Low Path H5N1 AI Characterization in North America

[HenryN]

Re: Low Path H5N1 AI Characterization in North America

Now Dr. Niman, I'm disappointed. Rather than a blast off of a limited database, I would have expected some words around an avian North American virus recombining with a local mammilian virus. After all, you are not suggesting that the Washington state mallard got its Isoleucine from a Chinese chicken are you?

The travel log is not a blast. It identifies donor sequences. I would not interpret the travel log as an indication that the chickens were the donors.

[Mamabird]

Re: Low Path H5N1 AI Characterization in North America

The travel log is not a blast. It identifies donor sequences. I would not interpret the travel log as an indication that the chickens were the donors.

Fair enough. So, let me ask it another way. Do you have an opinion as to where or how the Washington state mallard might have acquired its Isoleucine at position 230 of the HA segment since this is fairly rare in avian H5 viruses, but quite common in human seasonal flu viruses?

[HenryN]

Re: Low Path H5N1 AI Characterization in North America

Fair enough. So, let me ask it another way. Do you have an opinion as to where or how the Washington state mallard might have acquired its Isoleucine at position 230 of the HA segment since this is fairly rare in avian H5 viruses, but quite common in human seasonal flu viruses?

Acquisitions require sequence matches, and the matches for the mallard acquisition are largely avian, so I think the M230I came from a non-human source and based on other changes, I suspect the donor was Asian (although the North American database has gaping holes).

[sharon sanders]

Re: Low Path H5N1 AI Characterization in North America

Just a reminder to be "nice". We want challenges to Niman's theory. We want debate. Please limit personal comments. Last week someone objected to the word "nonsense" and left the site. We allow that word here. We do not allow personal insults.

Thank you for all the comments.

[Mamabird]

Re: Low Path H5N1 AI Characterization in North America

Acquisitions require sequence matches, and the matches for the mallard acquisition are largely avian, so I think the M230I came from a non-human source and based on other changes, I suspect the donor was Asian (although the North American database has gaping holes).

So, based on the above comment, you really do not see a mammilian source for recombination as concerned you in Egypt? Your quote:

"The convergence of two different codons for M230I in Qinghai H5N1 in Egypt is curious. The new acquisitions were on a Qinghai Egyptian genetic background, yet they traced back to distinct H5N1 or H7N3 isolates. The acquisitions are most easily explained by recombination. The convergence of M230I may signal a mammalian intermediary because of the linkage of M230I to serotypes that are linked to mammal -to-mammal transmission. Moreover, M230I may be transported downstream to Djibouti and Sudan in eastern Africa, as well as countries in western Africa, such as Nigeria and Ivory Coast, which have had recent H5N1 Qinghai outbreaks.

In Egypt, the acquisition of mammalian polymorphisms in association with Tamiflu resistance remains a cause for concern."

[AlaskaDenise]

Re: Low Path H5N1 AI Characterization in North America

Mallards certain mix with Asian birds prior to returnign to WA. See migration map below:



There are between 1.5 to 2.3 million Asian birds come to Alaska every year.......plenty of opportunity to pick up Asian genetics.
see http://www.cdc.gov/eid/content/13/4/pdfs/547.pdf

Also, mallards are one species that regularly mix with others of their species from across the Bering sea.

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