Final published version
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Isolation and characterization of low pathogenic H9N2 avian influenza A viruses from a healthy flock and its comparison to other H9N2 isolates
AU - Munir, Muhammad
AU - Zohari, Siamak
AU - Abbas, Muhammad
AU - Shabbir, Muhammad Zubair
AU - Zahid, Muhammad Nauman
AU - Latif, Muhammad Saqib
AU - Iqbal, Muhammad
AU - Ahsan Qureshi, Zafar Ul
AU - Berg, Mikael
PY - 2013/12/1
Y1 - 2013/12/1
N2 - Several outbreaks of avian influenza (AI) caused by H9N2 subtype, have been reported in the poultry industry during 1990 around the globe. Currently, H9N2 are endemic in the large area of Middle and Far East, including Pakistan. Since H9N2 AI viruses are sporadically reported from humans, extensive incidence of H9N2 in poultry imposes a great risk for human health. In this context, continuous monitoring of the poultry and determining the genetic nature of these viruses are fundamental to predict any future threat. Thus gene sequences of one isolate of H9N2, isolated from commercial poultry flocks, were analyzed. The results of this investigation, based on hemagglutinin (HA), neuraminidase (NA) and nonstructural genes, showed that Pakistani H9N2 isolates are closely related to each other and to other H9N2 isolates from the Middle East. However, several unusual substitutions with unknown functional consequences were observed in HA and NA proteins and thus warrant further investigations for their possible role in viral biology. In conclusion, these findings provide information regarding the genetic nature of H9N2 avian influenza viruses in Pakistani poultry and necessitate the sequencing of more H9N2 viruses from both naturally infected and vaccinated flocks.
AB - Several outbreaks of avian influenza (AI) caused by H9N2 subtype, have been reported in the poultry industry during 1990 around the globe. Currently, H9N2 are endemic in the large area of Middle and Far East, including Pakistan. Since H9N2 AI viruses are sporadically reported from humans, extensive incidence of H9N2 in poultry imposes a great risk for human health. In this context, continuous monitoring of the poultry and determining the genetic nature of these viruses are fundamental to predict any future threat. Thus gene sequences of one isolate of H9N2, isolated from commercial poultry flocks, were analyzed. The results of this investigation, based on hemagglutinin (HA), neuraminidase (NA) and nonstructural genes, showed that Pakistani H9N2 isolates are closely related to each other and to other H9N2 isolates from the Middle East. However, several unusual substitutions with unknown functional consequences were observed in HA and NA proteins and thus warrant further investigations for their possible role in viral biology. In conclusion, these findings provide information regarding the genetic nature of H9N2 avian influenza viruses in Pakistani poultry and necessitate the sequencing of more H9N2 viruses from both naturally infected and vaccinated flocks.
KW - DNA sequencing
KW - H9N2
KW - Influenza
KW - Pakistan
KW - Phylogenetic analysis
U2 - 10.1007/s13337-013-0144-1
DO - 10.1007/s13337-013-0144-1
M3 - Journal article
AN - SCOPUS:84892815834
VL - 24
SP - 342
EP - 348
JO - Indian Journal of Virology
JF - Indian Journal of Virology
SN - 0970-2822
IS - 3
ER -