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Title: Intercontinental spread of Asian-origin H5N8 to North America through Beringia by migratory birds

Author
item LEE, DONGHUN - Orise Fellow
item TORCHETTI, MIA KIM - Animal And Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)
item WINKER, KEVIN - University Of Alaska
item IP, HON - National Wildlife Health Center
item SONG, CHANG-SEON - Konkuk University
item Swayne, David

Submitted to: Journal of Virology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/3/2015
Publication Date: 4/8/2015
Publication URL: http://handle.nal.usda.gov/10113/61307
Citation: Lee, D., Torchetti, M., Winker, K., Ip, H.S., Song, C., Swayne, D.E. 2015. Intercontinental spread of Asian-origin H5N8 to North America through Beringia by migratory birds. Journal of Virology. 89(12):6521-6524. doi: 10.1128/JVI.00728-15.

Interpretive Summary: The deadly H5N8 virus emerged in China during November 2013 and was spread by wild birds to South Korea and Japan by early 2014. The virus moved to summer breeding grounds in Siberia and Alaska by migratory birds. Two distinct subgroups emerged in late 2014 with one subgroup spreading to Russia and Europe, and the other to North America. Viruses from both subgroups reappeared in Japan. These results indicated that the deadly H5N8 virus was spread by wild birds from Asia to the USA.

Technical Abstract: Phylogenetic analysis and understanding of the waterfowl migration patterns suggests that Eurasian H5N8 clade 2.3.4.4 viruses moved to the Russian Far East/Beringia via migratory birds in spring 2014, evolved into 2 subgroups and subsequently spread along different flyways during fall 2014 into Europe and North America, respectively.