Genetic diversity of highly pathogenic H5N8 avian influenza viruses at a single overwintering site of migratory birds in Japan, 2014/15

M Ozawa; A Matsuu; K Tokorozaki; M Horie; T Masatani; H Nakagawa; K Okuya; T Kawabata; S Toda

doi:10.2807/1560-7917.ES2015.20.20.21132

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Genetic diversity of highly pathogenic H5N8 avian influenza viruses at a single overwintering site of migratory birds in Japan, 2014/15

M Ozawa^1,2,3,4, A Matsuu^2,3,4, K Tokorozaki⁵, M Horie^2,3, T Masatani^2,3, H Nakagawa¹, K Okuya¹, T Kawabata², S Toda⁵
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Affiliations: ¹ Laboratory of Animal Hygiene, Joint Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Kagoshima, Japan ² Transboundary Animal Diseases Center, Joint Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Kagoshima, Japan ³ United Graduate School of Veterinary Science, Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi, Yamaguchi, Japan ⁴ These authors contributed equally to this work ⁵ Kagoshima Crane Conservation Committee, Izumi, Kagoshima, Japan

Correspondence:
M Ozawa
mozawa vet.kagoshima-u.ac.jp
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Citation style for this article: Ozawa M, Matsuu A, Tokorozaki K, Horie M, Masatani T, Nakagawa H, Okuya K, Kawabata T, Toda S. Genetic diversity of highly pathogenic H5N8 avian influenza viruses at a single overwintering site of migratory birds in Japan, 2014/15. Euro Surveill. 2015;20(20):pii=21132. https://doi.org/10.2807/1560-7917.ES2015.20.20.21132 Received: 11 May 2015

Abstract

We isolated eight highly pathogenic H5N8 avian influenza viruses (H5N8 HPAIVs) in the 2014/15 winter season at an overwintering site of migratory birds in Japan. Genetic analyses revealed that these isolates were divided into three groups, indicating the co-circulation of three genetic groups of H5N8 HPAIV among these migratory birds. These results also imply the possibility of global redistribution of the H5N8 HPAIVs via the migration of these birds next winter.