Experimental adaptation of an influenza H5 HA confers respiratory droplet transmission to a reassortant H5 HA/H1N1 virus in ferrets

Only four mutations in H5N1 HA are required to enable ferret-to-ferret transmission of a reassortant virus containing the H5 HA and the remaining seven gene segments from a human pandemic H1N1 influenza virus. Whether avian H5N1 viruses can gain the ability to transmit between humans was uncertain. The viral haemagglutinin protein (HA) mediates virus binding to host-specific cellular receptors, but previous studies have shown that alterations in HA that enable binding to human-type receptors are not sufficient to enable respiratory droplet transmission of H5N1 viruses in ferrets, the best animal model for human-to-human transmission. Imai et al. show that only four mutations in H5N1 HA are required to enable…

• BA
  Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

  Award: OPPGH5383
• NI
  National Institutes of Health
• CF
  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• JS
  Japan Science and Technology Agency
• NI
  National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
• ER
  Exploratory Research for Advanced Technology