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Study of Infection with an Iranian Field-Isolated H9N2 Avian Influenza Virus inVaccinated and Unvaccinated Japanese QuailSeyyed Mahmoud Ebrahimi, Soudeh Ziapour, Majid Tebianian, Mehran Dabaghian, and MashallahMohammadiSource: Avian Diseases Digest, 6(2):e3-e4. 2011.Published By: American Association of Avian PathologistsDOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1637/9714-953811-DIGEST.1URL: http://www.bioone.org/doi/full/10.1637/9714-953811-DIGEST.1

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Study of Infection with an Iranian Field-Isolated H9N2 Avian Influenza Virus in Vaccinated and UnvaccinatedJapanese Quail

Seyyed Mahmoud Ebrahimi, Soudeh Ziapour, Majid Tebianian, Mehran Dabaghian, and Mashallah MohammadiContact Address: smebrahimi@shirazu.ac.ir

Important FindingsThis study demonstrated that quails infected with A/chicken/Iran/

339/02 (H9N2), which caused severe health and economic problem in53-wk-old commercial layers, showed only mild disease signs andhigh egg production drops, with no rigorous morbidity or mortality.These results could indicate that inactivated vaccine did not fullyprevent the infection, although it was capable of protecting birdsagainst clinical signs and significantly decreased viral titer in lungafter intranasal challenge.

Significance of FindingsAlthough the ability of influenza viruses to replicate in quails and

infect them differs among influenza isolates, the field-isolated A/chicken/Iran/339/02 (H9N2) virus, which was obtained from a layerfarm with severe influenza clinical signs and high mortality, was ableto infect quail with clinical signs, transmit virus to contact birds, andaffect egg production significantly. This study highlights the necessityfor more comprehensive surveillance and further evaluation of H9N2viruses in quails, and the role of this reservoir bird species in theecology of influenza A virus needs to be better understood.

Additional InformationInfluenza A viruses of the H9N2 subtype have become highly

prevalent in poultry in many countries, and although these virusesgenerally cause only mild to moderate disease, they have been

associated with severe morbidity and mortality in poultry as a resultof co-infection with other pathogens. Low pathogenicity avianinfluenza H9N2 infections have been reported in the Middle Eastsince 1998 and have also caused widespread outbreaks in commercialchickens in Iran and Pakistan, often associated with serious diseaseproblems.

In 1999, avian influenza H9N2 subtype, which is widespread inpoultry in Asia, was transmitted to humans and caused mildrespiratory disease. This virus isolate was similar to an H9N2 virusisolated from a quail in Hong Kong in late 1997. The transmission ofavian H5N1, H7N7, and H9N2 influenza viruses from some species ofpoultry, such as chickens and quail, to humans indicates that avianinfluenza viruses can directly infect humans without an intermediatehost.

These direct transmissions of avian-origin influenza viruses tohumans indicate that these viruses have recognized SAa2-6 receptors;as a result, they may become pandemic and endanger public health.These phenomena indicate that chickens and quail may play animportant role in the evolution of influenza viruses by acting asintermediate hosts, in which avian influenza viruses (AIVs) can beamplified and transmitted to other animal species.

Although quail, like many avian species, are said to be sensitive toavian influenza viruses and might act as mixing vessels ordisseminators of avian/mammalian reassortant influenza A viruses,related studies on the susceptibility of quail to influenza A viruses areindeed limited. The present study aims to support the hypothesis thatquail could play an important role in the evolution of influenza virusesby acting as intermediate hosts in which avian influenza viruses couldbe amplified without producing clinical signs or mortality.

