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Research Project: Viral Ecology of Henipaviruses in Endemic Settings and Intervention Strategies to Prevent their Spread to Domestic Animals

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Title: Pathogenicity and transmissibility of bovine-derived HPAI H5N1 B3.13 virus in pigs

Author
item KWON, TAEYONG - Kansas State University
item TRUJILLO, JESSIE - Kansas State University
item CAROSSINO, MARIANO - Louisiana State University
item MACHKOVECH, HEATHER - University Of Wisconsin
item COOL, KONNER - Kansas State University
item LYOO, EU LIM - Kansas State University
item SINGH, GAGANDEEP - Kansas State University
item KAFLE, SUJAN - Kansas State University
item ELANGO, SHANMUGASUNDARA - Kansas State University
item VEDIYAPPAN, GOVINDSAMY - Kansas State University
item WEI, WANTING - University Of Wisconsin
item MINOR, NICHOLAS - University Of Wisconsin
item MATIAS-FERREYRA, FRANCO - Kansas State University
item MOROZOV, IGOR - Kansas State University
item GAUDREAULT, NATASHA - Kansas State University
item BALASURIYA, UDENI - Louisiana State University
item Hensley, Lisa
item DIEL, DIEGO - Cornell University
item MA, WENJUN - University Of Missouri
item FRIEDRICH, THOMAS - University Of Wisconsin
item RICHT, JUERGEN - Kansas State University

Submitted to: Emerging Microbes & Infections
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/18/2025
Publication Date: 6/16/2025
Citation: Kwon, T., Trujillo, J.D., Carossino, M., Machkovech, H.M., Cool, K., Lyoo, E., Singh, G., Kafle, S., Elango, S., Vediyappan, G., Wei, W., Minor, N., Matias-Ferreyra, F.S., Morozov, I., Gaudreault, N.N., Balasuriya, U.B., Hensley, L.E., Diel, D.G., Ma, W., Friedrich, T.C., Richt, J.A. 2025. Pathogenicity and transmissibility of bovine-derived HPAI H5N1 B3.13 virus in pigs. Emerging Microbes & Infections. 14. Article 2509742. https://doi.org/10.1080/22221751.2025.2509742.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/22221751.2025.2509742

Interpretive Summary: High Path Avian Influenza (HPAI) has been spreading in dairy cattle across the United states. Spillover of the virus to humans and cats have been reported. The ability of the virus to infect multiple species raises concerns that the virus may pose risk to other animal species and that infection of other animal species may create avenues for the virus to spread and change. This study showed that pigs could be productively infected. It also showed a change in the virus in one of the animals. Fortunately there was no evidence that infected pigs could transmit the virus to other pigs in the room.

Technical Abstract: Since the first emergence of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 viruses in dairy cattle, the virus has continued to spread, reaching at least 17 states and at least 970 dairy herds in the United States. Subsequently, spillovers of the virus from dairy cattle to humans have been reported. Pigs are an important reservoir in influenza ecology because they serve as a mixing vessel in which novel reassortant viruses with pandemic potential can be generated. Here, we show that oro-respiratory infection of pigs resulted in productive replication of a bovine-derived HPAI H5N1 B3.13 virus. Infectious virus was mainly identified in the lower respiratory tract of principal infected pigs, and sero-conversion was observed in most of the principal pigs at later time points. In one animal, we detected the emergence of a mutation in hemagglutinin (HA) previously associated with increased affinity for "mammalian-type" a2,6-linked sialic acid receptors, but this mutation did not reach consensus levels. Sentinel contact pigs remained sero-negative throughout the study, indicating lack of transmission. The results support that pigs are susceptible to a bovine-derived HPAI H5N1 B3.13 virus, but this virus did not replicate as robustly in pigs as mink-derived HPAI H5N1 and swine-adapted influenza viruses.