POSSIBLE PANDEMIC THREAT FROM NEW REASSORTMENT OF INFLUENZA A(H7N9) VIRUS IN CHINA

Eurosurveillance, Volume 19, Issue 6, 13 February 2014

Z Meng¹, R Han², Y Hu¹, Z Yuan¹, S Jiang¹, X Zhang^1,3, J Xu ()^1,3

1. Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center and Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology of Ministry of Education/Health, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
2. Department of Cell and Molecular Physiology, Loyola University Chicago Health Sciences Division, Maywood, IL, United States
3. State Key Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, China Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China

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Citation style for this article: Meng Z, Han R, Hu Y, Yuan Z, Jiang S, Zhang X, Xu J. Possible pandemic threat from new reassortment of influenza A(H7N9) virus in China. Euro Surveill. 2014;19(6):pii=20699. Available online: http://www.eurosurveillance.org/ViewArticle.aspx?ArticleId=20699
Date of submission: 29 January 2014 

Avian influenza A(H7N9) virus re-emerged in China in December 2013, after a decrease in the number of new cases during the preceding six months. Reassortment between influenza A(H7N9) and local H9N2 strains has spread from China's south-east coast to other regions. Three new reassortments of A(H7N9) virus were identified by phylogenetic analysis: between A(H7N9) and Zhejiang-derived strains, Guangdong/Hong Kong-derived strains or Hunan-derived A(H9N2) strains. Our findings suggest there is a possible risk that a pandemic could develop.

Continued:  http://www.eurosurveillance.org/ViewArticle.aspx?ArticleId=20699