This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowReprints and Permissions
Right arrow Copyright Information
Right arrow Books from ASM Press
Right arrow MicrobeWorld
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Mase, M.
Right arrow Articles by Yamaguchi, S.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Mase, M.
Right arrow Articles by Yamaguchi, S.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Journal of Virology, April 2001, p. 3490-3494, Vol. 75, No. 7
0022-538X/01/$04.00+0   DOI: 10.1128/JVI.75.7.3490-3494.2001
Copyright © 2001, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

Imported Parakeets Harbor H9N2 Influenza A Viruses That Are Genetically Closely Related to Those Transmitted to Humans in Hong Kong

Masaji Mase,1,* Tadao Imada,1 Yasuyuki Sanada,2 Mariko Etoh,3 Naoko Sanada,4 Kenji Tsukamoto,1 Yoshihiro Kawaoka,5,6 and Shigeo Yamaguchi1

Department of Virology, National Institute of Animal Health, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0856,1 Kyoritu Shoji Laboratories, Kukizaki-machi, Ibaraki 300-1252,2 Animal Quarantine Service, Yokohama 235-0008,3 Birds Hospital-BIRD HOUSE, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-0843,4 and Division of Virology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 108-8639,5 Japan, and Department of Pathobiological Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 537066

Received 30 October 2000/Accepted 3 January 2001

In 1997 and 1998, H9N2 influenza A viruses were isolated from the respiratory organs of Indian ring-necked parakeets (Psittacula Krameri manillensis) that had been imported from Pakistan to Japan. The two isolates were closely related to each other (>99% as determined by nucleotide analysis of eight RNA segments), indicating that H9N2 viruses of the same lineage were maintained in these birds for at least 1 year. The hemagglutinins and neuraminidases of both isolates showed >97% nucleotide identity with those of H9N2 viruses isolated from humans in Hong Kong in 1999, while the six genes encoding internal proteins were >99% identical to the corresponding genes of H5N1 viruses recovered during the 1997 outbreak in Hong Kong. These results suggest that the H9N2 parakeet viruses originating in Pakistan share an immediate ancestor with the H9N2 human viruses. Thus, influenza A viruses with the potential to be transmitted directly to humans may be circulating in captive birds worldwide.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Virology, National Institute of Animal Health, 3-1-1 Kannondai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0856, Japan. Phone and fax: 81-298-38-7760. E-mail: masema{at}niah.affrc.go.jp.

Journal of Virology, April 2001, p. 3490-3494, Vol. 75, No. 7
0022-538X/01/$04.00+0   DOI: 10.1128/JVI.75.7.3490-3494.2001
Copyright © 2001, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.


This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Perkins, L. E. L., Swayne, D. E. (2003). Varied Pathogenicity of a Hong Kong-origin H5N1 Avian Influenza Virus in Four Passerine Species and Budgerigars. Vet Pathol 40: 14-24 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


Copyright © 2009 by the American Society for Microbiology.   For an alternate route to Journals.ASM.org, visit: http://intl-journals.asm.org | More Info»