Genetic characterization of a novel genotype H9N2 avian influenza virus from chicken in South China

Recently, the emergence of a novel reassortant H7N2 avian influenza virus (AIV) was reported in this journal, and the genetic characteristics suggested this novel H7N2 AIV was a reassortant virus of H7N9 and H9N2 AIVs that are circulating in China. 1 Qiu Y. Sun R. Hou G. Yu X. Li Y. Li J. et al. Novel reassortant H7N2 originating from the H7N9 highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses in China. J Infect. 2019; 79 (PubMed PMID: 31473272. Epub 2019/09/02): 462-470 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (5) Google Scholar H9N2 AIV binds to both human and avian receptors efficiently and has caused occasionally human infections in Asia 2 Pan Y. Cui S. Sun Y. Zhang X. Ma C. Shi W. et al. Human infection with H9N2 avian influenza in northern China. Clin Microbiol Infect. 2018; 24 (PubMed PMID: 29104171. Epub 2017/11/07): 321-323 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (30) Google Scholar . Meanwhile, the H9N2 AIV continued to act as genetic donor to multiple novel AIVs, including H7N9, H10N8, H6N1, H6N2, and H5N1. 3 Liu D. Shi W. Gao G.F Poultry carrying H9N2 act as incubators for novel human avian influenza viruses. Lancet. 2014; 383 (PubMed PMID: 24581684. Epub 2014/03/04): 869 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Google Scholar The novel H7N2 showed distinct antigenicity to the vaccine seed strain, which suggested the importance of continuing surveillance of the prevalence of H7N9 and H9N2 strains. In this study, we report a novel genotype ressortant H9N2 strain, A/chicken/Baise/0701/2019(H9N2) (BS/2019), isolated from an acutely ill chicken farm in Baise city, China during the routine surveillance.