ProMED: Italian H5N1 confirmed as LPAI

From ProMED:

Date: Sat, 12 Nov 2005
From: Communications Office, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale
delle Venezie (IZSVe) <comunicazione@izsvenezie.it>


Report on the H5N1 Low Pathogenic Avian Influenza (LPAI) Isolate in
Italy - November 2005
--------------------------------------------------
On 8 Nov 2005, a type A influenza virus isolate was submitted to the
National Reference Laboratory for Avian Influenza in Legnaro (Padova,
Italy) for detailed characterization. The virus was isolated from a
cloacal swab collected from a wild duck hunted in an area located in
the municipality of Mirandola, province of Modena, in Emilia-Romagna 
Region.[Lat: 4:53:16N (44.8878), Lon: 11:04:03E (11.0674), about 45
km north of the city Modena].

On 9 Nov 2005, the isolate was typed as a Low Pathogenic H5N1 by
haemagglutination inhibition test, neuraminidase inhibition test, and 
genetic analysis.

The amino acids sequence deduced from the cleavage site of the
haemagglutinin molecule (PQRETRG) is typical of low pathogenicity
avian influenza viruses (LPAI). Therefore it is a completely 
different pathotype than the Asiatic highly pathogenic (HPAI) H5N1
viruses.

The Italian H5N1 represents a different virus, not related
genetically to the aggressive Asiatic H5N1. This has been
demonstrated by the analysis of the HA gene. The preliminary results 
indicate that the Italian virus is genetically related to other LPAI
viruses commonly isolated in wild birds in Europe. The HA gene of the
isolate correlated with the following LPAI strains sequences
deposited in international databases: A/mallard/NL/3/99(H5N2); 
A/mallard/Sweden/7/02(H5N2); A/mallard/DK/64650/03(H5N7).

More than 1000 samples collected from wild waterfowl in Italy have
previously been tested with negative results for H5N1 HPAI.

--
Dr. Romano Marabelli
General director
Directorate General for Veterinary Health and Food
Ministry of Health, Rome - Italy

This report illustrates that while all pathogenic strains of avian influenza found to date have been either H5 or H7, not all H5 or H7 strains are pathogenic.

Once again, the species involved was not reported. "Wild duck" is not informative!

Modification: the "wild duck" was a mallard (ProMED)

Damien