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Volume 29, Number 12—December 2023
Research Letter

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A(H5N1) from Wild Birds, Poultry, and Mammals, Peru

Cristopher D. Cruz, M. Eliana Icochea, Victoria Espejo, Gilda Troncos, Gina R. Castro-Sanguinetti, Megan A. Schilling, and Yeny TinocoComments to Author 
Author affiliations: US Naval Medical Research Unit SOUTH, Lima, Peru (C.D. Cruz, V. Espejo, G. Troncos, M.A. Schilling, Y. Tinoco); Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima (M.E. Icochea, G.R. Castro-Sanguinetti)

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Table

Summary of molecular markers identified in influenza virus strains from South America in study of highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) from wild birds, poultry, and mammals, Peru*

Protein Mutation/motif Phenotype
PB2
 D9N† Increases virulence in mice
L89V, G309D, T339K, R477G, I495V, K627E, A676T Increases polymerase activity in mammalian cell lines and increases virulence in mice
Q591K‡ Increases polymerase activity in mammalian and avian cell lines, increases replication in mammalian cell lines, increases virulence in mice
D701N‡
 Increases polymerase activity, enhances replication efficiency, increases virulence and contact transmission in guinea pigs, increases virulence in mice
PB1
 D3V Increases polymerase activity and viral replication in avian and mammalian cell lines
D622G
 Increases polymerase activity and virulence in mice
PB1-F2
N66S
 Enhances replication, virulence, and antiviral response in mice
PA
 N383D
 Increases polymerase activity in mammalian and avian cell lines
HA
 D94N,§ S133A, S154N Increases virus binding to α2–6 receptor
T156A Increases virus binding to α2–6, increases transmission in guinea pigs
S107R, T108I Increases virulence in chickens and mice and the pH of fusion
K218Q, S223R Increases virus binding to α2–3 and α2–6 receptors
321-329 (PLR(EorG)KRRKR)
 Polybasic cleavage motif sequence required for HPAIV
NP
 M105V¶ Increases virulence in chickens
I109T# Increases polymerase activity and viral replication in chickens (but not ducks), increases virulence in chickens
A184K
 Increases replication in avian cells and virulence in chickens
M1
 N30D Increases virulence in mice
I43M Increases virulence in mice, chickens and ducks
T215A
 Increases virulence in mice
M2
 I27A**
 Increases resistance to amantadine and rimantadine
NS1 P42S Increases virulence and decreases the antiviral response in mice
C138F Increases replication in mammalian cell and decreases the interferon response
V149A Increases virulence and decreases the interferon response in chickens
L103F, I106M Increases virulence in mice
K55E, K66E, C138F Enhances replication in mammalian cells and decreases the interferon response

*Molecular markers of influenza virus strains were identified as previously described (9). HA, hemagglutinin; HPAIV, highly pathogenic avian influenza virus; M1, matrix protein 1; M2, matrix protein 2; NP, nucleoprotein; NS1, nonstructural protein 1. †Only in 2 sequences from pelicans (GISAID [https://www.gisaid.org] accession nos. EPI_ISL_17099964, EPI_ISL_17165223). ‡Only in sequences from 2 sea lions in Peru and 1 human case in Chile. §Only in 1 sequence from a wild bird in Peru (GISAID accession no. EPI_ISL_17660074). ¶Mutation sequences from Venezuela and Colombia (Choco) have M rather than V. #Only in sequences from Colombia (Choco). **Only in 1 sequence from a wild bird in Peru (GISAID accession no. EPI_ISL_17777528).

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References
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