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Volume 31, Number 9—September 2025

Research

Attachment Patterns of Avian Influenza H5 Clade 2.3.4.4b Virus in Respiratory Tracts of Marine Mammals, North Atlantic Ocean

Syriam Sooksawasdi Na Ayudhya1, Lonneke Leijten, Willemijn F. Rijnink, Monique I. Spronken, Thijs Kuiken, Lisa Bauer2, and Debby van Riel2Comments to Author 
Author affiliation: Erasmus University Rotterdam, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands

Main Article

Table

Attachment of 2 HPAI viruses and 1 human seasonal influenza virus in study of attachment patterns of avian influenza H5 clade 2.3.4.4b virus in respiratory tracts of marine mammals, North Atlantic Ocean*

Tissue Species Seasonal H32003
 HPAI H5ΔMBCS2005
 HPAI H5ΔMBCS2022
Score Preferred cell type Score Preferred cell type Score Preferred cell type
Olfactory mucosa
 Harbor seal ++ cil, bg ++ cil, bg ++ cil, bg
Gray seal
 +
 cil, bg
++
 cil, bg
++
 cil, bg
Respiratory mucosa
 Harbor seal + cil, sg ++ cil, sg ++ cil, sg
Gray seal
 +
 cil
++
 cil, gb
++
 cil, gb
Trachea Harbor seal + cil + cil + cil
Gray seal +/− cil + cil, sg ++ cil, sg
Harbor porpoise + cil – cil + cil, sg
Bottlenose dolphin
 +
 cil, sg
–
–
Bronchus Harbor seal – ± cil sg ++ cil, sg
Gray seal – ++ cil sg ++ cil, sg
Harbor porpoise + cil – + cil
Bottlenose dolphin
 +
 cil
–
–
Bronchiole Harbor seal – + cil + cil
Gray seal – + cil, sg + cil, sg
Harbor porpoise ++ cil + cil + cil
Bottlenose dolphin
 ++
 cil
+
 cil
+
 cil
Alveoli Harbor seal + aec + aec + aec
Gray seal + aec + aec + aec
Harbor porpoise ++ aec + aec ++ aec
Bottlenose dolphin ++ aec + aec + aec

*Scoring indicates attachment of viruses to the apical side of ciliated cells of the olfactory mucosa, respiratory mucosa, trachea, bronchus, bronchiole, and alveoli of marine mammal tissue sections. aec, alveolar epithelial cell; bg, Bowman’s gland; cil, ciliated epithelial cell; gb, goblet cell; H32003, A/Netherlands/213/2003 (H3N2); H5ΔMBCS2005, A/Indonesia/05/2005 (H5N1); H5ΔMBCS2022, A/Caspian gull/Netherlands/1/2022 (H5N1); HPAI, highly pathogenic avian influenza; sg, submucosal gland; ++, abundant (>50% cells positive); +, moderate (10%–50% cells positive); ±, scarce (<10% cells positive); –, negative (no attachment).

Main Article

1Current affiliation: Prince of Songkla University, Songkhla, Thailand.

2These authors were co–principal investigators.

Page created: July 23, 2025
Page updated: August 05, 2025
Page reviewed: August 05, 2025
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