Can genotype mismatch really affect the level of protection conferred by Newcastle disease vaccines against heterologous virulent strains?

Newcastle disease (ND), caused by virulent class II avian paramyxovirus 1 (Newcastle disease virus, NDV), occurs sporadically in poultry despite their having been immunized with commercial vaccines. These vaccines were all derived from NDV strains isolated around 70 years ago. Since then, class II NDV strains have evolved into 18 genotypes.

Emerging highly pathogenic H5 avian influenza viruses in France during winter 2015/16: phylogenetic analyses and markers for zoonotic potential.

Several new highly pathogenic (HP) H5 avian influenza virus (AIV) have been detected in poultry farms from south-western France since November 2015, among which an HP H5N1. The zoonotic potential and origin of these AIVs immediately became matters of concern. One virus of each subtype H5N1 (150169a), H5N2 (150233) and H5N9 (150236) was characterised.

Development and evaluation of an N9-specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to detect antibodies in duck and chicken sera.

A serological test for detecting N9-specific antibodies may be useful as a DIVA strategy to differentiate vaccinated from infected animals or simply for direct serological detection of infection with N9-subtype virus. The method currently recommended for the detection of antibodies against neuraminidase is neuraminidase inhibition (NI), which is a laborious method using toxic chemicals and has low sensitivity. The present study describes the development and validation of an N9-specific ELISA.

Molecular comparisons of full length metapneumovirus (MPV) genomes, including newly determined French AMPV-C and -D isolates, further supports possible subclassification within the MPV Genus.

Four avian metapneumovirus (AMPV) subgroups (A-D) have been reported previously based on genetic and antigenic differences. However, until now full length sequences of the only known isolates of European subgroup C and subgroup D viruses (duck and turkey origin, respectively) have been unavailable. These full length sequences were determined and compared with other full length AMPV and human metapneumoviruses (HMPV) sequences reported previously, using phylogenetics, comparisons of nucleic and amino acid sequences and study of codon usage bias.

H5-based DNA constructs derived from selected highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza virus induce high levels of humoral antibodies in Muscovy ducks against low pathogenic viruses.

Background: H5 low pathogenic avian influenza virus (LPAIV) infection in domestic ducks is a major problem in duck producing countries. Their silent circulation is an ongoing source of potential highly pathogenic or zoonotic emerging strains. To prevent such events, vaccination of domestic ducks might be attempted but remains challenging.

Quantitative transmission characteristics of different H5 low pathogenic avian influenza viruses in Muscovy ducks.

EU annual serosurveillance programs show that domestic duck flocks have the highest seroprevalence of H5 antibodies, demonstrating the circulation of notifiable avian influenza virus (AIV) according to OIE, likely low pathogenic (LP). Therefore, transmission characteristics of LPAIV within these flocks can help to understand virus circulation and possible risk of propagation. This study aimed at estimating transmission parameters of four H5 LPAIV (three field strains from French poultry and decoy ducks, and one clonal reverse-genetics strain derived from one of the former), using a SIR model to analyze data from experimental infections in SPF Muscovy ducks.

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for detection of avian influenza virus subtypes H5 and H7 antibodies.

Background: Avian influenza virus (AIV) subtypes H5 and H7 attracts particular attention because of the risk of their potential pathogenicity in poultry. The haemagglutination inhibition (HI) test is widely used as subtype specific test for serological diagnostics despite the laborious nature of this method. However, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) are being explored as an alternative test method.

Characterisation of a type 1 Avian Paramyxovirus belonging to a divergent group.

Newcastle disease, induced by a type 1 Avian Paramyxovirus (APMV-1), is one of the most serious poultry diseases. APMV-1 are divided into two classes based on genetic analysis: class II strains have been recovered from wild or domestic birds and include virulent and avirulent isolates whereas class I strains have been mainly isolated from wild birds and are avirulent. Within class I, a new proposed genotype has recently been reported.

New avian paramyxoviruses type I strains identified in Africa provide new outcomes for phylogeny reconstruction and genotype classification.

Newcastle disease (ND) is one of the most lethal diseases of poultry worldwide. It is caused by an avian paramyxovirus 1 that has high genomic diversity. In the framework of an international surveillance program launched in 2007, several thousand samples from domestic and wild birds in Africa were collected and analyzed.

