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Influenza A virus transmission via respiratory aerosols or droplets as it relates to pandemic potential.

ABSTRACT: Many respiratory viruses of humans originate from animals. For instance, there are now eight paramyxoviruses, four coronaviruses and four orthomxoviruses that cause recurrent epidemics in humans but were once confined to other hosts. In the last decade, several members of the same virus families have jumped the species barrier from animals to humans. Fortunately, these viruses have not become established in humans, because they lacked the ability of sustained transmission between humans. However, these outbreaks highlighted the lack of understanding of what makes a virus transmissible. In part triggered by the relatively high frequency of occurrence of influenza A virus zoonoses and pandemics, the influenza research community has started to investigate the viral genetic and biological traits that drive virus transmission via aerosols or respiratory droplets between mammals. Here we summarize recent discoveries on the genetic and phenotypic traits required for airborne transmission of zoonotic influenza viruses of subtypes H5, H7 and H9 and pandemic viruses of subtypes H1, H2 and H3. Increased understanding of the determinants and mechanisms of respiratory virus transmission is not only key from a basic scientific perspective, but may also aid in assessing the risks posed by zoonotic viruses to human health, and preparedness for such risks.

SUBMITTER: Richard M

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5006288 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:Influenza A virus (IAV) is a major pathogen of the human respiratory tract, where the virus coexists and interacts with bacterial populations comprising the respiratory tract microbiome. Synergies between IAV and respiratory bacterial pathogens promote enhanced inflammation and disease burden that exacerbate morbidity and mortality. We demonstrate that direct interactions between IAV and encapsulated bacteria commonly found in the respiratory tract promote environmental stability and infectivity of IAV. Antibiotic-mediated depletion of the respiratory bacterial flora abrogated IAV transmission in ferret models, indicating that these virus-bacterium interactions are operative for airborne transmission of IAV. Restoring IAV airborne transmission in antibiotic-treated ferrets by coinfection with Streptococcus pneumoniae confirmed a role for specific members of the bacterial respiratory community in promoting IAV transmission. These results implicate a role for the bacterial respiratory flora in promoting airborne transmission of IAV.IMPORTANCE Infection with influenza A virus (IAV), especially when complicated with a secondary bacterial infection, is a leading cause of global mortality and morbidity. Gaining a greater understanding of the transmission dynamics of IAV is important during seasonal IAV epidemics and in the event of a pandemic. Direct bacterium-virus interactions are a recently appreciated aspect of infectious disease biology. Direct interactions between IAV and specific bacterial species of the human upper respiratory tract were found to promote the stability and infectivity of IAV during desiccation stress. Viral environmental stability is an important aspect during transmission, suggesting a potential role for bacterial respiratory communities in IAV transmission. Airborne transmission of IAV was abrogated upon depletion of nasal bacterial flora with topical antibiotics. This defect could be functionally complemented by S. pneumoniae coinfection. These data suggest that bacterial coinfection may be an underappreciated aspect of IAV transmission dynamics.

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Influenza A virus transmission via respiratory aerosols or droplets as it relates to pandemic potential.

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