Evidence of reassortment of avian influenza A (H2) viruses in Brazilian shorebirds

• Published in: PloS one 2024-05, Vol.19 (5), p.e0300862-e0300862
• Main Authors: Thomazelli, Luciano M, Pinho, João Renato Rebello, Dorlass, Erick G, Ometto, Tatiana, Meneguin, Carla, Paludo, Danielle, Frias, Rodolfo Teixeira, Mancini, Patricia Luciano, Monteiro, Cairo, Aicher, Sophie Marie, Walker, David, Scagion, Guilherme P, Krauss, Scott, Fabrizio, Thomas, Petry, Maria Virgínia, Scherer, Angelo L, Scherer, Janete, Serafini, Patricia P, Neto, Isaac S, Amgarten, Deyvid Emanuel, Malta, Fernanda de Mello, Borges, Ana Laura Boechat, Webster, Robert G, Webby, Richard J, Durigon, Edison L, de Araujo, Jansen
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Analysis; Animals; Aquatic birds; Avian flu; Avian influenza; Avian influenza viruses; Biology and Life Sciences; Bird migration; Birds; Birds - virology; Brazil; Charadriiformes - virology; Computer and Information Sciences; DNA; DNA sequencing; Epidemics; Gene sequencing; Genetic diversity; Genome, Viral; Genomes; Genomic analysis; Genomics; Iceland; Influenza; Influenza A; Influenza A virus - genetics; Influenza A virus - isolation & purification; Influenza in Birds - epidemiology; Influenza in Birds - virology; Medicine and Health Sciences; National parks; North America; Nucleotide sequence; Nucleotide sequencing; Pandemics; People and places; Phylogenetics; Phylogeny; Public health; Reassortant Viruses - genetics; Reassortant Viruses - isolation & purification; Research and Analysis Methods; Sandpipers; Scolopacidae; South America; South Korea; Surveillance; Viruses
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0300862

Influenza A viruses of the H2 subtype represent a zoonotic and pandemic threat to humans due to a lack of widespread specific immunity. Although A(H2) viruses that circulate in wild bird reservoirs are distinct from the 1957 pandemic A(H2N2) viruses, there is concern that they could impact animal and public health. There is limited information on AIVs in Latin America, and next to nothing about H2 subtypes in Brazil. In the present study, we report the occurrence and genomic sequences of two influenza A viruses isolated from wild-caught white-rumped sandpipers (Calidris fuscicollis). One virus, identified as A(H2N1), was isolated from a bird captured in Restinga de Jurubatiba National Park (PNRJ, Rio de Janeiro), while the other, identified as A(H2N2), was isolated from a bird captured in Lagoa do Peixe National Park (PNLP, Rio Grande do Sul). DNA sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of the obtained sequences revealed that each virus belonged to distinct subtypes. Furthermore, the phylogenetic analysis indicated that the genomic sequence of the A(H2N1) virus isolated from PNRJ was most closely related to other A(H2N1) viruses isolated from North American birds. On the other hand, the A(H2N2) virus genome recovered from the PNLP-captured bird exhibited a more diverse origin, with some sequences closely related to viruses from Iceland and North America, and others showing similarity to virus sequences recovered from birds in South America. Viral genes of diverse origins were identified in one of the viruses, indicating local reassortment. This suggests that the extreme South of Brazil may serve as an environment conducive to reassortment between avian influenza virus lineages from North and South America, potentially contributing to an increase in overall viral diversity.