Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N1 Clade 2.3.2.1c Virus in Lebanon, 2016

Ali El Romeh; Bianca Zecchin; Alice Fusaro; Elias Ibrahim; Bassel El Bazzal; Jeanne El Hage; Adelaide Milani; Gianpiero Zamperin; Isabella Monne

doi:10.1637/11544-113016-Case.1

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N1 Clade 2.3.2.1c Virus in Lebanon, 2016

Avian Dis. 2017 Jun;61(2):271-273. doi: 10.1637/11544-113016-Case.1.

Authors

Ali El Romeh¹, Bianca Zecchin², Alice Fusaro², Elias Ibrahim¹, Bassel El Bazzal¹, Jeanne El Hage³, Adelaide Milani², Gianpiero Zamperin², Isabella Monne²

Affiliations

¹ A Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Resources Directorate, Bir Hassan, Embassies Street, Beirut, Lebanon.
² B Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Viale dell'Università, 10, 35020, Legnaro, Padova, Italy.
³ C Lebanese Agricultural Research Institute, Fanar, Main Road, 90-1965, Jdeidet El-Metin Fanar, Lebanon.

PMID: 28665732
DOI: 10.1637/11544-113016-Case.1

Abstract

We report the phylogenetic analysis of the first outbreak of H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza virus detected in Lebanon from poultry in April 2016. Our whole-genome sequencing analysis revealed that the Lebanese H5N1 virus belongs to genetic clade 2.3.2.1c and clusters with viruses from Europe and West Africa.

Keywords: H5N1 subtype; Lebanon; influenza A virus; phylogeny.

MeSH terms

Animals
Chickens
Disease Outbreaks
Influenza A Virus, H5N1 Subtype / classification
Influenza A Virus, H5N1 Subtype / genetics
Influenza A Virus, H5N1 Subtype / isolation & purification*
Influenza A Virus, H5N1 Subtype / pathogenicity
Influenza in Birds / epidemiology
Influenza in Birds / virology*
Lebanon / epidemiology
Phylogeny
Poultry Diseases / epidemiology
Poultry Diseases / virology*