Genetic Characterization and Pathogenesis of Three Novel Reassortant H5N2 Viruses in South Korea, 2018
1
Zoonosis Research Center, Department of Infection Biology, School of Medicine, Wonkwang University, Iksan 54538, Korea
2
College of Veterinary Medicine, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 24341, Korea
3
Department of Tropical Medicine and Parasitology, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul 03080, Korea
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
†
These authors contributed equally to this manuscript.
Academic Editors: Chao-Nan Lin and Peck Toung Ooi
Viruses 2021, 13(11), 2192; https://doi.org/10.3390/v13112192
Received: 7 October 2021
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Revised: 26 October 2021
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Accepted: 26 October 2021
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Published: 30 October 2021
(This article belongs to the Topic Veterinary Infectious Diseases)
The outbreaks of H5N2 avian influenza viruses have occasionally caused the death of thousands of birds in poultry farms. Surveillance during the 2018 winter season in South Korea revealed three H5N2 isolates in feces samples collected from wild birds (KNU18-28: A/Wild duck/South Korea/KNU18-28/2018, KNU18-86: A/Bean Goose/South Korea/KNU18-86/2018, and KNU18-93: A/Wild duck/South Korea/KNU18-93/2018). Phylogenetic tree analysis revealed that these viruses arose from reassortment events among various virus subtypes circulating in South Korea and other countries in the East Asia–Australasian Flyway. The NS gene of the KNU18-28 and KNU18-86 isolates was closely related to that of China’s H10N3 strain, whereas the KNU18-93 strain originated from the H12N2 strain in Japan, showing two different reassortment events and different from a low pathogenic H5N3 (KNU18-91) virus which was isolated at the same day and same place with KNU18-86 and KNU18-93. These H5N2 isolates were characterized as low pathogenic avian influenza viruses. However, many amino acid changes in eight gene segments were identified to enhance polymerase activity and increase adaptation and virulence in mice and mammals. Experiments reveal that viral replication in MDCK cells was quite high after 12 hpi, showing the ability to replicate in mouse lungs. The hematoxylin and eosin-stained (H&E) lung sections indicated different degrees of pathogenicity of the three H5N2 isolates in mice compared with that of the control H1N1 strain. The continuing circulation of these H5N2 viruses may represent a potential threat to mammals and humans. Our findings highlight the need for intensive surveillance of avian influenza virus circulation in South Korea to prevent the risks posed by these reassortment viruses to animal and public health.
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Keywords:
avian influenza virus; H5N2 low pathogenic; reassortment virus; South Korea; pathogenicity in mice
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MDPI and ACS Style
Nguyen, A.T.V.; Hoang, V.T.; Sung, H.W.; Yeo, S.-J.; Park, H. Genetic Characterization and Pathogenesis of Three Novel Reassortant H5N2 Viruses in South Korea, 2018. Viruses 2021, 13, 2192. https://doi.org/10.3390/v13112192
AMA Style
Nguyen ATV, Hoang VT, Sung HW, Yeo S-J, Park H. Genetic Characterization and Pathogenesis of Three Novel Reassortant H5N2 Viruses in South Korea, 2018. Viruses. 2021; 13(11):2192. https://doi.org/10.3390/v13112192
Chicago/Turabian StyleNguyen, Anh Thi Viet, Vui Thi Hoang, Haan Woo Sung, Seon-Ju Yeo, and Hyun Park. 2021. "Genetic Characterization and Pathogenesis of Three Novel Reassortant H5N2 Viruses in South Korea, 2018" Viruses 13, no. 11: 2192. https://doi.org/10.3390/v13112192
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