Origin and molecular characterization of the human-infecting H6N1 infl uenza virus in Taiwan

In June 2013,the fi rst human H6N1 infl uenza virus infec-tion was confirmed in Taiwan.However,the origin and molecular characterization of this virus,A/Taiwan/2/2013(H6N1),have not been well studied thus far.In the present report,we performed phylogenetic and coalescent analy-ses of this virus and compared its molecular profi le/char-acteristics with other closely related strains.Molecular characterization of H6N1 revealed that it is a typical avian infl uenza virus of low pathogenicity,which might not rep-licate and propagate well in the upper airway in mammals.Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the virus clusters with A/chicken/Taiwan/A2837/2013(H6N1)in seven genes,except PB1.For the PB1 gene,A/Taiwan/2/2013 was clus-tered with a different H6N1 lineage from A/chicken/Taiwan/A2837/2013.Although a previous study demonstrated that the PB2,PA,and M genes of A/Taiwan/2/2013 might be derived from the H5N2 viruses,coalescent analyses revealed that these H5N2 viruses were derived from more recent strains than that of the ancestor of A/Taiwan/2/2013.Therefore,we propose that A/Taiwan/2/2013 is a reassor-tant from different H6N1 lineages circulating in chickens in Taiwan.Furthermore,compared to avian isolates,a sin-gle P186L(H3 numbering)substitution in the hemaggluti-nin H6 of the human isolate might increase the mammali-an receptor binding and,hence,this strain’s pathogenicity in humans.Overall,human infection with this virus seems an accidental event and is unlikely to cause an infl uenza pandemic.However,its co-circulation and potential reas-sortment with other infl uenza subtypes are still worthy of attention.

Pseudovirus-based neuraminidase inhibition assays reveal potential H5N1 drug-resistant mutations

The use of antiviral drugs such as influenza neuraminidase (NA) inhibitors is a critical strategy to prevent and control flu pandemic, but this strategy faces the challenge of emerging drug-resistant strains. For a highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 virus, biosafety restrictions have significantly limited the efforts to monitor its drug responses and mechanisms involved. In this study, a rapid and biosafe assay based on NA pseudovirus was developed to study the resistance of HPAI H5N1 virus to NA inhibitor drugs. The H5N1 NA pseudovirus was comprehensively tested using oseltamivir-sensitive strains and their resistant mutants. Results were consistent with those in previous studies, in which live H5N1 viruses were used. Several oseltamivir-resistant mutations reported in human H1N1 were also identified to cause decreased oseltamivir sensitivity in H5N1 NA by using the H5N1 NA pseudovirus. Thus, H5N1 NA pseudoviruses could be used to monitor HPAI H5N1 drug resistance rapidly and safely.