Prime-boost vaccination with recombinant H5-fowlpox and Newcastle disease virus vectors affords lasting protection in SPF Muscovy ducks against highly pathogenic H5N1 influenza virus.

Vaccination protocols were evaluated in one-day old Muscovy ducklings, using an experimental Newcastle disease recombinant vaccine (vNDV-H5) encoding an optimized synthetic haemagglutinin gene from a clade 2.2.1 H5N1 highly pathogenic (HP) avian influenza virus (AIV), either as a single administration or as a boost following a prime inoculation with a fowlpox vectored vaccine (vFP89) encoding a different H5 HP haemagglutinin from an Irish H5N8 strain.

Evaluation of a commercial ELISA for H5 low pathogenic avian influenza virus antibody detection in duck sera using Bayesian methods.

Following the emergence of highly pathogenic avian influenza (AI), active surveillance of infections due to the H5 and H7 subtypes in poultry has increased and been made compulsory in Europe since 2002, by means of annual serological surveys using the haemagglutination inhibition (HI) test. Domestic anseriforms, particularly ducks and geese, are more frequently infected by H5 low pathogenic AI virus, often subclinically, and represent a threat for other terrestrial poultry. 1783 sera, mainly from ducks, have been used to evaluate and compare a commercial ELISA kit detecting H5 antibodies with the currently recommended HI test.

An alternative method to determine the 5' extremities of non-segmented, negative sense RNA viral genomes using positive replication intermediate 3' tailing: application to two members of the Paramyxoviridae family.

Determining the sequence of non-segmented, negative sense RNA viral genomes is far from routine and often requires the application of several techniques. In this study, an existing method used currently just for determination of the genomic 3' extremity was used to determine both the 3' and 5' sequence extremities of a Newcastle disease virus and an avian metapneumovirus. This was achieved with a single 3' nucleotide tailing reaction of both the genomic RNA and the full length, positive sense, antigenomic RNA, followed by a single reverse transcription reaction targeted to the common polynucleotide tails, and then individual PCRs specific for each extremity using PCR primers derived from the sequence of the RT primer or from neighbouring virus sequences known previously.

Complete genome sequence of a newcastle disease virus strain belonging to a recently identified genotype.

We report the first complete genome sequence of a strain that presents some pathogenicity and that belongs to a recently characterized genotype of avian paramyxovirus type 1 (APMV-1). This virus, isolated from the common teal, presents the most divergent genome within class I of APMV-1.

Complete genome sequence of a novel avian paramyxovirus.

We report here the complete genome of a new avian paramyxovirus (APMV-11) isolated from common snipes. Sequence data from this virus showed that it has the largest genome of APMV and unusual P gene mRNA editing.

Genetic data from avian influenza and avian paramyxoviruses generated by the European network of excellence (EPIZONE) between 2006 and 2011--review and recommendations for surveillance.

Since 2006, the members of the molecular epidemiological working group of the European "EPIZONE" network of excellence have been generating sequence data on avian influenza and avian paramyxoviruses from both European and African sources in an attempt to more fully understand the circulation and impact of these viruses. This review presents a timely update on the epidemiological situation of these viruses based on sequence data generated during the lifetime of this project in addition to data produced by other groups during the same period. Based on this information and putting it all into a European context, recommendations for continued surveillance of these important viruses within Europe are presented.

Newcastle disease virus in Madagascar: identification of an original genotype possibly deriving from a died out ancestor of genotype IV.

In Madagascar, Newcastle disease (ND) has become enzootic after the first documented epizootics in 1946, with recurrent annual outbreaks causing mortality up to 40%. Four ND viruses recently isolated in Madagascar were genotypically and pathotypically characterised. By phylogenetic inference based on the F and HN genes, and also full-genome sequence analyses, the NDV Malagasy isolates form a cluster distant enough to constitute a new genotype hereby proposed as genotype XI.

Possible sources and spreading routes of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus subtype H5N1 infections in poultry and wild birds in Central Europe in 2007 inferred through likelihood analyses.