Estudio de la Infeccion con un Aislamento de Campo del Virus de la Influenza Aviar Iranı H9N2 en CodornicesJaponesas Vacunadas y sin Vacunar

Seyyed Mahmoud Ebrahimi, Soudeh Ziapour, Majid Tebianian, Mehran Dabaghian, y Mashallah MohammadiDireccion de Contacto: smebrahimi@shirazu.ac.ir

Hallazgos ImportantesEste estudio demostro que las codornices infectadas con A/pollo/

Iran/339/02 (H9N2), que causo graves problemas de salud yeconomicos en ponedoras comerciales de 53 semanas de edad, solomostro signos de la enfermedad leve y disminucion importante de laproduccion de huevos, sin morbilidad o mortalidad importantes.Estos resultados podrıan indicar que la vacuna inactivada no impidecompletamente la infeccion, a pesar de que fue capaz de proteger lasaves contra los signos clınicos y disminucion significativa tıtulo viralen el pulmon despues del desafıo intranasal.

Significancia de los HallazgosAunque la capacidad de los virus de la influenza para infectar y

replicarse en las codornices difiere entre los aislamientos de influenza,el aislamiento de campo A/pollo/Iran/339/02 (H9N2), que se obtuvode una granja de ponedoras con signos clınicos de influenza severa yalta la mortalidad, fue capaz de infectar a las codornices, producirsignos clınicos, se transmitio a otras aves por contacto y afectar laproduccion de huevos de manera significativa. Este estudio pone derelieve la necesidad de una vigilancia mas amplia y una evaluacionadicional de los virus subtipo H9N2 de codornices, y se necesitaentender mejor el papel de estas especies aviares reservorios en laecologıa del virus de la influenza A.

Informacion AdicionalLos virus de influenza A del subtipo H9N2 se han vuelto muy

prevalentes en las aves de corral en muchos paıses y aunque estos

Copyright E 2011, American Association of Avian Pathologists, Inc. 1933-5334 online

Copyright E 2011, American Association of Avian Pathologists, Inc. 1933-5334 online

Summarized from Avian Diseases, Vol. 55, No. 2, 2011, Pages 195–200

virus generalmente causan unicamente enfermedad leve a moderada,que se han asociado con una morbilidad grave y mortalidad en avesde corral, como resultado de la co-infeccion con otros patogenos . Sehan reportado infecciones por el virus de la influenza aviar de bajapatogenicidad H9N2 en el Oriente Medio desde 1998 y tambien hancausado brotes generalizados en los pollos comerciales en Iran y enPakistan, a menudo asociados con enfermedad grave.

En 1999, el subtipo H9N2 de la influenza aviar, que esta muyextendido en las aves de corral en Asia, fue transmitido a loshumanos y causo una enfermedad respiratoria leve. Este virus fuesimilar a un virus H9N2 aislado de una codorniz en Hong Kong afinales del ano 1997. La transmision de la gripe aviar H5N1, H7N7,H9N2 y los virus de la influenza de algunas especies de aves de corral,como pollos y codornices, a los seres humanos indica que los virus dela gripe aviar pueden infectar a los humanos directamente sin unhuesped intermediario.

Estas transmisiones directas de los virus de la influenza de origenaviar a los seres humanos indican que estos virus han reconocido los

receptores SAa2-6, como resultado, pueden convertirse en unapandemia y poner en peligro la salud publica. Estos fenomenosindican que los pollos y las codornices pueden desempenar un papelimportante en la evolucion de los virus de la influenza, al actuarcomo hospedadores intermediarios, en los cuales, los virus de lainfluenza aviar (AIV) puede ser amplificados y transmitidos a otrasespecies animales.

A pesar de que las codornices, al igual que muchas especies de aves,se dice que son sensibles a los virus de la influenza aviar y podrıanactuar como recipientes de mezcla o diseminadores de virusreacomodados geneticamente con orıgenes aviares y mamıfero, losestudios relacionados de la susceptibilidad de la codorniz al virus deinfluenza A son efectivamente limitados. El presente estudio tienecomo objetivo apoyar la hipotesis de que la codorniz podrıadesempenar un papel importante en la evolucion de los virus de lainfluenza, al actuar como hospedador intermediario en el cual losvirus de la influenza aviar podrıa ser amplificado sin producir signosclınicos o mortalidad.

Estudio de un aislamiento de campo iranı del virus de la influenza A (H9N2) en codornices