Pathology of A(H5N8) (Clade 2.3.4.4) Virus in Experimentally Infected Chickens and Mice.

Elena A Prokopyeva,Peter M Kozhin,Artem Fadeev,Kirill A Sharshov,You-Chan Bae,Vsevolod A Zinserling,Alexander M Shestopalov,Olga G Kurskaya,Yongkuk Kwon,Andrey Komissarov,Vladimir Petrov,Ivan A Sobolev

doi:10.1155/2019/4124865

Abstract

The emergence of novel highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses (HPAIVs) in migratory birds raises serious concerns as these viruses have the potential to spread during fall migration. We report the identification of novel HPAIV A(H5N8) clade 2.3.4.4 virus that was isolated from sick domestic duck at commercial farm during the second wave of spread that began in October and affected poultry (ducks; chiсkens) in several European regions of Russia and Western Siberia in 2016. The strain was highly lethal in experimental infection of chickens and mice with IVPI = 2.34 and MLD50 = 1.3log10⁡ EID50, accordingly. Inoculation of chickens with the HPAIV A/H5N8 demonstrated neuroinvasiveness, multiorgan failure, and death of chickens on the 3rd day post inoculation. Virus replicated in all collected organ samples in high viral titers with the highest titer in the brain (6.75±0.1 log10TCID50/ml). Effective virus replication was found in the following cells: neurons and glial cells of a brain; alveolar cells and macrophages of lungs; epithelial cells of a small intestine; hepatocytes and Kupffer cells of a liver; macrophages and endothelial cells of a spleen; and the tubular epithelial cells of kidneys. These findings advance our understanding of histopathological effect of A(H5N8) HPAIV infection.

Highlights

Different strains of influenza viruses play an important role in human and animal pathology
The diversity of influenza viruses and viral transmission between domestic poultry and wild birds might have resulted in the appearance of A(H5N8) clade 2.3.4.4 Gs/GD-lineage highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses (HPAIVs), which first emerged during poultry outbreak in China in 2010 [2], and in domestic ducks and migratory birds in South Korea in 2014 [3]
During earlier monitoring in Western Siberia we isolated low pathogenic avian influenza viruses from wild duck feathers, which suggest the viruses can spread among birds during grooming [15]

Summary

Introduction

Different strains of influenza viruses play an important role in human and animal pathology. A(H5N1) highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses have caused considerable economic damage to the global poultry industry and pose a serious threat to public health. About 20 years ago, A/goose/Guangdong/1/1996(H5N1) (briefly Gs/Gd/96), clade 2.3.4 precursor of currently circulating H5N1 HPAIVs, was first isolated in farmed geese at Sanshui, Foshan, a rural area in southern China [1]. The diversity of influenza viruses and viral transmission between domestic poultry and wild birds might have resulted in the appearance of A(H5N8) clade 2.3.4.4 Gs/GD-lineage HPAIV, which first emerged during poultry outbreak in China in 2010 [2], and in domestic ducks and migratory birds in South Korea in 2014 [3]. Group A viruses predominated in South Korea [3] and were subsequently isolated in northeast Siberia in September 2014 [4].

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