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Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 in captive cheetah
Beate Crossley1, Sharon Hietala, Tania Hunt
1California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory, University of California, Davis, California 96616, USA. bcrossle@cahfs.ucdavis.edu
Emerging Infectious Diseases
|February 7, 2012
Summary
Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus was isolated from a cheetah and used to infect ferrets. This study highlights the risk of reverse zoonotic transmission and its implications for animal and human health.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Virology
- Infectious Diseases
- Comparative Pathology
Background:
- The 2009 pandemic influenza A (H1N1) virus (A(H1N1)pdm09) caused a global outbreak in humans.
- Understanding the host range and transmission dynamics of A(H1N1)pdm09 is crucial for public health.
- Ferrets are a valuable model for studying influenza virus infections due to their susceptibility.
Observation:
- A(H1N1)pdm09 virus was successfully isolated from a clinically ill captive cheetah with minimal human contact.
- Experimental inoculation of ferrets with this cheetah-derived virus resulted in observable clinical pathology.
- Full genome sequence analysis confirmed the identity and characteristics of the isolated virus.
Findings:
- The study successfully isolated and characterized the A(H1N1)pdm09 virus from a non-human source.
- Ferrets experimentally infected with the cheetah-derived virus exhibited pathological changes consistent with influenza infection.
- Evidence suggests that fomites can play a role in the reverse zoonotic transmission of A(H1N1)pdm09.
Implications:
- This research underscores the potential for A(H1N1)pdm09 to infect and cause illness in non-human animals.
- The findings highlight the risk of reverse zoonotic transmission from animals to humans, potentially through contaminated environments (fomites).
- Understanding these transmission pathways is vital for developing effective strategies to control influenza spread and protect both animal and human health.
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