BACKGROUND Highly pathogenic H5N1 influenza viruses reemerged in humans in 2003 and have caused fatal human infections in Asia and Africa as well as ongoing outbreaks in poultry. These viruses have evolved substantially and are now so antigenically varied that a single vaccine antigen may not protect against all circulating strains. Nevertheless, studies have shown that substantial cross-reacti...

Avian-origin H5N1 and H7N9 influenza A viruses are capable of causing lethal infection in humans, with serious lung pathology and leading to acute respiratory distress syndrome. The contribution of host response associated with the poor prognosis of H5N1 and H7N9 infections remains unclear. The aim of this study was to identify the host factors involved in the high pathogenicity of H5N1 and H7N...

BACKGROUND Highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 virus has caused increasing human infection in Eurasia since 2004. So far, H5N1 human infection has been associated with over 50% mortality that is partly because of delay of diagnosis and treatment. OBJECTIVES AND METHODS Here, we report that an H5N1 influenza virus infected a 31-year-old patient in Shenzhen in June 2006. To identify the poss...

The hyperinduction of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines such as TNF-alpha, IFN-beta, and CCL2/MCP-1 in primary human macrophages and respiratory epithelial cells by the highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 is believed to contribute to the unusual severity of human H5N1 disease. Here we show that TNF-alpha, IFN-beta, and IFN-lambda1 are the key mediators directly induced by the H5N1 vir...

To establish vaccine strains of H5 and H7 influenza viruses, A/duck/Hokkaido/Vac-1/04 (H5N1) [Vac-1/04 (H5N1)], A/duck/Hokkaido/Vac-3/07 (H5N1) [Vac-3/07 (H5N1)], and A/duck/Hokkaido/ Vac-2/04 (H7N7) [Vac-2/04 (H7N7)] were generated from non-pathogenic avian influenza viruses isolated from migratory ducks. Vac-1/04 (H5N1) and Vac-3/07 (H5N1) were generated by genetic reassortment between H5N2 o...

Chicken embryonic eggs and Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cell line were used for comparing the propagation of avian influenza A (H5N1) virus (C2105Dx1, a Thai isolate). The growth of the H5N1 virus was determined by using HA test and 50% infectivity dose to assess the suitability of the systems supporting the propagation of the virus. The results indicated that the Thai H5N1 virus was propag...

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) subtype H5N1 poses severe threats to both animals and humans. Investigating where, when and why the disease occurs is important to help animal health authorities develop effective control policies. This study takes into account spatial and temporal occurrence of HPAI H5N1 in the Red River Delta of Vietnam. A two-stage procedure was used: (1) logistic reg...

This article reviews the biological and occupational medicine literature related to H5N1 pandemic influenza and its impact on infection control, cost and business continuity in settings outside the health care community. The literature on H5N1 biology is reviewed including the treatment and infection control mechanisms as they pertain to occupational medicine. Planning activity for the potentia...

H5N1 influenza virus infections in humans cause a characteristic systemic inflammatory response syndrome; however, the molecular mechanisms are largely unknown. Endothelial cells (ECs) play a pivotal role in hyperdynamic septic diseases. To unravel specific signaling networks activated by H5N1 we used a genome-wide comparative systems biology approach analyzing gene expression in human ECs infe...

UNLABELLED Highly pathogenic H5N1 influenza A viruses continue to circulate among avian species and cause sporadic cases of human infection. Therefore, the threat of a pandemic persists. However, the human cases of H5N1 infection have been limited mainly to individuals in close contact with infected poultry. These findings suggest that the H5N1 viruses need to acquire adaptive mutations to gain...