Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

Lancet Microbe 2022 Jun 21. Epub 2022 Jun 21.

Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China; National Avian Influenza Para-reference Laboratory, Guangzhou, China; National and Regional Joint Engineering Laboratory for Medicament of Zoonoses Prevention and Control, National Development and Reform Commission of the People's Republic of China, Guangzhou, China; Key Laboratory of Zoonoses, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the People's Republic of China, Guangzhou, China; Key Laboratory of Zoonoses Prevention and Control of Guangdong Province, Guangzhou, China. Electronic address:

Viruses 2022 Jun 15;14(6). Epub 2022 Jun 15.

Equine Infectious Disease Surveillance (EIDS), Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0ES, UK.

Influenza A viruses (IAVs) have a main natural reservoir in wild birds. IAVs are highly contagious, continually evolve, and have a wide host range that includes various mammalian species including horses, pigs, and humans. Furthering our understanding of host-pathogen interactions and cross-species transmissions is therefore essential. Read More

Viruses 2022 Jun 10;14(6). Epub 2022 Jun 10.

EU/OIE/National Reference Laboratory for Avian Influenza and Newcastle Disease, FAO Reference Centre for Animal Influenza and Newcastle Disease, Division of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie (IZSVe), 35020 Legnaro, Italy.

Avian influenza viruses of the H9 subtype cause significant losses to poultry production in endemic regions of Asia, Africa and the Middle East and pose a risk to human health. The availability of reliable and updated diagnostic tools for H9 surveillance is thus paramount to ensure the prompt identification of this subtype. The genetic variability of H9 represents a challenge for molecular-based diagnostic methods and was the cause for suboptimal detection and false negatives during routine diagnostic monitoring. Read More

Viruses 2022 Jun 9;14(6). Epub 2022 Jun 9.

Animal Infectious Disease Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China.

Reassortment with the H9N2 virus gave rise to the zoonotic H7N9 avian influenza virus (AIV), which caused more than five outbreak waves in humans, with high mortality. The frequent exchange of genomic segments between H7N9 and H9N2 has been well-documented. However, the reassortment patterns have not been described and are not yet fully understood. Read More

Viruses 2022 May 28;14(6). Epub 2022 May 28.

Key Laboratory of Animal Microbiology of China's Ministry of Agriculture, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China.

Avian Influenza (AI) caused by the H9N2 subtype of the avian influenza virus (AIV) poses a serious threat to both the poultry industry and to public health safety. NP is one of the major structural proteins in influenza viruses. B-cell determinants located on NP proteins have attracted increasing attention. Read More

Viruses 2022 May 26;14(6). Epub 2022 May 26.

College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China.

In China, the broad prevalence of H6 subtype influenza viruses, increasingly detected in aquatic birds, promotes their exchange materials with other highly pathogenic human-infecting H5N1, H5N6, and H7N9 influenza viruses. Strikingly, some H6 subtype viruses can infect pigs, dogs, and humans, posing risks to public health. In this study, 9 H6N2 viruses recovered from waterfowl species in the Guangdong province of China in 2018 were isolated and sequenced. Read More

Vaccines (Basel) 2022 Jun 10;10(6). Epub 2022 Jun 10.

Nebraska Center for Virology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 4240 Fair Street, Lincoln, NE 68504, USA.

Several influenza pandemics have occurred in the past century, one of which emerged in 1957 from a zoonotic transmission of H2N2 from an avian reservoir into humans. This pandemic caused 2-4 million deaths and circulated until 1968. Since the disappearance of H2N2 from human populations, there has been waning immunity against H2, and this subtype is not currently incorporated into seasonal vaccines. Read More

Pathogens 2022 Jun 8;11(6). Epub 2022 Jun 8.

Department of Veterinary Medicine, Paul Ehrlich Institute, 63225 Langen, Germany.

Highly pathogenic influenza A virus H5 subtype remains a risk for transmission in humans. The H5N8 subtype has caused multiple outbreaks in poultry in Europe over the past few winters. During one recent outbreak in poultry in Astrakhan, workers on the farm were also infected. Read More

Anim Genet 2022 Jun 23. Epub 2022 Jun 23.

The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Midlothian, UK.

Avian viruses of economic interest are a significant burden on the poultry industry, affecting production traits and resulting in mortality. Furthermore, the zoonosis of avian viruses risks pandemics developing in humans. Vaccination is the most common method of controlling viruses; however current vaccines often lack cross-protection against multiple strains of each virus. Read More

Transbound Emerg Dis 2022 Jun 23. Epub 2022 Jun 23.

