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Gene segment reassortment between Eurasian and American clades of avian influenza virus in Italy

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Abstract

All genes of avian influenza A viruses are phylogenetically distinguished into two large clades, namely the American and Eurasian clade. Reassortments among the gene segments of influenza viruses belonging to the two distinct clades are rare events and have never been described in poultry in Europe and Asia before. This study presents the genetic characterization of two influenza viruses isolated from domestic mallards in Italy in 2004 and 2005. Phylogenetic analysis of the entire genome showed that these viruses contain mixed gene segments belonging to the American and Eurasian clades.

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Acknowledgments

This study has been conducted in the framework of the EU projects NEW-FLUBIRD (Network for early warning of influenza viruses in migratory birds in Europe), EPIZONE (Network of excellence for epizootic disease diagnosis and control) and FLUTRAIN (Training and technology transfer of avian influenza diagnostics and disease management skills). We are grateful to Dr. Vincent J. Munster for critical revision of the manuscript

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. OIE/FAO and National Reference Laboratory for Newcastle Disease and Avian Influenza, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Viale dell’Università 10, 35020, Legnaro, Padova, Italy

    Alice Fusaro, Isabella Monne, Giovanni Cattoli, Roberta De Nardi, Annalisa Salviato, Ilaria Capua & Calogero Terregino

  2. Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia ed Emilia Romagna, via A. Bianchi, 9, 25124, Brescia, Italy

    Ana Moreno Martin

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  1. Alice Fusaro
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  2. Isabella Monne
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  3. Giovanni Cattoli
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  4. Roberta De Nardi
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  6. Ana Moreno Martin
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  7. Ilaria Capua
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  8. Calogero Terregino
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Correspondence to Alice Fusaro.

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Fusaro, A., Monne, I., Cattoli, G. et al. Gene segment reassortment between Eurasian and American clades of avian influenza virus in Italy. Arch Virol 155, 77–81 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00705-009-0550-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00705-009-0550-2

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