Genetic and antigenic characterization of avian influenza A (H5N1) viruses isolated from humans in mainland China

摘要

Twenty cases of H5N1 influenza virus infection in humans that resulted in 13 deaths were identified in China between November 2005 and July 2006. In this study, we performed genetic and antigenic analyses on the 16 H5N1 virus strains isolated from these infected persons. Sequence data obtained in our study indicates that isolates from southern and northern China each form unique sublineages among H5N1 viruses, with the isolates from southern China clustering in a novel clade. Antibodies raised against the H5N1 virus A/Vietnam/1194/2004, a candidate for current human pandemic vaccine production and clinical trials, had very limited cross-reactivity with the Chinese H5N1 isolates. Our study contains valuable information for global pandemic vaccine selection by providing evidence for the need to develop vaccine candidates selected from the H5N1 viruses isolated from these more recent human cases from China.