scholarly journals Influenza Virus Infections in Cats

Viruses ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 1435
Author(s):  
Tadeusz Frymus ◽  
Sándor Belák ◽  
Herman Egberink ◽  
Regina Hofmann-Lehmann ◽  
Fulvio Marsilio ◽  
...  

In the past, cats were considered resistant to influenza. Today, we know that they are susceptible to some influenza A viruses (IAVs) originating in other species. Usually, the outcome is only subclinical infection or a mild fever. However, outbreaks of feline disease caused by canine H3N2 IAV with fever, tachypnoea, sneezing, coughing, dyspnoea and lethargy are occasionally noted in shelters. In one such outbreak, the morbidity rate was 100% and the mortality rate was 40%. Recently, avian H7N2 IAV infection occurred in cats in some shelters in the USA, inducing mostly mild respiratory disease. Furthermore, cats are susceptible to experimental infection with the human H3N2 IAV that caused the pandemic in 1968. Several studies indicated that cats worldwide could be infected by H1N1 IAV during the subsequent human pandemic in 2009. In one shelter, severe cases with fatalities were noted. Finally, the highly pathogenic avian H5N1 IAV can induce a severe, fatal disease in cats, and can spread via cat-to-cat contact. In this review, the Advisory Board on Cat Diseases (ABCD), a scientifically independent board of experts in feline medicine from 11 European countries, summarises current data regarding the aetiology, epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical picture, diagnostics, and control of feline IAV infections, as well as the zoonotic risks.

Immunotherapy ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 6 (6) ◽  
pp. 699-708 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cécile Hélène Herbreteau ◽  
Frédéric Jacquot ◽  
Sareth Rith ◽  
Laurent Vacher ◽  
Ludovic Nguyen ◽  
...  

2010 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 81-96 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wenjun Ma ◽  
Jürgen A. Richt

AbstractSwine influenza is an important contagious disease in pigs caused by influenza A viruses. Although only three subtypes of influenza A viruses, H1N1, H1N2 and H3N2, predominantly infect pigs worldwide, it is still a big challenge for vaccine manufacturers to produce efficacious vaccines for the prevention and control of swine influenza. Swine influenza viruses not only cause significant economic losses for the swine industry, but are also important zoonotic pathogens. Vaccination is still one of the most important and effective strategies to prevent and control influenza for both the animal and human population. In this review, we will discuss the current status of swine influenza worldwide as well as current and future options to control this economically important swine disease.


2005 ◽  
Vol 79 (15) ◽  
pp. 9926-9932 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kyoko Shinya ◽  
Masato Hatta ◽  
Shinya Yamada ◽  
Ayato Takada ◽  
Shinji Watanabe ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT In 2003, H5N1 avian influenza virus infections were diagnosed in two Hong Kong residents who had visited the Fujian province in mainland China, affording us the opportunity to characterize one of the viral isolates, A/Hong Kong/213/03 (HK213; H5N1). In contrast to H5N1 viruses isolated from humans during the 1997 outbreak in Hong Kong, HK213 retained several features of aquatic bird viruses, including the lack of a deletion in the neuraminidase stalk and the absence of additional oligosaccharide chains at the globular head of the hemagglutinin molecule. It demonstrated weak pathogenicity in mice and ferrets but caused lethal infection in chickens. The original isolate failed to produce disease in ducks but became more pathogenic after five passages. Taken together, these findings portray the HK213 isolate as an aquatic avian influenza A virus without the molecular changes associated with the replication of H5N1 avian viruses in land-based poultry such as chickens. This case challenges the view that adaptation to land-based poultry is a prerequisite for the replication of aquatic avian influenza A viruses in humans.


