Infections with Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A Virus (HPAIV) H5N8 in Harbor Seals at the German North Sea Coast, 2021

Overview

Journal Emerg Microbes Infect

Specialty Infectious Diseases

Date 2022 Feb 17

PMID 35172704

Authors

Alexander Postel

Jacqueline King

Franziska K Kaiser

Johanna Kennedy

Mara Sophie Lombardo

Wencke Reineking

Madeleine de le Roi

Timm Harder

Anne Pohlmann

Thomas Gerlach

Guus Rimmelzwaan

Simon Rohner

Lotte C Striewe

Stephanie Gross

Luca A Schick

Jana C Klink

Katharina Kramer

Albert D M E Osterhaus

Martin Beer

Wolfgang Baumgartner

Ursula Siebert

Paul Becher

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

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.

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