H5N1 Canine Sequence Similar Feline
Recombinomics Commentary
May 23, 2006
The sequence of canine H5N1, A/dog/Thailand/Suphanburi/KU-08/04(H5N1). has been released at GenBank. The 2004 isolate is from Thailand and was initially reported in 2004. However, the report was quickly followed by a statement that the H5N1 positive sample was mislabeled. The May 5, 2006 deposit of the dog sequence confirms H5N1 presence in dogs and extends the number of confirmed mammalian species positive for H5N1. The sequence is similar to 2004 domestic, A/cat/Thailand/KU-02/04(H5N1), and wild cat, A/tiger/Thailand/CU-T7/2004(H5N1) isolates from Thailand, including PB2 E627K, a polymorphism that increases virulence in mice. H5N1 bird flu with PB2 E627K can also cause hind leg paralysis in experimental ferrets and has infected civet cats
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H5N1 has also been isolated from swine, A/swine/Anhui/2004(H5N1) and there have been reports of a positive stone martin, providing additional evidence for an expanding mammalian host range.
Recently H3N8 has also been isolated from dogs in the United States suggesting another mammalian mixing vessel for H5N1 recombination and reassortment..
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