Surveillance of influenza A virus subtype H5N1 in a live bird market in Yangon, Myanmar: 2017-2018

Khin Thurain; Pont Pont Mon; Chanakarn Nasamran; Kamonpan Charoenkul; Supanat Boonyapisitsopa; Than Naing Tun; Yin Yin San; Aung Myo Aye; Alongkorn Amonsin

doi:10.1111/tbed.13618

Surveillance of influenza A virus subtype H5N1 in a live bird market in Yangon, Myanmar: 2017-2018

Transbound Emerg Dis. 2020 Nov;67(6):2667-2678. doi: 10.1111/tbed.13618. Epub 2020 May 20.

Authors

Khin Thurain^{1

2

3}, Pont Pont Mon^{1

2

3}, Chanakarn Nasamran^{1

2}, Kamonpan Charoenkul^{1

2}, Supanat Boonyapisitsopa^{1

2}, Than Naing Tun³, Yin Yin San³, Aung Myo Aye³, Alongkorn Amonsin^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Center of Excellence for Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases in Animals, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.
² Department of Veterinary Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.
³ Livestock Breeding and Veterinary Department, Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation, Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar.

PMID: 32386461
DOI: 10.1111/tbed.13618

Abstract

A survey of influenza A viruses (IAVs) in the Mingalar Taung Nyunt live bird market (MTN-LBM), Yangon, Myanmar, was conducted from December 2017 to December 2018. During the survey, 455 swab samples were collected from broilers, layers, backyard chickens and ducks from the MTN-LBM. Ninety-one pooled samples were screened for IAVs by real-time RT-PCR specific to the M gene. Positive pooled samples were individually retested for IAVs. In total, 2.63% of individual samples (12/455) were positive for IAVs. Out of 12 samples, seven samples from layer chickens and the environment were identified as IAV subtype H5N1. In this study, four IAVs were successfully isolated and further characterized by whole genome sequencing. Whole genome sequence analysis revealed that the viruses were characterized as highly pathogenic avian influenza virus subtype H5N1 (HPAIV-H5N1) of clade 2.3.2.1c. Phylogenetic and genetic analyses showed that Myanmar HPAIV-H5N1 was closely related to HPAIV-H5N1 clade 2.3.2.1c isolated from China and Vietnam in 2014. Our results suggested that the live bird market in Myanmar represents a significant risk of HPAIV-H5N1 transmission in poultry and humans. Moreover, HPAIV-H5N1 clade 2.3.2.1c is widely distributed in South-East Asia including Myanmar.

Keywords: H5N1; Myanmar; characterization; live bird market; surveillance.

MeSH terms

Amino Acid Sequence
Animals
Chickens*
Ducks*
Epidemiological Monitoring / veterinary*
Female
Influenza A Virus, H5N1 Subtype / genetics
Influenza A Virus, H5N1 Subtype / physiology*
Influenza in Birds
Myanmar / epidemiology
Phylogeny
Poultry Diseases / epidemiology*
Poultry Diseases / virology
Sequence Alignment
Whole Genome Sequencing / veterinary

Abstract

MeSH terms

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