Recent H5N1 avian Influenza A virus increases rapidly in virulence to mice after a single passage in mice

• Published in: Journal of general virology 2006-12, Vol.87 (12), p.3655-3659
• Main Authors: Mase, M, Tanimura, N, Imada, T, Okamatsu, M, Tsukamoto, K, Yamaguchi, S
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adaptation, Biological; Amino Acid Substitution - genetics; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Brain - virology; Chickens - virology; disease transmission; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Glutamic Acid - genetics; Histocytochemistry; Immunohistochemistry; Influenza A virus; Influenza A Virus, H5N1 Subtype - genetics; Influenza A Virus, H5N1 Subtype - growth & development; Influenza A Virus, H5N1 Subtype - isolation & purification; Influenza A Virus, H5N1 Subtype - pathogenicity; Influenza in Birds - virology; Lysine - genetics; Mice; Microbiology; Miscellaneous; Mutation, Missense; Orthomyxoviridae Infections - pathology; Orthomyxoviridae Infections - virology; RNA, Viral - genetics; Viral Proteins - genetics; Virology; Virulence
• ISSN: 0022-1317; 1465-2099
• DOI: 10.1099/vir.0.81843-0

To evaluate the potential pathogenicity to mammals of the recent H5N1 avian Influenza A virus, viruses recovered from dead mice infected with A/chicken/Yamaguchi/7/2004 isolated in Japan were examined. All recovered viruses from the brains of dead mice infected with this strain (without any prior adaptation to mice) had substituted the amino acid at position 627 of the PB2 protein from glutamic acid to lysine. Their mouse lethality had increased by approximately 5 x 10(4) times over that of the original virus. Histopathological analysis reinforced the finding that these variants caused more rapid and severe damage to mice than the original virus. This revealed that it might be useful to characterize the recovered virus to assess its potential pathogenicity to mammals.