OmniVira

Highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) virus in a common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) in Florida.

Allison Murawski1 Thomas Fabrizio2 Robert Ossiboff1 Christina Kackos2 Trushar Jeevan2 Jeremy C Jones2 Ahmed Kandeil2 David Walker2 Jasmine C M Turner2 Christopher Patton2,3 Elena A Govorkova2 Helena Hauck1 Suzanna Mickey1 Brittany Barbeau4 Y Reddy Bommineni5 Mia Torchetti6 Kristina Lantz6 Lisa Kercher2 Andrew B Allison1 Peter Vogel7 Michael Walsh1 Richard J Webby8
Affiliations 8 institutions
  1. Department of Comparative, Diagnostic, and Population Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32608, USA.
  2. Department of Infectious Diseases, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA.
  3. Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Biochemistry, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA.
  4. Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32608, USA.
  5. Bronson Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, 2700 N John Young Parkway, Kissimmee, FL, 34745-8006, USA.
  6. National Veterinary Services Laboratories, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Ames, IA, 50011, USA.
  7. Comparative Pathology Core, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA.
  8. Department of Infectious Diseases, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA. [email protected].
PMID38637646 DOI10.1038/s42003-024-06173-x Year2024 Journal Communications biology Commun Biol Languageeng Statusepublish

Abstract

Since late 2021, highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) viruses of A/goose/Guangdong/1/1996 (H5N1) lineage have caused widespread mortality in wild birds and poultry in the United States. Concomitant with the spread of HPAI viruses in birds are increasing numbers of mammalian infections, including wild and captive mesocarnivores and carnivores with central nervous system involvement. Here we report HPAI, A(H5N1) of clade 2.3.4.4b, in a common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) from Florida, United States. Pathological findings include neuronal necrosis and inflammation of the brain and meninges, and quantitative real time RT-PCR reveal the brain carried the highest viral load. Virus isolated from the brain contains a S246N neuraminidase substitution which leads to reduced inhibition by neuraminidase inhibitor oseltamivir. The increased prevalence of A(H5N1) viruses in atypical avian hosts and its cross-species transmission into mammalian species highlights the public health importance of continued disease surveillance and biosecurity protocols.

Supporting text Virus Host Location
Bottle-Nosed Dolphin 3 Influenza A virus 186 Influenza A Virus, H5N1 Subtype 300 Influenza in Birds 341 Animals 1948 Birds 212 Florida 5 Neuraminidase 62

Evidence records

3 total
Zoonotic Surveillance
3 records · 2 evidence types
Evidence type Virus Isolation
2 records
OVE7981 Virus Isolation
Key finding

Highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) virus was isolated from the brain of a common bottlenose dolphin in Florida.

Virus
Influenza A virus H5N1
Host
common bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatus Natural host
Location
Not specified
Supporting text

Here we report HPAI, A(H5N1) of clade 2.3.4.4b, in a common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) from Florida, United States. Virus isolated from the brain contains a S246N neuraminidase substitution which leads to reduced inhibition by neuraminidase inhibitor oseltamivir.

Sample type
brain
Evidence type Viral Detection
1 records
OVE7980 Viral Detection
Key finding

Highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) clade 2.3.4.4b viral RNA was detected in a common bottlenose dolphin from Florida using quantitative real-time RT-PCR, with the highest viral load found in the brain.

Virus
Influenza A virus H5N1
Host
common bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatus Natural host
Location
United States
Supporting text

Here we report HPAI, A(H5N1) of clade 2.3.4.4b, in a common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) from Florida, United States. ... quantitative real time RT-PCR reveal the brain carried the highest viral load.

Method
quantitative real time RT-PCR
Sample type
brain
Geographic raw
Florida, United States
Country inferred
USA