species Transmission 1 records
Cross Species Transmission Extraction confidence 0.95
Key finding

H5N1 viruses caused a large outbreak in southern elephant seals in Argentina with genomic and ecological evidence indicating mammal-to-mammal transmission among the seals.

Virus
IAV H5N1
Location
Argentina Argentina
Supporting text

Here we report epidemiological data and full genome characterization of clade 2.3.4.4b H5N1 HPAI viruses associated with a massive outbreak in southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina) at Península Valdés, Argentina, in October 2023... Our combined ecological and phylogenetic data support mammal-to-mammal transmission.

Method
genomic analysis; epidemiological data
Study design
phylogenetic analysis
Transmission direction
animal-to-animal
Geographic raw
Península Valdés, Argentina
Country inferred
Argentina
Genomic Evolution 1 records
Genomic Evolution Extraction confidence 0.88
Key finding

Full genome and phylogenetic analyses demonstrated that clade 2.3.4.4b H5N1 viruses from elephant seals and terns in Argentina form a distinct marine mammal clade sharing mammalian adaptation mutations.

Virus
IAV H5N1
Location
Not specified
Supporting text

We report epidemiological data and full genome characterization of clade 2.3.4.4b H5N1 HPAI viruses associated with a massive outbreak in southern elephant seals in Argentina. Our genomic analysis shows that viruses from pinnipeds and terns in Argentina form a distinct clade with marine mammal viruses from Peru, Chile, Brazil and Uruguay, and share an identical set of mammalian adaptation mutations.

Analysis methods
full genome characterization; phylogenetic analysis
Molecular Adaptation 1 records
Molecular Adaptation Extraction confidence 0.90
Key finding

H5N1 high pathogenicity avian influenza viruses from marine mammals and terns in Argentina possess an identical set of mammalian adaptation mutations, signifying adaptation to mammalian hosts.

Virus
IAV H5N1
Host
Not specified
Location
Not specified
Supporting text

Additionally, these marine mammal clade viruses share an identical set of mammalian adaptation mutations which were also present in tern viruses.

Mechanism types
mammalian_adaptation; pathogenicity; host_range
Outbreak Investigation 1 records
Outbreak Investigation Extraction confidence 0.95
Key finding

A massive outbreak of H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza occurred in southern elephant seals in Argentina in October 2023.

Virus
IAV H5N1
Location
Argentina Argentina
Supporting text

Here we report epidemiological data and full genome characterization of clade 2.3.4.4b H5N1 HPAI viruses associated with a massive outbreak in southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina) at Península Valdés, Argentina, in October 2023.

Method
epidemiological data; genome characterization; phylogenetic analysis
Transmission direction
animal-to-animal
Geographic raw
Península Valdés, Argentina
Country inferred
Argentina
Outbreak time
October 2023
Outbreak scale
massive outbreak
Spillover Event 1 records
Spillover Event Extraction confidence 0.93
Key finding

H5N1 high pathogenicity avian influenza virus was transmitted between mammals and occasionally from mammals to birds during an outbreak in elephant seals in Argentina.

Virus
IAV H5N1
Location
Argentina Argentina
Supporting text

Our combined ecological and phylogenetic data support mammal-to-mammal transmission and occasional mammal-to-bird spillover and suggest multinational transmission of H5N1 viruses in mammals.

Method
genomic analysis; phylogenetic analysis; ecological data collection
Study design
outbreak investigation
Transmission direction
unknown
Geographic raw
Península Valdés, Argentina
Country inferred
Argentina