mBio ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Huihui Kong ◽  
David F. Burke ◽  
Tiago Jose da Silva Lopes ◽  
Kosuke Takada ◽  
Masaki Imai ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Since the emergence of highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses of the H5 subtype, the major viral antigen, hemagglutinin (HA), has undergone constant evolution, resulting in numerous genetic and antigenic (sub)clades. To explore the consequences of amino acid changes at sites that may affect the antigenicity of H5 viruses, we simultaneously mutated 17 amino acid positions of an H5 HA by using a synthetic gene library that, theoretically, encodes all combinations of the 20 amino acids at the 17 positions. All 251 mutant viruses sequenced possessed ≥13 amino acid substitutions in HA, demonstrating that the targeted sites can accommodate a substantial number of mutations. Selection with ferret sera raised against H5 viruses of different clades resulted in the isolation of 39 genotypes. Further analysis of seven variants demonstrated that they were antigenically different from the parental virus and replicated efficiently in mammalian cells. Our data demonstrate the substantial plasticity of the influenza virus H5 HA protein, which may lead to novel antigenic variants. IMPORTANCE The HA protein of influenza A viruses is the major viral antigen. In this study, we simultaneously introduced mutations at 17 amino acid positions of an H5 HA expected to affect antigenicity. Viruses with ≥13 amino acid changes in HA were viable, and some had altered antigenic properties. H5 HA can therefore accommodate many mutations in regions that affect antigenicity. The substantial plasticity of H5 HA may facilitate the emergence of novel antigenic variants.


2021 ◽  
pp. 109251
Author(s):  
Celia Abolnik ◽  
Erich Ostmann ◽  
Matthew Woods ◽  
Daniel B.R. Wandrag ◽  
John Grewar ◽  
...  

mBio ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 5 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon Wain-Hobson

ABSTRACT Inappropriately named gain-of-function influenza research seeks to confer airborne transmission on avian influenza A viruses that otherwise cause only dead-end infections in humans. A recent study has succeeded in doing this with a highly pathogenic ostrich H7N1 virus in a ferret model without loss of virulence. If transposable to humans, this would constitute a novel virus with a case fatality rate ~30 greater than that of Spanish flu. A commentary from three distinguished virologists considered the benefits of this work to outweigh potential risks. I beg to disagree with conclusions in both papers, for the underlying science is not as strong as it appears.


2019 ◽  
Vol 93 (11) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jurre Y. Siegers ◽  
Marco W. G. van de Bildt ◽  
Zhanmin Lin ◽  
Lonneke M. Leijten ◽  
Rémon A. M. Lavrijssen ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTCentral nervous system (CNS) disease is one of the most common extrarespiratory tract complications of influenza A virus infections. Remarkably, zoonotic H5N1 virus infections are more frequently associated with CNS disease than seasonal or pandemic influenza viruses. Little is known about the interaction between influenza A viruses and cells of the CNS; therefore, it is currently unknown which viral factors are important for efficient replication. Here, we determined the replication kinetics of a seasonal, pandemic, zoonotic, and lab-adapted influenza A virus in human neuron-like (SK-N-SH) and astrocyte-like (U87-MG) cells and primary mouse cortex neurons. In general, highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 virus replicated most efficiently in all cells, which was associated with efficient attachment and infection. Seasonal H3N2 and to a lesser extent pandemic H1N1 virus replicated in a trypsin-dependent manner in SK-N-SH but not in U87-MG cells. In the absence of trypsin, only HPAI H5N1 and WSN viruses replicated. Removal of the multibasic cleavage site (MBCS) from HPAI H5N1 virus attenuated, but did not abrogate, replication. Taken together, our results showed that the MBCS and, to a lesser extent, the ability to attach are important determinants for efficient replication of HPAI H5N1 virus in cells of the CNS. This suggests that both an alternative hemagglutinin (HA) cleavage mechanism and preference for α-2,3-linked sialic acids allowing efficient attachment contribute to the ability of influenza A viruses to replicate efficiently in cells of the CNS. This study further improves our knowledge on potential viral factors important for the neurotropic potential of influenza A viruses.IMPORTANCECentral nervous system (CNS) disease is one of the most common extrarespiratory tract complications of influenza A virus infections, and the frequency and severity differ between seasonal, pandemic, and zoonotic influenza viruses. However, little is known about the interaction of these viruses with cells of the CNS. Differences among seasonal, pandemic, and zoonotic influenza viruses in replication efficacy in CNS cells,in vitro, suggest that the presence of an alternative HA cleavage mechanism and ability to attach are important viral factors. Identifying these viral factors and detailed knowledge of the interaction between influenza virus and CNS cells are important to prevent and treat this potentially lethal CNS disease.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marina Escalera-Zamudio ◽  
Michael Golden ◽  
Bernardo Gutiérrez ◽  
Julien Thézé ◽  
Jeremy Russell Keown ◽  
...  

A Correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-20006-5


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