Cross-protection of mice immunized with inactivated preparations of human and avian influenza A (H2) viruses was determined after lethal infection with mouse-adapted (MA) variants of human A/Jap x Bell/57 (H2N1) and avian A/NJers/78 (H2N3) viruses. The MA variants differed from the original strains by acquired virulence for mice and changes in the HA antigenicity. These studies indicated that m...

David Swayne has recruited top experts worldwide to contribute to his new book, Avian Influenza. Each of the 25 chapters focuses on a specific area of expertise, and together they offer a variety of perspectives on this disease from the technical to the historical to the strategic. The history of avian influenza starts with a fascinating look at the domestication of poultry and moves to a descr...

Pigs have long been considered potential intermediate hosts in which avian influenza viruses can adapt to humans. To determine whether this potential exists for pigs in Indonesia, we conducted surveillance during 2005-2009. We found that 52 pigs in 4 provinces were infected during 2005-2007 but not 2008-2009. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the viruses had been introduced into the pig populat...

Influenza viruses, including highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (H5N1), could threaten blood safety. We analyzed 10,272 blood donor samples with a minipool nucleic acid amplication technique. Analytical sensitivity of the method was 804 geq/mL and 444 geq/mL for generic influenza primers and influenza (H5N1) subtype-specific primers. This study demonstrates that such screening for influenz...

avian influenza (ai) is a viral respiratory disease of domestic and wild birds. in the diagnostic laboratory, it is essential to have methods for rapid detection of avian respiratory viruses. cloacal swabs collected from chickens experimentally infected with h9 subtype ai virus, used in a reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (rt-pcr) assay for detection of ai. in infected animals, ai...

UNLABELLED Amino acid substitutions were introduced into avian influenza virus PB1 in order to characterize the interaction between polymerase activity and pathogenicity. Previously, we used recombinant viruses containing the hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) genes from the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) H5N1 strain and other internal genes from two low-pathogenicity av...

Recent outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza in Asia and associated human infections have led to a heightened level of awareness and preparation for a possible influenza pandemic. Vaccination is the best option by which spread of a pandemic virus could be prevented and severity of disease reduced. Production of live attenuated and inactivated vaccine seed viruses against avian influenz...

Avian influenza A viruses are serious veterinary pathogens that normally circulate among avian populations, causing substantial economic impacts. Some strains of avian influenza A viruses, such as H5N1, H9N2, and recently reported H7N9, have been occasionally found to adapt to humans from other species. In order to replicate efficiently in the new host, influenza viruses have to interact with a...

Mammalian influenza viruses are descendants of avian strains that crossed the species barrier and underwent further adaptation. Since 1997 in southeast Asia, H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses have been causing severe, even fatal disease in humans. Although no lineages of this subtype have been established until now, such repeated events may initiate a new pandemic. As a model of sp...

Both seasonal and pandemic influenza continue to challenge both scientists and clinicians. Drug-resistant H1N1 influenza viruses have dominated the 2009 flu season, and the H5N1 avian influenza virus continues to kill both people and poultry in Eurasia. Here, we discuss the pathogenesis and transmissibility of influenza viruses and we emphasize the need to find better predictors of both seasona...