Infections with highly pathogenic avian influenza A virus (HPAIV) H5N8 in harbor seals at the German North Sea coast, 2021

• Published in: Emerging microbes & infections Vol. 11; no. 1; pp. 725 - 729
• Main Authors: Postel, Alexander, King, Jacqueline, Kaiser, Franziska K., Kennedy, Johanna, Lombardo, Mara Sophie, Reineking, Wencke, de le Roi, Madeleine, Harder, Timm, Pohlmann, Anne, Gerlach, Thomas, Rimmelzwaan, Guus, Rohner, Simon, Striewe, Lotte C., Gross, Stephanie, Schick, Luca A., Klink, Jana C., Kramer, Katharina, Osterhaus, Albert D. M. E., Beer, Martin, Baumgärtner, Wolfgang, Siebert, Ursula, Becher, Paul
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Taylor & Francis 31-12-2022; Taylor & Francis Ltd; Taylor & Francis Group
• Subjects: Animals; avian; brain; H5N8; HPAIV; Influenza A virus - genetics; Influenza A Virus, H5N8 Subtype - genetics; Influenza in Birds - epidemiology; Influenza Infections; Influenza virus; Letter; lung; mammal; North Sea; Phoca; seal; North Sea; lung; Influenza virus; mammal; H5N8; seal; brain; HPAIV; avian
• ISSN: 2222-1751; 2222-1751
• DOI: 10.1080/22221751.2022.2043726

In brain tissue of three harbor seals of the German North Sea coast, high virus loads of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) H5N8 were detected. Identification of different virus variants indicates high exposure to HPAIV circulating in wild birds, but there is no evidence for H5 specific antibodies in healthy seals. Replication of avian viruses in seals may allow HPAIV to acquire mutations needed to adapt to mammalian hosts as shown by PB2 627K variants detected in these cases.