Emerging Infectious Diseases (Apr 2017)

Outbreaks among Wild Birds and Domestic Poultry Caused by Reassorted Influenza A(H5N8) Clade 2.3.4.4 Viruses, Germany, 2016

  • Anne Pohlmann,
  • Elke Starick,
  • Timm Harder,
  • Christian Grund,
  • Dirk Höper,
  • Anja Globig,
  • Christoph Staubach,
  • Klaas Dietze,
  • Günter Strebelow,
  • Reiner G. Ulrich,
  • Jan Schinköthe,
  • Jens P. Teifke,
  • Franz J. Conraths,
  • Thomas C. Mettenleiter,
  • Martin Beer

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3201/eid2304.161949
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 23, no. 4
pp. 633 – 636

Abstract

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In November 2016, an influenza A(H5N8) outbreak caused deaths of wild birds and domestic poultry in Germany. Clade 2.3.4.4 virus was closely related to viruses detected at the Russia–Mongolia border in 2016 but had new polymerase acidic and nucleoprotein segments. These new strains may be more efficiently transmitted to and shed by birds.

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