Department of Pathogenetic and Preventive Veterinary Science, Joint Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Japan.

Environmental water-targeted surveillance of migratory aquatic birds at overwintering sites is potentially one of the most effective approaches for understanding the ecology of avian influenza viruses (AIVs). In this study, we improved the method for AIV isolation from environmental water samples by making a minor modification to our previously reported process. We experimentally demonstrated that the AIV recovery efficiency of the modified method was 10-100-fold higher than that of the original method. Read More

Emerg Infect Dis 2022 Jul;28(7):1509-1512

Several zoonotic influenza A viruses detected in humans contain genes derived from avian H9N2 subtypes. We uncovered a Eurasian avian-like H1N1 swine influenza virus with polymerase basic 1 and matrix gene segments derived from the H9N2 subtype, suggesting that H9N2 viruses are infecting pigs and reassorting with swine influenza viruses in China. Read More

Emerg Infect Dis 2022 Jul;28(7):1480-1484

We isolated a novel reassortant influenza A(H10N7) virus from a harbor seal in British Columbia, Canada, that died from bronchointerstitial pneumonia. The virus had unique genome constellations involving lineages from North America and Eurasia and polymerase basic 2 segment D701N mutation, associated with adaptation to mammals. Read More

J Med Virol 2022 Jun 21. Epub 2022 Jun 21.

Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Resistance Gene Engineering and Protection of Biodiversity in Cold Areas, Qiqihar, China.

mBio 2022 Jun 21:e0060922. Epub 2022 Jun 21.

Institute of Diagnostic Virology, Friedrich Loeffler Institute, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany.

Phylogenetic evidence from the recent resurgence of high-pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI) virus subtype H5N1, clade 2.3.4. Read More

Hum Vaccin Immunother 2022 Jun 20:2083428. Epub 2022 Jun 20.

Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada.

Influenza is a major public health concern causing millions of hospitalizations every year. The current vaccines need annual updating based on prediction of likely strains in the upcoming season. However, mismatches between vaccines and the actual circulating viruses can occur, reducing vaccine effectiveness significantly because of the remarkably high rate of mutation in the viral glycoprotein, hemagglutinin (HA). Read More

Avian Dis 2022 Jun 15. Epub 2022 Jun 15.

Veterinary Head Office of Khorasan Razavi province, 9185333446, Mashhad, Iran.

Fowl adenoviruses cause three economically important diseases in broiler chicken flocks: hepatitis-hydropericardium syndrome (HHS), inclusion body hepatitis (IBH), and adenoviral gizzard erosion. IBH has not been considered a serious threat in northeast Iran since the last decade, because no major effect on flock performance has been noticed along with a low mortality rate. During this period, all the sporadic IBH outbreaks have also been investigated for HHS without finding any confirmed case. Read More

Global Health 2022 Jun 17;18(1):62. Epub 2022 Jun 17.

UNICEF Supply Division, New York City, NY, USA.

"No regrets" buying - using Advance Purchase Agreements (APAs) - has characterized the response to recent pandemics such as Avian flu, Zika Virus, and now COVID-19. APAs are used to reduce demand uncertainty for product developers and manufacturers; to hedge against R&D and manufacturing risks; and to secure availability of products in the face of spiking demand. Evidence on the use of APAs to buy vaccines, medicines, diagnostics, and personal protective equipment during recent pandemics illustrates how these contracts can achieve their intended objectives for buyers. Read More

Vet Rec 2022 Jun;190(12):488

Front Vet Sci 2022 31;9:897763. Epub 2022 May 31.

Department of Preventive Medicine, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, South Korea.

From 2003 to 2017, highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) epidemics, particularly H5N1, H5N8, and H5N6 infections in poultry farms, increased in South Korea. More recently, these subtypes of HPAI virus resurged and spread nationwide, heavily impacting the entire poultry production and supply system. Most outbreaks in poultry holdings were concentrated in the southwestern part of the country, accounting for 58. Read More

Front Immunol 2022 31;13:836274. Epub 2022 May 31.

Changchun Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun, China.

