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Mink infection with influenza A viruses: an ignored intermediate host?

Chris Ka Pun Mok1,2, Kun Qin3

  • 1The Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, SAR Hong Kong, China.

One Health Advances
|July 31, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Farmed mink in China are frequently infected with avian and human influenza A viruses, acquiring mutations. This highlights their potential role as a "mixing vessel" for novel pandemic strains, necessitating enhanced surveillance.

Area of Science:

  • Veterinary Virology
  • Zoonotic Disease Epidemiology
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Avian influenza A viruses pose a continuous public health threat, with documented zoonotic infections like H5N1/6 and H7N9.
  • Recent widespread infection of farmed mink in China by diverse avian influenza A virus subtypes underscores their ecological significance.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of farmed mink in China as potential reservoirs or intermediate hosts for influenza A viruses.
  • To assess the genetic characteristics of influenza viruses circulating in mink populations.
  • To evaluate the risk of novel pandemic strain generation in mink.

Main Methods:

  • Serologic studies to detect infections with human and avian influenza A virus subtypes in farmed mink.
  • Genetic sequencing and analysis of influenza viruses isolated from mink.
  • Comparison of viral genetic sequences to identify mammalian adaptive mutations.

Main Results:

  • Farmed mink in China frequently harbor prevalent human (H3N2, H1N1/pdm) and avian (H7N9, H5N6, H9N2) influenza A viruses.
  • Genetic analysis revealed that influenza strains from mink possess mammalian adaptive mutations absent in their avian counterparts.
  • Mink exhibit high susceptibility to various influenza A virus subtypes.

Conclusions:

  • Farmed mink may act as a 'mixing vessel' for the reassortment and evolution of influenza A viruses, potentially generating novel pandemic strains.
  • The findings emphasize the urgent need for enhanced surveillance of influenza viruses in mink populations for early pandemic warning.
  • Mink's role as an intermediate host for emerging pathogens, similar to SARS-CoV-2, warrants further investigation.
Keywords:
InfluenzaMinkPandemic

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