Abstract
Influenza viruses remain a major global public health risk. In addition to seasonal influenza viruses, epizootic influenza A H7 subtype viruses of both the Asian and North American lineage are of concern due to their pandemic potential. In China, the simultaneous occurrence of H7N9 zoonotic episodes and seasonal influenza virus epidemics could potentially lead to novel reassortant viruses with the ability to efficiently spread among humans. Recently, the H7N9 virus has evolved into two new lineages, the Pearl River Delta and the Yangtze River Delta clade. This development has also resulted in viruses with a polybasic cleavage site in the hemagglutinin that are highly pathogenic in avian species and have caused human infections. In addition, an outbreak of a highly pathogenic H7N8 strain was reported in the US state of Indiana in 2016. Furthermore, an H7N2 feline virus strain caused an outbreak in cats in an animal shelter in New York City in 2016, resulting in one human zoonotic event. In this study, mouse monoclonal antibodies previously raised against the hemagglutinin of the A/Shanghai/1/2013 (H7N9) virus were tested for their (cross-) reactivity to these novel H7 viruses. Moreover, the functionality of these antibodies was assessed in vitro in hemagglutination inhibition and microneutralization assays. The therapeutic and prophylactic efficacy of the broadly reactive antibodies against novel H7 viruses was determined in vivo in mouse passive transfer-viral challenge experiments. Our results provide data about the conservation of critical H7 epitopes and could inform the selection of pre-pandemic H7 vaccine strains.
Highlights
Influenza viruses are a public health concern on a global scale[1]
Mouse monoclonal antibodies previously raised against the hemagglutinin of the A/Shanghai/1/2013 (H7N9) virus were tested for their reactivity to these novel H7 viruses
Human infections with highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H7N9 viruses with polybasic cleavage sites in the hemagglutinin (HA) have been reported during the most
Summary
Influenza viruses are a public health concern on a global scale[1]. Annually, influenza viruses infect millions of people worldwide resulting in 290,000 to 650,000 influenzarelated deaths[2]. In 2017, the fifth wave of a zoonotic H7N9 epidemic emerged in China, resulting in higher numbers of laboratoryconfirmed human infections (over 1500) than in previous years, coupled with a high case fatality rate (almost 40%)[4]. While these viruses have not yet gained the capability of sustained human-to-human transmission, they do pose a pandemic risk if the avian virus were to adapt to humans or undergo reassortment with seasonal viruses[5,6]. Human infections with highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H7N9 viruses with polybasic cleavage sites in the hemagglutinin (HA) have been reported during the most
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