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Neuraminidase in Avian Influenza A Virus antigenically related to that of Human A0 and A1 Subtypes

Nature volume 222, pages 1299–1301 (1969)Cite this article

Abstract

INFLUENZA A viruses of human and avian origin have a common (type-specific), ribonucleoprotein antigen which is located in the virus particle. Haemagglutination-inhibition (HI) tests and strain specific complement-fixation (CF) tests on some eighty avian influenza strains studied at the World Influenza Centre, London1–3, indicated a wide range of antigenic variation in the antigens of their outer envelopes (subtype-specific antigens). Limited attempts to demonstrate antigenic similarities in the surface antigens of avian and human influenza viruses using similar tests produced negative results, with the exception of cross-reactions demonstrated between A2/Singapore/1/57 and A/turkey/Massachusetts/65 (refs. 4 and 5). Closer studies on the antigenic structure of these latter agents using neuraminidase-inhibition (NI) and immunoprecipitation tests6,7 indicated that A/turkey/Massachusetts/65 virus contained a neuraminidase which was antigenically identical to that of the human A2 virus strain, whereas its haemagglutinin was unrelated to that of human influenza viruses. NI tests, immunoprecipitation tests as well as HI tests have thus been used in the study of avian influenza A viruses sent to this laboratory for identification. We describe here studies on a virus isolated from ducks in 1968 which indicated close antigenic similarities between its neuraminidase and that of human A0 and A1 virus strains.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. World Influenza Centre, National Institute for Medical Research, Mill Hill, London, NW7

    G. C. SCHILD & H. G. PEREIRA

  2. Institute for Bird Diseases, Ludwig-Maximilians University, Munich, West Germany

    C. H. SCHETTLER

Authors
  1. G. C. SCHILD
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  2. H. G. PEREIRA
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  3. C. H. SCHETTLER
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SCHILD, G., PEREIRA, H. & SCHETTLER, C. Neuraminidase in Avian Influenza A Virus antigenically related to that of Human A0 and A1 Subtypes. Nature 222, 1299–1301 (1969). https://doi.org/10.1038/2221299a0

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