Multiple reassortment events among highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) viruses detected in Bangladesh.

Gerloff NA1, Khan SU2, Balish A1, Shanta IS2, Simpson N1, Berman L1, Haider N2, Poh MK1, Islam A2, Gurley E2, Hasnat MA2, Dey T3, Shu B1, Emery S1,Lindstrom S1, Haque A4, Klimov A1, Villanueva J1, Rahman M5, Azziz-Baumgartner E1, Ziaur Rahman M2, Luby SP2, Zeidner N2, Donis RO1, Sturm-Ramirez K2, Davis CT6.

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Abstract

In Bangladesh, little is known about the genomic composition and antigenicity of highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) viruses, their geographic distribution, temporal patterns, or gene flow within the avian host population. Forty highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) viruses isolated from humans and poultry in Bangladesh between 2008 and 2012 were analyzed by full genome sequencing and antigenic characterization. The analysis included viruses collected from avian hosts and environmental sampling in live bird markets, backyard poultry flocks, outbreak investigations in wild birds or poultry and from three human cases. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that the ancestors of these viruses reassorted (1) with other gene lineages of the same clade, (2) between different clades and (3) with low pathogenicity avian influenza A virus subtypes. Bayesian estimates of the time of most recent common ancestry, combined with geographic information, provided evidence of probable routes and timelines of virus spread into and out of Bangladesh.

Published by Elsevier Inc.