Isolation and identification of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus subtype H5N1 from emus from the Ein Gedi oasis by the Dead Sea

Avian Dis. 2011 Sep;55(3):499-502. doi: 10.1637/9607-120510-Case.1.

Abstract

An avian influenza virus (AIV), A/Emu/Israel/552/2010/(H5N1), was isolated from a dead emu that was found in the Ein Gedi oasis near the Dead Sea. The virus molecular characterization was performed by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and real-time RT-PCR using AIV subtype-specific primers. The virus was of high pathogenicity, according to its intravenous pathogenicity index of 2.85 and the nucleotide sequencing at the cleavage site of the hemagglutinin gene, GERRRKKR, which is typical for highly pathogenic chicken influenza A viruses.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Dromaiidae*
  • Female
  • Hemagglutinins / genetics*
  • Influenza A Virus, H5N1 Subtype / classification
  • Influenza A Virus, H5N1 Subtype / genetics*
  • Influenza A Virus, H5N1 Subtype / isolation & purification*
  • Influenza in Birds / epidemiology
  • Influenza in Birds / virology*
  • Israel / epidemiology
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Phylogeny
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction

Substances

  • Hemagglutinins

Associated data

  • GENBANK/HQ606466