Detection and isolation of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza A viruses from blow flies collected in the vicinity of an infected poultry farm in Kyoto, Japan, 2004

Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2006 Aug;75(2):327-32.

Abstract

During the outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza that occurred in Tamba Town, Kyoto Prefecture in 2004, a total of 926 flies were collected from six sites within a radius of 2.3 km from the poultry farm. The H5 influenza A virus genes were detected from the intestinal organs, crop, and gut of the two blow fly species, Calliphora nigribarbis and Aldrichina grahami, by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction for the matrix protein (M) and hemagglutinin (HA) genes. The HA gene encoding multiple basic amino acids at the HA cleavage site indicated that this virus is a highly pathogenic strain. Based on the full-length sequences of the M, HA, and neuraminidase (NA) segments of virus isolates through embryonated chicken eggs, the virus from C. nigribarbis (A/blow fly/Kyoto/93/2004) was characterized as H5N1 subtype influenza A virus and shown to have > 99.9% identities in all three RNA segments to a strain from chickens (A/chicken/Kyoto/3/2004) and crows (A/crows/Kyoto/53/2004) derived during this outbreak period in Kyoto in 2004. Our results suggest it is possible that blow flies could become a mechanical transmitter of H5N1 influenza virus.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence / genetics
  • Animals
  • Chick Embryo
  • Diptera / classification
  • Diptera / virology*
  • Hemagglutinins / genetics
  • Influenza A Virus, H5N1 Subtype / isolation & purification*
  • Influenza A Virus, H5N1 Subtype / pathogenicity
  • Influenza in Birds / transmission*
  • Influenza in Birds / virology
  • Insect Vectors / classification
  • Insect Vectors / virology*
  • Japan
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Neuraminidase / genetics
  • Poultry
  • Poultry Diseases / transmission*
  • Poultry Diseases / virology
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / methods
  • Sequence Alignment
  • Viral Matrix Proteins / genetics

Substances

  • Hemagglutinins
  • M1 protein, Influenza A virus
  • Viral Matrix Proteins
  • Neuraminidase