Influenza

Biography

Biography: Hiroshi Kida

Abstract

H5 highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses (HPAIVs) have spread around Eurasia and Africa. Unless these viruses are eradicated from poultry in Asia, those may perpetuate in the lakes where migratory water birds nest in summer in Siberia and outbreaks of HPAI must occur everywhere in Eurasia every year. We thus strongly propose to eradicate those HPAIVs from Asia by stamping-out without misuse of vaccine through international collaboration.\r\n Each of the past 4 pandemic influenza viruses is thought to be a reassortant generated in a pig between avian influenza virus and the preceding human strain. We have shown that pigs are susceptible to infection with both of avian and mammalian influenza viruses of different HA subtypes, generating reassortants with human receptor specificity. Since each of influenza A viruses of all known subtypes perpetuates among migratory ducks and their nesting lake water and avian viruses of any subtype can contribute genes in the generation of reassortants in pigs, none of viruses of the 16 HA and 9 NA subtypes can be ruled out as potential candidates for future pandemic strains. We have established a library of 2,000 low pathogenic avian influenza virus strains of 144 combinations of 16 HA and 9 NA subtypes for vaccine strain candidates and diagnostic use (http://virusdb.czc.hokudai.ac.Jp/vdbportal/view/index.jsp).\r\n In addition, it is strongly proposed that surveillance of swine influenza and drastic improvement of seasonal influenza vaccine are of crucial importance in order to assure the effective preparedness for pandemic influenza.\r\n