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H5N1 Suspected in Ethiopia
Recombinomics Commentary
February 27, 2006
Signs of avian flu have been observed in Endibir woreda district of Southern Nations, Nationalities and People's (SNNP) State, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development disclosed.
According to the pro-Ethiopian government Walta Information Centre (WIC), Information and Public Relations Bureau head with the ministry, Mulugeta Debalkew today said that the bird flu-resembling disease was observed in Gubere Poultry Centre in the stated woreda, and the laboratory test carried out locally has indicated the existence of a bird flu-like disease.
Preparations were under way to send samples to an Italy-based vet laboratory to verify the existence of the disease, Mulugeta said
The above comments suggest H5N1 will be confirmed in Ethiopia. H5N1 has been confirmed in Egypt, Nigeria, and Niger, and there is little doubt that it is present throughout Africa, including Ethiopia. The Qinghai strain of H5N1 has been identified in Europe, the Middle East and Africa and the virus is rapidly evolving.
The largest set of full sequences are from 8 isolates in Astrakhan. Full sequences on all 8 genes are available for 6 of these isolates and there are a number of polymorphisms that are in all isolates from Astrakhan, but no other Qinghai isolates. However, within the Astrakhan clade there are two distinct clades and at least one isolate is evolving away from this clade within a clade. Sequences from isolates in various countries, including those in Africa will be useful in tracingH5N1 flight paths and recombinations.
H5N1 in Turkey has already acquired the S227N change in its receptor binding domain and another change (G228S) is predicted for Europe. The various Qinghai strains will have various recombination opportunities and full sequences from Qinghai strains separated in time and space would be useful.
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