High pathogenicity avian influenza A (H5N1) clade 2.3.4.4b virus infection in a captive Tibetan black bear (Ursus thibetanus): investigations based on paraffin-embedded tissues, France, 2022

• Published in: Microbiology Spectrum
• Main Authors: Bessière, Pierre, Gaide, Nicolas, Croville, Guillaume, Crispo, Manuela, Fusade-Boyer, Maxime, Monsef, Yanad, Abou, Dirat, Malorie, Beltrame, Marielle, Dendauw, Philippine, Lemberger, Karin, Guérin, Jean-Luc, Le Loc'h, Guillaume
• Other Authors: Interactions hôtes-agents pathogènes Toulouse (IHAP), Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire de Toulouse (ENVT), Institut National Polytechnique (Toulouse) (Toulouse INP), Université de Toulouse (UT)-Université de Toulouse (UT)-Institut National Polytechnique (Toulouse) (Toulouse INP), Université de Toulouse (UT)-Université de Toulouse (UT)-Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE), La Réserve Africaine de Sigean, Vet Diagnostics, This study was performed in the framework of the “Chaire de Biosécurité et Santé Aviaires,” hosted by the ENVT and funded by the Direction Générale de l’Alimentation, Ministère de l’Agriculture et de la Souveraineté Alimentaire, France.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2024
• Subjects: influenza; zoonotic infections; epidemiology; [SDV.BA.MVSA]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Animal biology/Veterinary medicine and animal Health; [SDV.BA]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Animal biology; [SDV.MP.VIR]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Microbiology and Parasitology/Virology; Black-headed Gull; Chroicocephalus ridibundus
• Online Access: https://hal.inrae.fr/hal-04474600; https://hal.inrae.fr/hal-04474600/document; https://hal.inrae.fr/hal-04474600/file/bessi%C3%A8re-et-al-2024-high-pathogenicity-avian-influenza-a-%28h5n1%29-clade-2-3-4-4b-virus-infection-in-a-captive-tibetan.pdf; https://doi.org/10.1128/spectrum.03736-23

Segment sequences can be found on GenBank (accession numbers OR634756 to OR634763 and OR634764 to OR634771 for the bear and the gull isolates, respectively). International audience High pathogenicity avian influenza viruses (HPAIVs) H5Nx of clade 2.3.4.4b have been circulating increasingly in both wild and domestic birds in recent years. In turn, this has led to an increase in the number of spillover events affecting mammals. In November 2022, an HPAIV H5N1 caused an outbreak in a zoological park in the south of France, resulting in the death of a Tibetan black bear (Ursus thibetanus) and several captive and wild bird species. We detected the virus in various tissues of the bear and a wild black-headed gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus) found dead in its enclosure using histopathology, two different in situ detection techniques, and next-generation sequencing, all performed on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues. Phylogenetic analysis performed on the hemagglutinin gene segment showed that bear and gull strains shared 99.998% genetic identity, making the bird strain the closest related strain. We detected the PB2 E627K mutation in minute quantities in the gull, whereas it predominated in the bear, which suggests that this mammalian adaptation marker was selected during the bear infection. Our results provide the first molecular and histopathological characterization of an H5N1 virus infection in this bear species.IMPORTANCE: Avian influenza viruses are able to cross the species barrier between birds and mammals because of their high genetic diversity and mutation rate. Using formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues, we were able to investigate a Tibetan black bear's infection by a high pathogenicity H5N1 avian influenza virus at the molecular, phylogenetic, and histological levels. Our results highlight the importance of virological surveillance programs in mammals and the importance of raising awareness among veterinarians and zookeepers of the clinical presentations associated with H5Nx virus infection ...