Tag: avian influenza viruses
Reports turn spotlight on animal influenza
The report of the three STAR-IDAZ workshops to develop research roadmaps for control strategies, diagnostics and vaccine development for influenza is now available (Report of the STAR-IDAZ workshops on influenza research roadmaps development). High priority research Research on influenza is a high priority topic for the STAR-IDAZ IRC, which aims to speed up the delivery of […]
Variation in chicken interferon genes may account for susceptibility/resistance to viral pathogens
A study of different lines of chickens, known to be either more resistant or more susceptible to common poultry viruses, has uncovered dozens of variations in genes with a central role in the chicken immune response to infection. The findings, published in Animal Genetics, may point to genetic variations that determine birds’ response to infection, […]
Avian influenza viruses can combine two techniques to evade vaccine immunity
A study by researchers at The Pirbright Institute reveals more clues about how avian influenza viruses can evade vaccine immunity, aiding their spread in the field. The findings are published in Emerging Microbes and Infections. Influenza viruses are able to mutate, which can enable them to evade immunity generated by natural infection or vaccination. Influenza […]
H7N9 avian influenza viruses: mutations found to increase threat to poultry, but reduce pandemic potential
Mutations in the H7N9 avian influenza virus increase its replication rate and stability in avian cells, but reduce its preference for infecting human cells, a study from The Pirbright Institute has found. The results show that outbreaks in birds caused by strains with these mutations could pose a lower risk to human health, while remaining […]
Chicken cells gene-edited to resist Influenza A virus
Scientists have used gene-editing techniques to stop Influenza A virus from replicating in chicken cells in vitro. They speculate in the journal eLife that it might be possible to generate a gene-edited chicken that is resilient to influenza. Researchers at Imperial College London found that during an infection, Influenza A viruses hijack the cell protein […]
Mutant H9N2 avian influenza viruses show enhanced zoonotic potential
Research led by The Pirbright Institute has shown that mutant influenza A(H9N2) viruses isolated from Pakistan are able to escape immune responses and adapt to infect humans. This could result in reduced vaccine efficiency in poultry and the possibility of human outbreaks. The researchers report in Emerging Infectious Diseases the discovery of small changes to […]