Saturday, March 18, 2023
News on Pathogens and Preparedness
Global Biodefense
  • Featured
  • COVID-19
  • Funding
  • Directory
  • Jobs
  • Events
  • Subscribe
No Result
View All Result
  • Featured
  • COVID-19
  • Funding
  • Directory
  • Jobs
  • Events
  • Subscribe
No Result
View All Result
Global Biodefense
No Result
View All Result
Home Biodetection

The Risks of Pandemic Flu from Animals: New Seal H3N8 Influenza Strain

by Global Biodefense Staff
July 31, 2012

A novel strain of influenza virus has been identified as having crossed over from birds to aquatic mammals, causing an outbreak of fatal pneumonia in harbor seals in New England.

Seals with severe pneumonia and skin lesions suddenly appeared along the coastline from southern Maine to northern Massachusetts beginning last fall. Over the next few months, a total of 162 dead or terminally ill seals were recovered, most of which were less than 6 months old.

Using full genome sequencing and phylogenetic analysis, scientists at the Center for Infection & Immunity (CII) at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health identified the virus as a new strain of avian H3N8 influenza.

The virus apparently descended from an avian strain that has been circulating in North American waterfowl since 2002, which implies recent transmission from wild birds to seals. Unlike the strain in birds, this virus has adaptations to living in mammals and has mutations that are known to make flu viruses more transmissible and cause more severe disease. The virus also has the ability to target a receptor called SAα-2,6, a protein found in the human respiratory tract.

“Seal H3N8 has acquired the ability to bind sialic acid receptors that are commonly found in the mammalian respiratory tract. Mutations in the HA and PB2 genes – required for cell entry and replication, respectively – suggest enhanced virulence and transmission in mammals, but these putative attributes require further investigation,” stated a press release from the American Society of Microbiology. “Given these findings along with the long history of the spread of avian influenza to humans—most notably H1N1 and H5N1—seal H3N8 could pose a threat to public health.”

The findings reinforce how crucial wildlife surveillance is in predicting and preventing pandemics, particularly with viruses like this which have adapted to infect mammals.

“HIV/AIDS, SARS, West Nile, Nipah and influenza are all examples of emerging infectious diseases that originated in animals,” stated Professors Ian Lipkin and John Snow from the Mailman School of Public Health. “Any outbreak of disease in domestic animals or wildlife, while an immediate threat to wildlife conservation, must also be considered potentially hazardous to humans.”

CII collaborated with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, New England Aquarium, USGS National Wildlife Health Center, SeaWorld and EcoHealth Alliance to publish their findings this week in mBio, the online open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology.

Tags: Avian InfluenzaEmerging ThreatsInfluenzaPandemic

Related Posts

New Material Helps Train First Responders on Biothreats
Biodetection

New Material Helps Train First Responders on Biothreats

January 4, 2023
DARPA Pursues Advanced Threat-Detection for Crop Defense
Biosecurity

DARPA Pursues Advanced Threat-Detection for Crop Defense

January 3, 2023
Researcher holds a pipette
Biodetection

These Nanotech Bubbles Burst When They Detect Viruses in the Air

October 25, 2022
New Framework for Livestock Disease Indemnity Valuation Proposed by USDA
Biosecurity

New Framework for Livestock Disease Indemnity Valuation Proposed by USDA

September 10, 2022
Load More

Latest News

Biodefense Headlines – 12 March 2023

Biodefense Headlines – 12 March 2023

March 12, 2023
Partner Therapeutics’ Novel Approach to Stratify Sepsis Patients Gains Backing From BARDA

Biopreparedness Research Virtual Environment (BRaVE) Initiative Backed by $105M DOE Funding

January 25, 2023
Influenza Proteins Tilt and Wave in ‘Breath-like’ Motions

Influenza Proteins Tilt and Wave in ‘Breath-like’ Motions

January 25, 2023
Biodefense Headlines – 24 January 2023

Biodefense Headlines – 24 January 2023

January 24, 2023

Subscribe

  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Subscribe

© 2022 Stemar Media Group LLC

No Result
View All Result
  • Featured
  • COVID-19
  • Funding
  • Directory
  • Jobs
  • Events
  • Subscribe

© 2022 Stemar Media Group LLC