Tomás Gonzalo, Marandino Ana, Panzera Yanina, Rodríguez Sirley, Wallau Gabriel Luz, Dezordi Filipe Zimmer, Pérez Ramiro, Bassetti Lucía, Negro Raúl, Williman Joaquín, Uriarte Valeria, Grazioli Fabiana, Leizagoyen Carmen, Riverón Sabrina, Coronel Jaime, Bello Soledad, Páez Enrique, Lima Martín, Méndez Virginia, Pérez Ruben
Sección Genética Evolutiva, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Iguá 4225, Montevideo 11400, Uruguay.
Departamento de Virología, División de Laboratorios Veterinarios 'Miguel C. Rubino', Dirección'General de Servicios Ganaderos, Ministerio de Ganadería, Agricultura y Pesca, Ruta 8 km 17,000, Montevideo 12100, Uruguay.
Virus Evol. 2024 Apr 13;10(1):veae031. doi: 10.1093/ve/veae031. eCollection 2024.
The highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses of clade 2.3.4.4b have caused unprecedented deaths in South American wild birds, poultry, and marine mammals. In September 2023, pinnipeds and seabirds appeared dead on the Uruguayan Atlantic coast. Sixteen influenza virus strains were characterized by real-time reverse transcription PCR and genome sequencing in samples from sea lions (), fur seals (), and terns (). Phylogenetic and ancestral reconstruction analysis showed that these strains have pinnipeds most likely as the ancestral host, representing a recent introduction of clade 2.3.4.4b in Uruguay. The Uruguayan and closely related strains from Peru (sea lions) and Chile (sea lions and a human case) carry mammalian adaptative residues 591K and 701N in the viral polymerase basic protein 2 (PB2). Our findings suggest that clade 2.3.4.4b strains in South America may have spread from mammals to mammals and seabirds, revealing a new transmission route.
2.3.4.4b分支的高致病性禽流感病毒已在南美野生鸟类、家禽和海洋哺乳动物中造成前所未有的死亡。2023年9月，乌拉圭大西洋沿岸出现了海豹和海鸟死亡的情况。通过实时逆转录PCR和基因组测序对来自海狮、毛皮海豹和燕鸥的样本中的16株流感病毒进行了鉴定。系统发育和祖先重建分析表明，这些毒株最有可能以海豹为祖先宿主，代表了2.3.4.4b分支最近在乌拉圭的引入。来自乌拉圭以及秘鲁（海狮）和智利（海狮和一例人类病例）的密切相关毒株在病毒聚合酶碱性蛋白2（PB2）中携带哺乳动物适应性残基591K和701N。我们的研究结果表明，南美洲的2.3.4.4b分支毒株可能已从哺乳动物传播到哺乳动物和海鸟，揭示了一种新的传播途径。
