CEVA Animal Health, Industrial Zone Ouled Saleh, Lot 132, B.P. 39 20180, Bouskoura, Morocco.
Avian Pathology Unit, Department of Pathology and Veterinary Public Health, Agronomy and Veterinary Institute Hassan II, B.P. 6202, Rabat Institutes, Rabat, Morocco.
Avian Dis. 2020 Sep 1;64(3):310-314. doi: 10.1637/aviandiseases-D-20-00009.
Since the early 2000s, the avian influenza virus (AIV) subtype H9N2 has been widely circulating in North African countries, including Libya, Tunisia, and Egypt. For unknown reasons, H9N2 was not detected in Moroccan farms until the end of 2016, and at present, it is endemic in poultry. This study was carried out to evaluate the evolution of H9 AIVs in Morocco from 2017 to 2019. In this study, 16 H9 viruses collected from 2017 to 2019 in Morocco were isolated and sequenced. The genomic signatures and protein sequences of these isolates were analyzed. Moroccan H9 viruses were closely related to viruses isolated from African and Middle Eastern countries, and the hemagglutinin gene resembled those of viruses of G1-like lineage, and multiple mammalian host-associated mutations were detected that favor transmission from avian to mammalian hosts. Other mutations related to virulence were also identified. Our findings suggest that attention be given to the control of H9N2 influenza viruses in chickens and continuous monitoring of the prevalence and pathogenic potential of AIV H9N2 in the poultry population in Morocco.
自 21 世纪初以来，禽流感病毒（AIV）亚型 H9N2 在北非国家（包括利比亚、突尼斯和埃及）广泛传播。由于未知原因，H9N2 直到 2016 年底才在摩洛哥农场检测到，目前它在禽类中呈地方性流行。本研究旨在评估 2017 年至 2019 年期间摩洛哥 H9 AIV 的进化情况。在本研究中，从 2017 年至 2019 年在摩洛哥采集了 16 株 H9 病毒进行分离和测序。分析了这些分离株的基因组特征和蛋白序列。摩洛哥 H9 病毒与来自非洲和中东国家的分离病毒密切相关，血凝素基因与 G1 样谱系的病毒相似，检测到多种有利于从禽类传播到哺乳动物宿主的哺乳动物宿主相关突变。还鉴定了其他与毒力相关的突变。我们的研究结果表明，应注意控制鸡群中的 H9N2 流感病毒，并持续监测摩洛哥禽类人群中 AIV H9N2 的流行和致病潜力。
