Volume 18, Number 5—May 2012
Dispatch
Influenza A and B Virus Attachment to Respiratory Tract in Marine Mammals
Antonio J. Ramis
, Debby van Riel, Marco W.G van de Bildt, Albert Osterhaus, and Thijs Kuiken
, Debby van Riel, Marco W.G van de Bildt, Albert Osterhaus, and Thijs KuikenTable
Attachment of mammal and human avian influenza viruses to respiratory tracts of 4 marine mammals*
| Host (species) and virus strain | Level and cell tropism of virus attachment |
||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trachea |
Bronchus |
Bronchiole |
Alveolus |
||||||||
| Score | Predominant cell type | Score | Predominant cell type | Score | Predominant cell type | Score | Predominant cell type | ||||
| Harbor seal (Phoca vitulina) | |||||||||||
| Seal (H4N5) | + | Cil | + | Cil† | + | Cil | ± | ND | |||
| Seal (H7N7) | + | Cil | + | Cil† | ± | Cil | ± | ND | |||
| Mallard (H4N5) | + | Cil | + | Cil† | + | Cil | ± | ND | |||
| Mallard (H7N7) | + | Cil | + | Cil† | ± | Cil | ± | ND | |||
| Human (H1N1) | – | – | ± | Cil | ± | ND | |||||
| Human (H3N2) | – | – | ± | Cil | ± | ND | |||||
| Human B | + | Cil | + | Cil† | + | Cil | ± | ND | |||
| Seal B | ± | Cil | ± | Cil† | ± | Cil | ± | ND | |||
| Gray seal (Halichoerus grypus) | |||||||||||
| Seal (H4N5) | + | Cil† | + | Cil† | + | Cil | ± | ND | |||
| Seal (H7N7) | + | Cil† | + | Cil† | + | Cil | ± | ND | |||
| Mallard (H4N5) | + | Cil† | + | Cil† | + | Cil | ± | ND | |||
| Mallard (H7N7) | + | Cil† | + | Cil† | + | Cil | ± | ND | |||
| Human (H1N1) | – | – | – | – | |||||||
| Human (H3N2) | – | – | – | – | |||||||
| Human B | + | Cil† | + | Cil† | + | Cil | + | I | |||
| Seal B | ± | Cil† | ± | Cil† | ± | Cil | ± | ND | |||
| Harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) | |||||||||||
| Seal (H4N5) | ± | Cil† | ++ | Cil | ++ | Cil | ± | ND | |||
| Seal (H7N7) | – | – | ± | Cil | ± | ND | |||||
| Mallard (H4N5) | – | – | ± | Cil | ± | ND | |||||
| Mallard (H7N7) | – | – | ± | Cil | ± | ND | |||||
| Human (H1N1) | – | ± | Cil | + | Cil | ++ | I and II | ||||
| Human (H3N2) | – | ± | Cil | ++ | Cil | ++ | I and II | ||||
| Human B | – | – | ± | Cil | + | I | |||||
| Seal B | – | – | ± | Cil | + | I | |||||
| Bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) | |||||||||||
| Seal (H4N5) | – | ± | Cil | + | Cil | ++ | I and II | ||||
| Seal (H7N7) | – | ± | Cil | ± | Cil | ± | ND | ||||
| Mallard (H4N5) | – | ± | Cil | + | Cil | ++ | I and II | ||||
| Mallard (H7N7) | ± | Cil† | ± | Cil | ± | Cil | ± | ND | |||
| Human (H1N1) | ± | Cil† | ± | Cil | + | Cil | + | I | |||
| Human (H3N2) | ± | Cil† | ± | Cil | ++ | Cil | ++ | I and II | |||
| Human B | – | – | ± | Cil | + | I | |||||
| Seal B | – | – | + | Cil | + | I | |||||
*Mean abundance of cells to which virus attached was scored as follows:+, moderate (10%–50% cells positive); ±, scarce (<10% cells positive); –, negative (no attachment); ++, abundant (>50% cells positive). Cil, ciliated epithelial cell; ND, not determined; I, type I pneumocytes; II, type II pneumocytes.
†Virus attachment to submucosal glands.
