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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Ames, Iowa » National Animal Disease Center » Virus and Prion Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #369472
Research Project: Intervention Strategies to Control Influenza A Virus Infection in Swine

Location: Virus and Prion Research

Title: Detection of H1 Swine Influenza A Virus in Human Serum Samples by Age Group

Author
item VANDOORN, ELIEN - Ghent University
item LEROUX-ROELS, ISABEL - Ghent University
item LEROUX-ROELS, GEERT - Ghent University
item PARYS, ANNA - Ghent University
item Baker, Amy
item VAN REETH, KRISTIEN - Ghent University

Submitted to: Emerging Infectious Diseases
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/1/2020
Publication Date: 9/1/2020
Citation: Vandoorn, E., Leroux-Roels, I., Leroux-Roels, G., Parys, A., Vincent, A.L., Van Reeth, K. 2020. Detection of H1 Swine Influenza A Virus in Human Serum Samples by Age Group. Emerging Infectious Diseases. 26(9):2118-2128. https://doi.org/10.3201/eid2609.191796.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3201/eid2609.191796

Interpretive Summary: Most H1 influenza A viruses (IAVs) of swine are derived from past human seasonal IAV. As human population immunity against these IAVs gradually decreases and the IAV change in the swine population, the risk for reintroduction into humans increases. Pandemic planning should include evaluating human population immunity against swine IAV. In this study, antibodies against swine and human seasonal IAV were measured in 549 serum samples of Belgians aged 0–97 collected in 2017–2018. Our serologic findings suggest that of the H1 viruses we tested, the European avian-like (clade 1C.2.1) and North American human like d1b (clade 1B.2.2.2) H1 swine IAV were poorly recognized by human serum antibodies across all age groups and may pose the highest pandemic risk.

Technical Abstract: Most H1 influenza A viruses (IAVs) of swine are derived from past human viruses. As human population immunity against these IAVs gradually decreases, the risk for reintroduction into humans increases. Here we examined 549 serum samples of Belgians aged 0–97 collected in 2017–2018 for hemagglutination inhibiting and virus neutralizing antibodies against 7 major H1 swine IAV (swIAV) clades and 3 human progenitor IAVs. Seroprevalence rates (titers =40) were >50% for classical swine and European human-like swIAVs, >24% for North American human-like d1a and Asian avian-like swIAVs, and =10% for North American human-like d1b and European avian-like swIAVs, but they were age-dependent. Antibody titers against human-like swIAVs and supposed human precursor IAVs were correlated (correlation coefficient = 0.30–0.86). Our serologic findings suggest that European avian-like (clade 1C.2.1) and North American human like d1b (clade 1B.2.2.2) H1 swIAVs pose the highest pandemic risk.