Multiple gene segment reassortment between Eurasian and American lineages of influenza A virus (H6N2) in Guillemot (Uria aalge).

• Guillemots banded in the northern Baltic Sea were screened for influenza A virus (IAV). Three out of 26 sampled birds tested positive by RT-PCR. Two of these were characterized as subtype H6N2. Phylogenetic analyses showed that five gene segments belonged to the American avian lineage of IAVs, whereas three gene segments belonged to the Eurasian lineage. Our findings indicate that avian IAVs may have a taxonomically wider reservoir spectrum than previously known and we present the first report of a chimeric avian IAV with genes of American and Eurasian origin in Europe.

Nyckelord

Americas

Animals

Antigens; Viral/genetics

Birds/*virology

Europe; Eastern

Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins; Influenza Virus/genetics

Influenza A virus/*genetics/isolation & purification

Molecular Sequence Data

Neuraminidase/genetics

Oceans and Seas

Phylogeny

Reassortant Viruses/*genetics/isolation & purification

MEDICINE

Publikations- och innehållstyp

ref (ämneskategori)

art (ämneskategori)