H5N1 Avian Influenza Pre-pandemic Vaccine Strains in China / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To prepare the 4 candidate vaccine strains of H5N1 avian influenza virus isolated in China.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Recombinant viruses were rescued using reverse genetics. Neuraminidase (NA) and hemagglutinin (HA) segments of the A/Xinjiang/1/2006, A/Guangxi/1/2009, A/Hubei/1/2010, and A/Guangdong/1/2011 viruses were amplified by RT-PCR. Multibasic amino acid cleavage site of HA was removed and ligated into the pCIpolI vector for virus rescue. The recombinant viruses were evaluated by trypsin dependent assays. Their embryonate survival and antigenicity were compared with those of the respective wild-type viruses.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The 4 recombinant viruses showed similar antigenicity compared with wild-type viruses, chicken embryo survival and trypsin-dependent characteristics.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The 4 recombinant viruses rescued using reverse genetics meet the criteria for classification of low pathogenic avian influenza strains, thus supporting the use of them for the development of seeds and production of pre-pandemic vaccines.</p>

A novel reassortant H3N8 influenza virus isolated from drinking water for duck in a domestic duck farm in Poyang Lake area / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To conduct a full genome sequence analysis for genetic characterization of an H3N8 influenza virus isolated from drinking water of a domestic duck farm in Poyang Lake area in 2011.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The virus was cultivated by specific pathogen free (SPF) chicken embryo eggs and was subtyped into hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) by real-time PCR method. Eight gene segments were sequenced and phylogenetic analysis was conducted.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The NA gene of this virus belongs to North American lineage; other seven genes belong to Eurasian lineage. Compared with the viruses containing NA gene, the PB2 and PB1 gene came from different clades. And this indicates that the virus was a novel reassortant genotype. The HA receptor binding preference was avian-like and the cleavage site sequence showed a low pathogenic feature. There was no drug resistance mutation of M2 protein. The mutations of Asn30Asp, and Thr215Ala of the M1 protein implied the potential of pathogenicity increase in mice.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The finding of novel genotype of H3N8 virus in drinking water in this duck farm near Poyang Lake highlighted the importance of strengthening the surveillance of avian influenza in this region, which could contribute to pinpointing the influenza ecological relations among avian, swine, and human.</p>

Molecular characterization of highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1)viruses isolated from humans in Hunan province,2006-2009 / 中华流行病学杂志

Objective To understand the possible origins,genetic re-assortment and molecular characterization of 4 highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1)viruses isolated from humans in Hunan province,between 2006 and 2009,Methods H5N1 PCR test-positive specimens were inoculated in embryonated eggs while H5N1 virus was isolated and genomes sequenced.Genome homology and genetic molecular characterization were analyzed by BLAST and MEGA 4.0.Results All gene segments of the 4 viruses were avian in origin.No re-assortment was found between avian influenza A(H5N1)viruses and human seasonal influenza viruses.Virnses that isolated from domestic poultry shared high similarity with the 4 human viruses in gene homology.Data from the whole genome phylogenetic analysis showed that the 4 viruses were in clade 2.3.4,while 2 viruses belonged to genotype V,and another 2 were new genotypes.Results from molecular characterization showed that amino acid sequences of HA cleavage site of the 4 viruses were PLRERRKR/G.All 4 viruses had A160T mutation in HA,a 20 amino acid deletion in the neuraminidase(NA)stalk at position 49-68,and a 5 amino acid deletion in the non-structural protein 1(NS1).Most sites in the HA molecules showed that the viruses preferentially bound to avian influenza virus receptor.However,T192I mutation that might enhance the α2,6-linked sialic acid human influenza receptor binding had emerged in HN/1/09 and HN/2/09.D701N mutation of PB2 that increased the virulence in mice was found in HN/1/08.Analysis on drug resistance gene amino acid showed that all 4 viruses were sensitive to amantadine and oseltamivir.Conclusion Highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1)viruses isolated from humans in Hunan province from 2006 to 2009 were avian in origin,and the 4 viruses belonged to different genotypes.Some mutations that related to virulence and receptor binding positions had emerged in some of the strains.

