Abstract
The outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5Nx viruses in winter 2016/2017 was the most severe HPAI epizootic ever reported in Germany. The H5N8 and H5N5 viruses detected in birds in Germany in 2016/2017 represent a reassortant swarm of at least five distinct genotypes, which carried closely related HA segments derived from clade 2.3.4.4b. The genotypes of these viruses and their spatio-temporal distribution indicated a unique situation with multiple independent entries of HPAIV into Germany.
Highlights
Pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) is a lethal disease of gallinaceous poultry, which can cause severe losses in domestic waterfowl as well as in aquatic wild birds
In summer 2016, reassortants of H5N8 Group B viruses within clade 2.3.4.4 were found in dead wild aquatic birds at lakes known as migratory bird moulting and resting places located along the China-Mongolia and Russia-Mongolia borders[9,10,11]
H5N8 HPAI viruses (HPAIV) were detected with high loads in tissues including liver and brain of the ducks
Summary
Pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) is a lethal disease of gallinaceous poultry, which can cause severe losses in domestic waterfowl as well as in aquatic wild birds. HPAI viruses (HPAIV) of the goose/Guangdong (gs/GD) lineage of subtype H5N1 emerged in 1996 in Southern China, continued since to spread among poultry, evolved into numerous phylogenetic clades[1] and, by reassortment with various avian influenza viruses (AIV), fanned out to generate multiple geno- and subtypes Some of these lineages contain viruses with enhanced zoonotic properties causing fatal human infections following spill-over transmission from infected poultry. HPAIV of clade 2.3.4.4, subtype H5N8, rooted in Far East Asia in 20132, and H5N8 viruses designated as Group A within clade 2.3.4.4 were found responsible for outbreaks in wild birds and poultry in Central Asia, Russia and Central Europe in 2014/153–6 Strains of this clade were transferred to North America and, after forming novel reassortants with AIV of North-American lineages (HPAIV H5N2), caused dramatic losses in U.S poultry farms[7]. We present a synopsis of the incursion events and a detailed genetic and phylogenetic analysis of the causative viruses
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