Emergence of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A Virus (H5N1) of Clade 2.3.4.4b in Egypt, 2021–2022
Zienab Mosaad,
Mohamed H. Elhusseiny,
Ali Zanaty,
Mustafa M. Fathy,
Naglaa M. Hagag,
Wesam H. Mady,
Dalia Said,
Moataz M. Elsayed,
Ahmed M. Erfan,
Neveen Rabie,
Abdelhafez Samir,
Mohamed Samy,
Abdel-Satar Arafa,
Abdullah Selim,
Ali M. Abdelhakim,
Johanna F. Lindahl,
Samah Eid,
Åke Lundkvist,
Momtaz A. Shahein,
Mahmoud M. Naguib
Affiliations
Zienab Mosaad
Reference Laboratory for Veterinary Quality Control on Poultry Production, Animal Health Research Institute, Agriculture Research Center (ARC), Giza 12618, Egypt
Mohamed H. Elhusseiny
Reference Laboratory for Veterinary Quality Control on Poultry Production, Animal Health Research Institute, Agriculture Research Center (ARC), Giza 12618, Egypt
Ali Zanaty
Reference Laboratory for Veterinary Quality Control on Poultry Production, Animal Health Research Institute, Agriculture Research Center (ARC), Giza 12618, Egypt
Mustafa M. Fathy
Animal Health Research Institute-Mansour Branch, Agriculture Research Center (ARC), Dakahlia 35511, Egypt
Naglaa M. Hagag
Reference Laboratory for Veterinary Quality Control on Poultry Production, Animal Health Research Institute, Agriculture Research Center (ARC), Giza 12618, Egypt
Wesam H. Mady
Reference Laboratory for Veterinary Quality Control on Poultry Production, Animal Health Research Institute, Agriculture Research Center (ARC), Giza 12618, Egypt
Dalia Said
Reference Laboratory for Veterinary Quality Control on Poultry Production, Animal Health Research Institute, Agriculture Research Center (ARC), Giza 12618, Egypt
Moataz M. Elsayed
Reference Laboratory for Veterinary Quality Control on Poultry Production, Animal Health Research Institute, Agriculture Research Center (ARC), Giza 12618, Egypt
Ahmed M. Erfan
Reference Laboratory for Veterinary Quality Control on Poultry Production, Animal Health Research Institute, Agriculture Research Center (ARC), Giza 12618, Egypt
Neveen Rabie
Reference Laboratory for Veterinary Quality Control on Poultry Production, Animal Health Research Institute, Agriculture Research Center (ARC), Giza 12618, Egypt
Abdelhafez Samir
Reference Laboratory for Veterinary Quality Control on Poultry Production, Animal Health Research Institute, Agriculture Research Center (ARC), Giza 12618, Egypt
Mohamed Samy
Reference Laboratory for Veterinary Quality Control on Poultry Production, Animal Health Research Institute, Agriculture Research Center (ARC), Giza 12618, Egypt
Abdel-Satar Arafa
Reference Laboratory for Veterinary Quality Control on Poultry Production, Animal Health Research Institute, Agriculture Research Center (ARC), Giza 12618, Egypt
Abdullah Selim
Reference Laboratory for Veterinary Quality Control on Poultry Production, Animal Health Research Institute, Agriculture Research Center (ARC), Giza 12618, Egypt
Ali M. Abdelhakim
General Organization for Veterinary Services, Giza 12618, Egypt
Johanna F. Lindahl
Zoonosis Science Center, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Uppsala University, 75121 Uppsala, Sweden
Samah Eid
Reference Laboratory for Veterinary Quality Control on Poultry Production, Animal Health Research Institute, Agriculture Research Center (ARC), Giza 12618, Egypt
Åke Lundkvist
Zoonosis Science Center, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Uppsala University, 75121 Uppsala, Sweden
Momtaz A. Shahein
Reference Laboratory for Veterinary Quality Control on Poultry Production, Animal Health Research Institute, Agriculture Research Center (ARC), Giza 12618, Egypt
Mahmoud M. Naguib
Reference Laboratory for Veterinary Quality Control on Poultry Production, Animal Health Research Institute, Agriculture Research Center (ARC), Giza 12618, Egypt
Wild migratory birds have the capability to spread avian influenza virus (AIV) over long distances as well as transmit the virus to domestic birds. In this study, swab and tissue samples were obtained from 190 migratory birds during close surveillance in Egypt in response to the recent outbreaks of the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 virus. The collected samples were tested for a variety of AIV subtypes (H5N1, H9N2, H5N8, and H6N2) as well as other pathogens such as NDV, IBV, ILT, IBDV, and WNV. Among all of the tested samples, the HPAI H5N1 virus was found in six samples; the other samples were found to be negative for all of the tested pathogens. The Egyptian HPAI H5N1 strains shared genetic traits with the HPAI H5N1 strains that are currently being reported in Europe, North America, Asia, and Africa in 2021–2022. Whole genome sequencing revealed markers associated with mammalian adaption and virulence traits among different gene segments, similar to those found in HPAI H5N1 strains detected in Europe and Africa. The detection of the HPAI H5N1 strain of clade 2.3.4.4b in wild birds in Egypt underlines the risk of the introduction of this strain into the local poultry population. Hence, there is reason to be vigilant and continue epidemiological and molecular monitoring of the AIV in close proximity to the domestic–wild bird interface.