In order to perfect the design strategy of messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines against the H5N1 influenza virus, we investigated whether different antigen designs and the use of adjuvants could improve the immune effect of mRNA vaccines. We designed three different forms of antigen genes, including Flu [H1/H3/H5/B-HA2(aa90~105)-M2e(24aa)], Flu-Fe (Fe, ferritin), and CD5-Flu-Fe (CD5, a secretion signal peptide). Meanwhile, R848 (Requimod) was selected as the adjuvant of the mRNA vaccine. Read More

Lancet Glob Health 2022 Jun 13. Epub 2022 Jun 13.

Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.

Background: Seasonal and avian influenza viruses circulate among human and poultry populations in Bangladesh. However, the epidemiology of influenza is not well defined in this setting. We aimed to characterise influenza seasonality, examine regional heterogeneity in transmission, and evaluate coseasonality between circulating influenza viruses in Bangladesh. Read More

Front Immunol 2022 30;13:939849. Epub 2022 May 30.

Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries (IRTA), Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA, IRTA-UAB), Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Bellaterra, Spain.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021. Read More

Vet Res 2022 Jun 15;53(1):43. Epub 2022 Jun 15.

College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, Jiangsu, China.

Based on differences in the amino acid sequence of the protein haemagglutinin (HA), the H9N2 avian influenza virus (H9N2 virus) has been clustered into multiple lineages, and its rapidly ongoing evolution increases the difficulties faced by prevention and control programs. The HA protein, a major antigenic protein, and the amino acid mutations that alter viral antigenicity in particular have always been of interest. Likewise, it has been well documented that some amino acid mutations in HA alter viral antigenicity in the H9N2 virus, but little has been reported regarding how these antibody escape mutations affect antigenic variation. Read More

Vet Res 2022 Jun 15;53(1):44. Epub 2022 Jun 15.

Laboratory of Virology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820, Merelbeke, Belgium.

Heterologous prime-boost vaccination with experimental or commercial influenza vaccines has been successful in various animal species. In this study, we have examined the efficacy of alternating 3 different European commercial swine influenza A virus (swIAV) vaccines: the trivalent Respiporc FLU3 (TIV), the bivalent GRIPORK (BIV) and the monovalent Respiporc FLUpan H1N1 (MOV). Five groups of 6 pigs each received 3 vaccinations at 4-6 week intervals in a homologous or heterologous prime-boost regimen. Read More

Hum Vaccin Immunother 2022 Jun 15:2082191. Epub 2022 Jun 15.

EpiVax, Inc., Providence, RI, USA.

Strategies that improve influenza vaccine immunogenicity are critical for the development of vaccines for pandemic preparedness. Hemagglutinin (HA)-specific CD4 T cell epitopes support protective B cell responses against seasonal influenza. However, in the case of avian H7N9, which poses a pandemic threat, HA elicits only weak neutralizing antibody responses in infection and vaccination without adjuvant. Read More

Emerg Microbes Infect 2022 Jun 14:1-41. Epub 2022 Jun 14.

State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biotechnology, Harbin Veterinary Research Institute, CAAS, Harbin, China.

H5N1 avian influenza viruses bearing the clade 2.3.4. Read More

Sci Rep 2022 Jun 13;12(1):9764. Epub 2022 Jun 13.

IHAP, ENVT, INRAE, Université de Toulouse, Toulouse, France.

The role of commensal birds in the epidemiology of pathogens in poultry farms remains unclear. Our study aimed to identify potential key species for interactions with domestic ducks on one free-range duck farm in southwest France. Methods combined direct individual observations on duck outdoor foraging areas, network analysis, and general linear mixed models of abundances. Read More

Front Microbiol 2022 25;13:886873. Epub 2022 May 25.

Ministry of Education Key Lab for Avian Preventive Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China.

Turkey herpesvirus (HVT) has been widely used as a successful live virus vaccine against Marek's disease (MD) in chickens for more than five decades. Increasingly, HVT is also used as a highly effective recombinant vaccine vector against multiple avian pathogens. Conventional recombination, or recombineering, techniques that involve the cloning of viral genomes and, more recently, gene editing methods have been used for the generation of recombinant HVT-based vaccines. Read More

Front Microbiol 2022 26;13:896469. Epub 2022 May 26.

State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China.

In this study, we isolated 10 H5N1 strains from water samples in Dongting Lake and 4 H5N1 strains from lakeside backyard poultry. These isolates belonged to three distinct clades (clade 2.3. Read More

Data Brief 2022 Aug 27;43:108317. Epub 2022 May 27.

INRAE, Montpellier F-34398, France.

This dataset is composed by spatial (e.g. location) and thematic (e. Read More