The virus isolation analysis of the H5N1 subtype human avain influenza cases in mainland China from 2005 to 2009 / 中华实验和临床病毒学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To analyse the correlation between the virus isolation and the specimen collection of the H5N1 human high pathogenic avain influenza cases in Mainland China.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The specimens were collected in Mainland China from 2005.10 to 2009.3 and the H5N1 viruses were isolated by passage in embryonated chicken eggs.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Most specimens were obtained within 14 days after disease onset. For the specimens collected within 7 days, the isolation rate was relatively high and the difference of the positive rate between different years was lower than those specimens collected after 7 days. Most of the samples in our study were collected from the upper or lower respiratory tract with few from blood, feces, et al. The isolation rate of lower respiratory specimens was higher and the difference of the positive rate between different years was relatively lower than those from upper respiratory specimens.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>We suggest that the samples should be collected from lower respiratory tract during the acute phase to get the higher isolation rate.</p>

Construction and characterization of reverse genetic system for H9N2 avian influenza / 中华实验和临床病毒学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To provide a technology platform for vaccine development as well as the research on transmission and pathogenesis, the reverse genetic system for H9N2 avian influenza virus was established.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Eight full-length cDNAs of avian influenza virus A/Guangzhou/333/99 (H9N2) were amplified by RT-PCR and separately cloned into the transcription/expression vector, pCI-polI. The 8 plasmids DNA was cotransfected into 293T cell, the cell supernatant was collected and inoculated into embryonated eggs, the rescued virus from the allantoic fluid was identified by hemagglutinination assay.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The avian influenza H9N2 virus was successfully rescued by 8 plasmids co-transfection in 293T cells. The hemagglutinination titer of the rescued virus is up to 2(9)/50 microl and its growth curve remained relatively as to the wild-type virus.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The reverse genetic for avian influenza H9N2 subtype virus has been established successfully.</p>

Study on the correlation of human influenza A/H3N2 hemagglutinin gene variation and the epidemic from 1995 to 2005 in China / 病毒学报

To study the correlation of human influenza A/H3N2 hemagglutinin gene variation and the epidemic from 1995 to 2005 in China, 550 HA1 sequences of H3N2 viruses isolated in China were analyzed with phylogenetic tree. The results showed that the evolution of HA1 represented a long trunk with short side branches. The animo acid changes of HA1 mostly located at the antigenic sites or aside of them, but also may occur at the other sites simultaneously. The analysis also showed three possibilities of HA1 variation to cause H3N2 epidemic, the first is multiple site mutations happened simultaneously; the second is mutation sites happened gradually and then accumulated to multiple sites; the third is a single antigenic site mutation occurred simultaneously with the receptor binding site variation.

Characteristic analysis of NA gene of human influenza viruses (H3N2) isolated from 1996 to 2005 in China / 病毒学报

The NA genes of 395 strains of human H3N2 influenza virus isolated from 1996 to 2005 in China were sequenced, analyzed with bioinformatics tools. The NA nucleotide sequence of phylogenetic tree showed a main evolution branch with multiple short side branches. The strains in the same year may be divided into several branches. There was an obvious lag between vaccine strains recommended by WHO and the Chinese circulating strains in phylogenetic tree of the NA nucleotide. The result also showed no amino acid deletion and insertion in the NA. In NA antigen sites, where including residues 197-199 aa, 431-434 aa and 339-347aa the mutation was higher, in contrast, the residues including 153 aa, 328-336 aa, 367-370aa and 400-403 aa, the mutation was lower. Besides the antigenic determinant sites, there also had the other amino acid mutated highly, such as 18, 23, 30, 93, 143, 208, 216, 221, 249, 265, 267, 307, 385 and 437 aa, among them 143 and 267 mutation were higher than that in antigenic determinant sites, their biological significance are not clear yet. The neuraminidase active-site residues in NA were highly conservative and the same were the disulphide bond and the glycosylation sites in NA. In conclusion, our analysis provides some information for influenza prevention and control and the NA inhibitor medicine application.

Adamantane resistance among influenza A (H3N2) viruses isolated from the mainland of China / 中华实验和临床病毒学杂志

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>To study the incidence of adamantane resistance among influenza A (H3N2) viruses isolated from the mainland of China since 1989 through our influenza surveillance system, and to provide more information for the clinical usage of adamantane drugs.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Totally 584 influenza A (H3N2) virus strains were randomly selected from our surveillance network since 1989, the adamantane drug resistance related gene M2 of all 584 strains was sequenced, and the drug sensitivity of viruses was also assayed by using biological methods in cells.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>No adamantane resistant strains were detected among the strains isolated from 1989 to 1999, but there was a surprisingly increased resistance rate of 56% in 2003 compared with 3.4% in 2002, and in 2005 the resistance rate increased to 77.6%.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Over 50% of virus among the strains isolated showed adamantane resistance since 2003, and the incidence rate is increasing.</p>