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Serological Evidence of Transmission of Human Influenza A and B Viruses to Caspian Seals ( Phoca caspica )
Author(s) -
Ohishi Kazue,
Ninomiya Ai,
Kida Hiroshi,
Park Chunho,
Maruyama Tadashi,
Arai Takaomi,
Katsumata Etsuko,
Tobayama Teruo,
Boltunov Andrei N.,
Khuraskin Lev S.,
Miyazaki Nobuyuki
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
microbiology and immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.664
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1348-0421
pISSN - 0385-5600
DOI - 10.1111/j.1348-0421.2002.tb02746.x
Subject(s) - biology , virology , serology , virus , antigen , population , hemagglutination assay , antibody , orthomyxoviridae , influenza a virus , influenzavirus b , immunology , titer , medicine , environmental health
Seroepidemiological surveillance of influenza in Caspian seals ( Phoca caspica ) was conducted. Antibodies to influenza A virus were detected in 54% (7/13), 57% (4/7), 40% (6/15) and 26% (11/42) of the serum samples collected in 1993, 1997, 1998 and 2000 by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In an hemagglutination‐inhibition (HI) test using H1‐H15 reference influenza A viruses as antigens, more than half of the examined ELISA‐positive sera reacted with an H3N2 prototype strain A/Aichi/2/68. These sera were then examined by HI test with a series of naturally occurring antigenic variants of human H3N2 virus, and H3 viruses of swine, duck, and equine origin. The sera reacted strongly with the A/Bangkok/1/79 (H3N2) strain, which was prevalent in humans in 1979–1981. The present results indicate that human A/Bangkok/1/79‐like virus was transmitted to Caspian seals probably in the early 1980s, and was circulated in the population. Antibodies to influenza B virus were detected by ELISA in 14% (1/7) and 10% (4/42) serum samples collected from Caspian seals in 1997 and 2000, respectively. Our findings indicate that seal might be a reservoir of both influenza A and B viruses originated from humans.