Recurrent outbreaks of H5N1 HPAIV occurred in several Central European countries in 2007. In-depth phylogenetic analyses which included full-length genomic sequences of the viruses involved were performed to elucidate possible origins of incursions and transmission pathways. Tree reconstructions as well as host-shift and ancestral area inferences were conducted in a maximum likelihood framework.

Experimental infection of Muscovy ducks with highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (H5N1) belonging to clade 2.2.

Highly pathogenic (HP) H5N1 avian influenza (AI) is enzootic in several countries of Asia and Africa and constitutes a major threat, at the world level, for both animal and public health. Ducks play an important role in the epidemiology of AI, including HP H5N1 AI. Although vaccination can be a useful tool to control AI, duck vaccination has not proved very efficient in the field, indicating a need to develop new vaccines and a challenge model to evaluate the protection for duck species.

Presence of serum antibodies to influenza A subtypes H5 and N1 in swans and ibises in French wetlands, irrespective of highly pathogenic H5N1 natural infection.

Highly pathogenic (HP) avian influenza A viruses (AIVs) subtype H5N1 (subclade 2.2) were detected in wild birds during outbreaks in France during winter 2006 and summer 2007 in la Dombes wetlands (eastern France) and in Moselle wetlands (northeastern France), respectively. Blood samples from apparently healthy wild birds were collected in 2006 and 2007 from the end of the outbreak to several weeks after the influenza A outbreak inside and outside the contaminated areas, and in 2008 outside the contaminated areas.

Temperature sensitivity on growth and/or replication of H1N1, H1N2 and H3N2 influenza A viruses isolated from pigs and birds in mammalian cells.

Influenza A viruses have been isolated from a wide range of animal species, aquatic birds being the reservoir for their genetic diversity. Avian influenza viruses can be transmitted to humans, directly or indirectly through an intermediate host like pig. This study aimed to define in vitro conditions that could prove useful to evaluate the potential of influenza viruses to adapt to a different host.

The epidemiology of the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in Mute Swan (Cygnus olor) and other Anatidae in the Dombes region (France), 2006.

In February 2006, a highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 virus was isolated from Common Pochards (Aythia ferina) in the Dombes region of France, an important migrating and wintering waterfowl area. Thereafter, HPAI H5N1 virus was isolated from 39 swab pools collected from dead waterfowl found in the Dombes, but only from three pooled samples collected outside of this area but located on the same migration flyway. A single turkey farm was infected in the Dombes.

Achievement of avian influenza virus-like particles that could be used as a subunit vaccine against low-pathogenic avian influenza strains in ducks.

Infections with H5/H7 low-pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) viruses are now notifiable because such viruses can mutate into highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses, leading to serious problems for both animal and public health. Domestic ducks can play a crucial role in the transmission of H5 LPAI viruses to other poultry. Although prime boost vaccination using, respectively, a recombinant vaccine and an inactivated vaccine was shown to be protective in ducks against H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza, vaccination of domestic ducks against H5 LPAIV is poorly documented.

Double introduction of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza virus into France in early 2006.

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) viruses of subtype H5N1 have spread since late 2003 in East and Southeast Asia. In April 2005, a large-scale outbreak of H5N1 infection that occurred in migratory waterfowl in Qinghai Lake nature reserve in western China, killing more than 6000 wild birds, appeared to be the beginning of a epizootic that caused outbreaks in domestic and wild birds in nearly 60 countries from Central Asia, the Middle East, Europe and Africa. The first case of Asian lineage HPAI H5N1 virus in France was described in dead wild ducks (Common pochard) in the east of France in mid-February 2006.

Assessment of the protection afforded by triple baculovirus recombinant coexpressing H5, N3, M1 proteins against a homologous H5N3 low-pathogenicity avian influenza virus challenge in Muscovy ducks.

In Asia, domestic ducks have been shown to play a pivotal role in H5 high-pathogenicity avian influenza virus transmission. We have also observed that the same situation may exist for H5 low-pathogenicity avian influenza (LPAI) virus. No data are available regarding the protection afforded by commercial inactivated vaccines against H5 LPAI virus infection in ducks, and two preliminary experiments using commercial inactivated vaccines gave poor results.