Transmission of swine influenza virus to humans after exposure to experimentally infected pigs

J Infect Dis. 1997 Jan;175(1):7-15. doi: 10.1093/infdis/175.1.7.

Abstract

Two people developed symptoms of influenza 36 h after collecting nasal swabs from pigs experimentally infected with A/Sw/IN/1726/88 (Sw/IN). Pharyngeal swabs from these persons tested positive for influenza virus RNA 8 days after infection. Analysis of hemi-nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products indicated that the hemagglutinin (HA) segments of the isolates were genetically related to the HA of Sw/IN. Four influenza A virus isolates (A/WI/4754/94, A/WI/4756/94, A/WI/4758/94, A/WI/4760/94) were recovered from a 39-year-old man and 2 (A/WI/4755/94, A/WI/4757/94) from a 31-year-old woman. The HAs of the isolates were antigenically indistinguishable from the virus used to infect the pigs. Sequence analysis of the HA genes indicated they were 99.7% identical to the HA of the virus used in the experiment. Multisegment reverse transcription-PCR proved that all of the segments originated from Sw/IN, demonstrating that transmission of swine H1N1 viruses to humans occurs directly and readily, despite Animal Biosafety Level 3 containment practices used for these experiments.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Animals
  • Cloning, Molecular
  • Female
  • Genome, Viral
  • Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus / genetics
  • Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus / immunology
  • Humans
  • Influenza A virus / classification
  • Influenza A virus / genetics
  • Influenza A virus / immunology
  • Influenza A virus / isolation & purification*
  • Influenza, Human / transmission*
  • Influenza, Human / veterinary
  • Influenza, Human / virology*
  • Male
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Pharynx / virology
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Sequence Analysis
  • Swine
  • Swine Diseases / virology*
  • Zoonoses

Substances

  • Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus

Associated data

  • GENBANK/U53156
  • GENBANK/U53157
  • GENBANK/U53158
  • GENBANK/U53159
  • GENBANK/U53160
  • GENBANK/U53161
  • GENBANK/U53162
  • GENBANK/U53163
  • GENBANK/U53164
  • GENBANK/U53165
  • GENBANK/U53166
  • GENBANK/U53167
  • GENBANK/U53168
  • GENBANK/U53169
  • GENBANK/U53170
  • GENBANK/U53171