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Mink is a highly susceptible host species to circulating human and avian influenza viruses

Honglei Sun1, Fangtao Li1, Qingzhi Liu2

  • 1Key Laboratory of Animal Epidemiology and Zoonosis, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, People's Republic of China.

Emerging Microbes & Infections
|March 4, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Farmed mink are susceptible to human and avian influenza viruses, acting as "mixing vessels" for potential pandemic strains. Surveillance and banning raw poultry by-products in mink feed are crucial to prevent novel virus emergence.

Area of Science:

  • Veterinary Virology
  • Zoonotic Disease Epidemiology
  • Comparative Pathology

Background:

  • Pandemic influenza arises from reassortment of human and avian influenza viruses.
  • Identifying novel pandemic virus origins requires understanding susceptible host species.
  • The role of farmed mink in influenza virus dynamics was previously unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate avian and human influenza virus infections in farmed mink.
  • To determine mink susceptibility and permissiveness to various influenza A virus subtypes.
  • To assess the potential of mink as reassortment hosts for pandemic influenza viruses.

Main Methods:

  • Conducted serological surveys for influenza A virus infections in farmed mink.
  • Assessed mink susceptibility and permissiveness to human (H3N2, H1N1/pdm) and avian (H7N9, H5N6, H9N2) influenza virus subtypes through animal experiments.
  • Analyzed transmission routes, including feed source and aerosol transmission among mink.

Main Results:

  • Farmed mink frequently harbored human and avian influenza A viruses.
  • Human influenza viruses transmitted from humans to mink; feed source likely transmitted avian viruses to mink.
  • Mink were susceptible to both human and avian influenza viruses, with human strains aerosolizing between mink.

Conclusions:

  • Farmed mink serve as permissive "mixing vessels" for human and avian influenza virus reassortment.
  • Banning raw poultry by-products in mink feed is recommended to mitigate avian influenza transmission.
  • Urgent implementation of influenza virus surveillance in mink farms is necessary to prevent novel pandemic virus emergence.
Keywords:
Mink (Mustelidae)avian influenza virushuman influenza virusreassortmentsurveillance

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