Antigenicity and genetic properties of an Eurasian avian-like H1N1 swine influenza virus in Jiangsu Province, China

Fang He; Huiyan Yu; Liqi Liu; Xiyan Li; Yadong Xing; Lei Yang; Pengfei Yang; Liguo Zhu; Zi Li

Biosafety and Health (Dec 2024)

Antigenicity and genetic properties of an Eurasian avian-like H1N1 swine influenza virus in Jiangsu Province, China

Fang He,
Huiyan Yu,
Liqi Liu,
Xiyan Li,
Yadong Xing,
Lei Yang,
Pengfei Yang,
Liguo Zhu,
Zi Li

Affiliations

Fang He: Huai’an Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Huai’an 223299, China
Huiyan Yu: Department of Acute Infectious Disease Control and Prevention, Jiangsu Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Nanjing 210008, China
Liqi Liu: National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 102206, China
Xiyan Li: National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 102206, China
Yadong Xing: Huai’an Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Huai’an 223299, China
Lei Yang: National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 102206, China
Pengfei Yang: Huai’an Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Huai’an 223299, China; Corresponding authors: Huai’an Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Huai’an 223299, China (P. Yang); Department of Acute Infectious Disease Control and Prevention, Jiangsu Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Nanjing 210008, China (L. Zhu); National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 102206, China (Z. Li).
Liguo Zhu: Department of Acute Infectious Disease Control and Prevention, Jiangsu Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Nanjing 210008, China; Jiangsu Provincial Medical Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbiology in Emerging Major Infectious Diseases, Jiangsu Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Nanjing 210008, China; Corresponding authors: Huai’an Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Huai’an 223299, China (P. Yang); Department of Acute Infectious Disease Control and Prevention, Jiangsu Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Nanjing 210008, China (L. Zhu); National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 102206, China (Z. Li).
Zi Li: National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 102206, China; Corresponding authors: Huai’an Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Huai’an 223299, China (P. Yang); Department of Acute Infectious Disease Control and Prevention, Jiangsu Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Nanjing 210008, China (L. Zhu); National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 102206, China (Z. Li).

Journal volume & issue: Vol. 6, no. 6
pp. 319 – 326

Abstract

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Pigs are vital genetic mixing vessels for human and avian influenza viruses because their tracheal epitheliums possess both sialic acid α-2,6-Gal and α-2,3-Gal receptors. Cross-species transmission of influenza A viruses from swine to humans occurs occasionally. The first case of human infection with the Eurasian avian-like H1N1 swine influenza virus (EAH1N1 SIVs) genotype G4 was detected in Jiangsu Province, China, in February 2023, and backtracking epidemiological investigations did not reveal a clear source of the infection. The hemagglutination (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) amino acid variant sites, antiviral drug susceptibility, and antigenic variation of the isolated A/Jiangsu/27271/2023 (JS/27271/23) virus were analyzed, and we evaluated the protective effect of sera collected from occupationally exposed populations in 2024 against the virus. Compared with the vaccine strain, the nucleotide sequence similarities of JS/27271/23 HA and NA were 96.5 % and 95.2 %, respectively. JS/27271/23 was sensitive to polymerase inhibitors (favipiravir and baloxavir), and the antigenicity of its HA protein was 8-fold different from that of the vaccine strain. The percentage of occupationally exposed population with antibody titers of ≥ 40 against A/Hunan/42443/2015 (HN/42443/15) and A/Jiangsu/1/2011 (JS/1/11) were 7.25 % and 2.25 %, respectively, and the geometric mean titers (GMT) were 6.24 and 5.34, respectively. Out of 400 serum samples examined, none had antibody titers of ≥ 40 against JS/27271/23. This suggests that low serum levels of antibodies to EAH1N1 SIVs in occupationally exposed populations may not provide adequate protection because of significant differences in amino acid sites and antigenicity between this virus and the current vaccine strain of EAH1N1 SIVs. There is no evidence of human-to-human transmission of EAH1N1 SIVs. Therefore, surveillance for EAH1N1 SIVs and the development of new vaccine strains are required.

Published in Biosafety and Health

ISSN: 2590-0536 (Online)
Publisher: Elsevier
Country of publisher: Netherlands
LCC subjects: Medicine: Internal medicine: Infectious and parasitic diseases; Medicine: Public aspects of medicine
Website: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/biosafety-and-health/

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