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The Molecular Epidemiology of Clade 2.3.4.4B H5N1 High Pathogenicity Avian Influenza in Southern Africa, 2021–2022

Authors :
Roberts, Celia Abolnik
Thandeka Phiri
Belinda Peyrot
Renee de Beer
Albert Snyman
David Roberts
Katrin Ludynia
Frances Jordaan
Michele Maartens
Zehaad Ismail
Christine Strydom
Gerbrand van der Zel
Jade Anthony
Nadine Daniell
Liesl De Boni
John Grewar
Adriaan Olivier
Laura
Source :
Viruses; Volume 15; Issue 6; Pages: 1383
Publication Year :
2023
Publisher :
Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute, 2023.

Abstract

In southern Africa, clade 2.3.4.4B H5N1 high pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI) was first detected in South African (SA) poultry in April 2021, followed by outbreaks in poultry or wild birds in Lesotho and Botswana. In this study, the complete or partial genomes of 117 viruses from the SA outbreaks in 2021–2022 were analyzed to decipher the sub-regional spread of the disease. Our analysis showed that seven H5N1 sub-genotypes were associated with the initial outbreaks, but by late 2022 only two sub-genotypes still circulated. Furthermore, SA poultry was not the source of Lesotho’s outbreaks, and the latter was most likely an introduction from wild birds. Similarly, SA and Botswana’s outbreaks in 2021 were unrelated, but viruses of Botswana’s unique sub-genotype were introduced into SA later in 2022 causing an outbreak in ostriches. At least 83% of SA’s commercial poultry cases in 2021–2022 were point introductions from wild birds. Like H5N8 HPAI in 2017–2018, a coastal seabird-restricted sub-lineage of H5N1 viruses emerged in the Western Cape province in 2021 and spread to Namibia, causing mortalities in Cape Cormorants. In SA ~24,000 of this endangered species died, and the loss of >300 endangered African penguins further threatens biodiversity.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
19994915
Database :
OpenAIRE
Journal :
Viruses; Volume 15; Issue 6; Pages: 1383
Accession number :
edsair.multidiscipl..eb704a1d0bf79bcc30137b77e09f4e28
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.3390/v15061383