Abstract
BackgroundThe influenza A virus is highly variable, which, to some degree, is caused by the reassortment of viral genetic material. This process plays a major role in the generation of novel influenza virus strains that can emerge in a new host population. Due to the susceptibility of pigs to infections with avian, swine and human influenza viruses, they are considered intermediate hosts for the adaptation of the avian influenza virus to humans. In order to test the reassortment process in pigs, they were co-infected with H3N2 A/swine/Gent/172/2008 (Gent/08) and H1N1 A/duck/Italy/1447/2005 (Italy/05) and co-housed with a group of naïve piglets.ResultsThe Gent/08 strains dominated over Italy/05, but reassortment occurred. The reassortant strains of the H1N1 subtype (12.5%) with one gene (NP or M) of swine-origin were identified in the nasal discharge of the contact-exposed piglets.ConclusionsThese results demonstrate that despite their low efficiency, genotypically and phenotypically different influenza A viruses can undergo genetic exchange during co-infection of pigs.
Highlights
The influenza A virus is highly variable, which, to some degree, is caused by the reassortment of viral genetic material
Pigs have been thought to serve as intermediate hosts in the adaptation of the avian influenza virus (AIV) to humans, and as “mixing vessels” facilitating the formation of novel genetic influenza A virus (IAV) variants with potentially pandemic properties
This assumption is based on the confirmed ability of pigs to be infected with the swine influenza virus (SIV), AIV and human influenza virus
Summary
The influenza A virus is highly variable, which, to some degree, is caused by the reassortment of viral genetic material This process plays a major role in the generation of novel influenza virus strains that can emerge in a new host population. Pigs have been thought to serve as intermediate hosts in the adaptation of the avian influenza virus (AIV) to humans, and as “mixing vessels” facilitating the formation of novel genetic IAV variants with potentially pandemic properties. This assumption is based on the confirmed ability of pigs to be infected with the swine influenza virus (SIV), AIV and human influenza virus (HuIV) in natural conditions [3, 4]. Experimental studies, which confirmed pig susceptibility to infections with the majority of the AIV subtypes emphasise the importance of pigs in the IAV ecology [5,6,7]
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