TY - JOUR AU - Munster, Vincent AU - Wallensten, Anders AU - Baas, Chantal AU - Rimmelzwaan, Guus AU - Schutten, Martin AU - Olsen, Björn AU - Osterhaus, Albert D.M.E. AU - Fouchier, Ron A.M. T1 - Mallards and Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Ancestral Viruses, Northern Europe T2 - Emerging Infectious Disease journal PY - 2005 VL - 11 IS - 10 SP - 1545 SN - 1080-6059 AB - Outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), which originate in poultry upon transmission of low pathogenic viruses from wild birds, have occurred relatively frequently in the last decade. During our ongoing surveillance studies in wild birds, we isolated several influenza A viruses of hemagglutinin subtype H5 and H7 that contain various neuraminidase subtypes. For each of the recorded H5 and H7 HPAI outbreaks in Europe since 1997, our collection contained closely related virus isolates recovered from wild birds, as determined by sequencing and phylogenetic analyses of the hemagglutinin gene and antigenic characterization of the hemagglutinin glycoprotein. The minor genetic and antigenic diversity between the viruses recovered from wild birds and those causing HPAI outbreaks indicates that influenza A virus surveillance studies in wild birds can help generate prototypic vaccine candidates and design and evaluate diagnostic tests, before outbreaks occur in animals and humans. KW - avian influenza KW - influenza A virus KW - surveillance KW - wildlife KW - HPAI KW - pandemic KW - research KW - the Netherlands KW - Sweden DO - 10.3201/eid1110.050546 UR - https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/11/10/05-0546_article ER - End of Reference