Laboratory of Influenza Research, College of Veterinary Medicine, Chungnam National University, 99 Dae-Hak Ro, Yuseong Gu, Daejeon, 34134, Republic of Korea.
Institute of Influenza Virus, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, 34134, Republic of Korea.
Arch Virol. 2020 May;165(5):1141-1150. doi: 10.1007/s00705-020-04572-z. Epub 2020 Mar 28.
Pigs are capable of harbouring influenza A viruses of human and avian origin in their respiratory tracts and thus act as an important intermediary host to generate novel influenza viruses with pandemic potential by genetic reassortment between the two viruses. Here, we show that two distinct H1N2 swine influenza viruses contain avian-like or classical swine-like hemagglutinins with polymerase acidic (PA) and nucleoprotein (NP) genes from 2009 pandemic H1N1 influenza viruses that were found to be circulating in Korean pigs in 2018. Swine H1N2 influenza virus containing an avian-like hemagglutinin gene had enhanced pathogenicity, causing severe interstitial pneumonia in infected pigs and mice. The mortality rate of mice infected with swine H1N2 influenza virus containing an avian-like hemagglutinin gene was higher by 100% when compared to that of mice infected with swine H1N2 influenza virus harbouring classical swine-like hemagglutinin. Further, chemokines attracting inflammatory cells were strongly induced in lung tissues of pigs and mice infected by swine H1N2 influenza virus containing an avian-like hemagglutinin gene. In conclusion, it is necessary for the well-being of humans and pigs to closely monitor swine influenza viruses containing avian-like hemagglutinin with PA and NP genes from 2009 pandemic H1N1 influenza viruses.
猪在其呼吸道中能够携带源自人类和禽类的甲型流感病毒，因此充当了一个重要的中间宿主，通过两种病毒之间的基因重配，产生具有大流行潜力的新型流感病毒。在这里，我们发现两种不同的 H1N2 猪流感病毒含有类似禽类或经典猪源的血凝素，以及聚合酶酸性（PA）和核蛋白（NP）基因，来自于 2009 年大流行的 H1N1 流感病毒，这些病毒于 2018 年在韩国猪群中被发现。含有类似禽类血凝素基因的猪 H1N2 流感病毒具有增强的致病性，导致感染猪和老鼠发生严重的间质性肺炎。与感染携带经典猪源血凝素的猪 H1N2 流感病毒的老鼠相比，感染含有类似禽类血凝素基因的猪 H1N2 流感病毒的老鼠的死亡率高出 100%。此外，在感染含有类似禽类血凝素基因的猪 H1N2 流感病毒的猪和老鼠的肺组织中，强烈诱导了吸引炎症细胞的趋化因子。总之，密切监测含有源自 2009 年大流行 H1N1 流感病毒的 PA 和 NP 基因的、携带类似禽类血凝素的猪流感病毒，对人类和猪的福祉是必要的。
