Novel Avian Influenza H7N3 Strain Outbreak, British Columbia

• DOI: 10.3201/eid1012.040743
• Publication Date: 2012-03-25T02:10:06Z
• Authors: Martin Hirst; Caroline R. Astell; Malachi Griffith; Shaun M. Coughlin; Michelle Moksa; Thomas Zeng; Duane E. Smailus; Robert A. Holt; Steven Jones; Marco A. Marra; Martin Petric; Mel Krajden; David Lawrence; Annie Mak; Ron Chow; Danuta M. Skowronski; S. Aleina Tweed; SweeHan Goh; Robert C. Brunham; John Robinson; Victoria Bowes; Ken Sojonky; Sean K. Byrne; Yan Li; Darwyn Kobasa; Tim Booth; Mark Paetzel
• Keywords: Highly pathogenic; H5N1 genetic structure; Strain (injury); Hemagglutination assay

Genome sequences of chicken (low pathogenic avian influenza [LPAI] and highly [HPAI]) human isolates from a 2004 outbreak H7N3 in Canada showed novel insertion the HA0 cleavage site HPAI isolate. This likely occurred by recombination between hemagglutination matrix genes LPAI virus.