Isolation and characterisation of an H10N7 avian influenza virus from poultry carcasses smuggled from China into Italy

Maria Serena Beato (1) , Calogero Terregino (1) , Giovanni Cattoli (1) , Ilaria Capua (1)

1 OIE/FAO and National reference laboratory for Avian Influenza and Newcastle Disease

Intensified official veterinary controls on warehouses supplying Chinese retailers, resulted in the seizure of smuggled poultry products. Frozen and frozen vacuum-packed raw duck and chicken carcasses and anatomic parts (legs) of these species, were collected and processed for laboratory investigations aiming at the detection of avian influenza virus. RRT-PCR targeting the M gene, performed on lung and trachea from a duck and chicken carcass yielded positive results. Virus isolation attempts in SPF embryonated eggs yielded an H10N7 virus from the duck carcass. The isolate had an IVPI of 0.0, and phylogenetic analysis revealed a nucleotide homology of 97% and 96% with virus A/duck/Zhejiang/52/2000 (H5N1) for the PB2 and NS genes respectively. The results of this study indicate that LPAI viruses may be introduced into a country through trade of carcasses regardless of the non systemic nature of this disease. The export ban applied to countries affected by the H5N1 epidemic may result in increased smuggling of poultry products, which remains one of the means by which influenza viruses can cross national boundaries. Increased surveillance at borders and at a national level is recommended.

Mots clés: Life Sciences

Maria Serena Beato, Calogero Terregino, Giovanni Cattoli, Ilaria Capua. Isolation and characterisation of an H10N7 avian influenza virus from poultry carcasses smuggled from China into Italy. Avian Pathology, 2006, 35 (05), pp.400-403. ⟨10.1080/03079450600920992⟩. ⟨hal-00540056⟩