Emerging highly pathogenic H5 avian influenza viruses in France during winter 2015/16: phylogenetic analyses and markers for zoonotic potential
Eurosurveillance·
- DOI
- 10.2807/1560-7917.es.2017.22.9.30473
- PMID
- 28277218
- PMCID
- PMC5356430
- OpenAlex
- W2592609485
- Study type
- Genomic study
- Publisher
- European Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (ECDC)
- Article type
- journal-article
- Integrity
- current
Why this research matters now
The work provides an early genomic and phenotypic assessment of emergent H5 avian influenza viruses affecting poultry in France, with an explicit evaluation of molecular markers relevant to zoonotic and pandemic risk.
Structured evidence summary
Research question
The study addresses the zoonotic potential and evolutionary origin of newly detected highly pathogenic H5 avian influenza viruses in poultry farms in south-western France during winter 2015/16.
Study design
Characterisation of three representative isolates (H5N1, H5N2, H5N9) using molecular assays, an in vivo intravenous pathogenicity index (IVPI) assay, and whole-genome phylogenetic analyses derived from next-generation sequencing.
Population and setting
Poultry farms in south-western France where new highly pathogenic H5 avian influenza viruses were detected from November 2015 onward.
Main findings
All three isolates were highly pathogenic for poultry, with the H5N1 isolate yielding an IVPI of 2.9 and all sharing a previously unreported polybasic HA cleavage site motif (HQRRKR/GLF). Full-genome phylogeny placed the eight segments of each isolate within avian Eurasian lineages, distinct from the Gs/Gd/1/96-like lineage. The viruses retained most avian-like molecular features and lacked key markers associated with efficient mammalian respiratory transmission, leading the authors to predict no significant pandemic potential at the time of analysis.
Public-health relevance
The work provides an early genomic and phenotypic assessment of emergent H5 avian influenza viruses affecting poultry in France, with an explicit evaluation of molecular markers relevant to zoonotic and pandemic risk.
Important limitations
The summary is limited to the supplied single-article abstract and metadata and requires the original paper for decision-grade interpretation; the available evidence does not explicitly list study limitations beyond the small number of characterised isolates.
GIDS interpretation
The article is discoverable through genomic epidemiology, One Health, and transmission dynamics classifiers tied to France and H5N1/influenza, which would aid retrieval by users searching for context on emergent European H5 avian influenza events.
Related GIDS surveillance
Literature context does not validate, explain, or change a surveillance signal. Exact and contextual relationships are shown separately.
Evidence relationships
This article has 11 auditable classifier relationships to diseases, places, topics, and study design.