Skip to main content
ARS Home » Southeast Area » Athens, Georgia » U.S. National Poultry Research Center » Exotic & Emerging Avian Viral Diseases Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #351133
Research Project: Intervention Strategies to Prevent and Control Disease Outbreaks Caused by Emerging Strains of Avian Influenza Viruses

Location: Exotic & Emerging Avian Viral Diseases Research

Title: New reassortant clade 2.3.4.4b avian influenza A (H5N6) virus in wild birds, South Korea, 2017-2018

Author
item KWON, JUNG-HOON - Konkuk University
item JEONG, SOL - Konkuk University
item LEE, DONG-HUN - Orise Fellow
item Swayne, David
item KIM, YU-JIN - Konkuk University
item LEE, SUN-HAK - Konkuk University
item NOH, JIN-YONG - Konkuk University
item ERDENE-OCHIR, TSEREN-OCHIR - Konkuk University
item JEONG, JEI-HYUN - Konkuk University
item SONG, CHANG-SEON - Konkuk University

Submitted to: Emerging Infectious Diseases
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/25/2018
Publication Date: 10/1/2018
Publication URL: http://handle.nal.usda.gov/10113/6542268
Citation: Kwon, J., Jeong, S., Lee, D., Swayne, D.E., Kim, Y., Lee, S., Noh, J., Erdene-Ochir, T., Jeong, J., Song, C. 2018. New reassortant clade 2.3.4.4b avian influenza A (H5N6) virus in wild birds, South Korea, 2017-2018. Emerging Infectious Diseases. 24(10):1953-1955. https://doi.org/10.3201/eid2410.180461.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3201/eid2410.180461

Interpretive Summary: Since 1996, Asian-origin H5 A/goose/Guangdong/1/1996 (Gs/GD) lineage of high pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI) viruses have caused outbreaks in Asia, Europe, Africa, and North America. Novel reassortant H5N6 of clade 2.3.4.4b HPAI viruses were isolated from fecal samples of wild waterfowls in South Korea during 2017-2018. All H5N6 isolates shared high nucleotide sequence identities in all 8 gene segment (99.58-100%) and identified as HPAIV based on the presence of multiple basic amino acids at the HA proteolytic cleavage site (PLREKRRKR/G. Phylogenetic analysis suggested that reassortment occurred between H5N8 and low pathogenic avian influenza viruses circulating in Europe, followed by dissemination to East Asia. The continued evolution of a variety of reassortant HPAIV in Korea is of concern for further reassortment and intercontinental spread.

Technical Abstract: We isolated new reassortant avian influenza A(H5N6) viruses from feces of wild waterfowl in South Korea during 2017–18. Phylogenetic analysis suggested that reassortment occurred between clade 2.3.4.4b H5N8 and Eurasian low pathogenicity avian influenza viruses circulating in wild birds. Dissemination to South Korea during the 2017 fall migratory season followed.We isolated new reassortant avian influenza A(H5N6) viruses from feces of wild waterfowl in South Korea during 2017–18. Phylogenetic analysis suggested that reassortment occurred between clade 2.3.4.4b H5N8 and Eurasian low pathogenicity avian influenza viruses circulating in wild birds. Dissemination to South Korea during the 2017 fall migratory season followed.