Open Access
Research (Published online: 20-08-2021)
21. Novel reassortant of H9N2 avian influenza viruses isolated from chickens and quails in Egypt
Moataz Elsayed, AbdelSatar Arafa, Shahira Abdelwahab, Amro Hashish and Ahmed Youssef
Veterinary World, 14(8): 2142-2149

Moataz Elsayed: Reference Laboratory for Veterinary Quality Control on Poultry Production, Animal Health Research Institute, P.O. Box 264, Dokki, Giza 12618, Egypt.
AbdelSatar Arafa: Reference Laboratory for Veterinary Quality Control on Poultry Production, Animal Health Research Institute, P.O. Box 264, Dokki, Giza 12618, Egypt.
Shahira Abdelwahab: Department of Virology, Faculty of veterinary medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, 41522, Egypt.
Amro Hashish: Reference Laboratory for Veterinary Quality Control on Poultry Production, Animal Health Research Institute, P.O. Box 264, Dokki, Giza 12618, Egypt; Department of Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA.
Ahmed Youssef: Animal Hygiene and Zoonoses, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, 41522, Egypt.

doi: www.doi.org/10.14202/vetworld.2021.2142-2149

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Article history: Received: 22-03-2021, Accepted: 09-07-2021, Published online: 20-08-2021

Corresponding author: Ahmed Youssef

E-mail: ahmed_ibrahim@vet.suez.edu.eg

Citation: Elsayed M, Arafa A, Abdelwahab S, Hashish A, Youssef A (2021) Novel reassortant of H9N2 avian influenza viruses isolated from chickens and quails in Egypt, Veterinary World, 14(8): 2142-2149.
Abstract

Background and Aim: Poultry infections with H9N2 avian influenza viruses (AIVs) are endemic in Egypt. This study determined the genetic changes in the sequences of H9N2 AIVs isolated from chicken and quails in Egypt, including determining genetic reassortment and detecting the main genetic changes in hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) genes.

Materials and Methods: Swab samples were collected from chicken and quails, examined through reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, and AIVs from positive samples were isolated in embryonated chicken eggs. Complete genome sequencing and phylogenetic analyses were conducted for two H9N2 AIV isolates, and sequences of HA and NA gene segments were analyzed in another two isolates.

Results: A novel reassortant virus was identified from a commercial chicken flock (A/chicken/Egypt/374V/2016) and quails from a live bird market (A/quail/Egypt/1253V/2016). The reassortant viruses acquired four genome segments from the classic Egyptian H9N2 viruses (HA, NA, NP, and M) and four segments from Eurasian AIVs (PB2, PB1, PA, and NS). Many genetic changes have been demonstrated in HA and NA genes. The isolated novel reassortant H9N2 virus from quails showed amino acid mutations in the antigenic sites on the globular head of the mature HA monomer matched with the parent Egyptian H9N2 virus.

Conclusion: This work described the genetic characterization of a novel reassortment of the H9N2 virus in Egypt. The emergence of new reassorted AIV viruses and genome variability raises the concern of an influenza pandemic with zoonotic potentials.

Keywords: genes, H9N2, influenza, mutations, poultry, reassortment.