The Attribution of Human Seasonal Influenza H3N2 Virus Detection to the Collector, Not Avian Sources, During the 2022 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Outbreak in Pennsylvania, USA—Implications for Biosafety and Biosecurity

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) surveillance for influenza A virus (IAV) in the United States is conducted using a National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN) real-time reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR). Samples showing the presence of IAV are confirmed and cha...

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Main Authors: Deepanker Tewari, Manoj K. Sekhwal, Mary L. Killian, Corey Zellers, Chrislyn Wood Nicholson, Betsy Schroeder, Erica Spackman, Alex Hamberg
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-12-01
Series:Zoonotic Diseases
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2813-0227/4/4/27
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author Deepanker Tewari
Manoj K. Sekhwal
Mary L. Killian
Corey Zellers
Chrislyn Wood Nicholson
Betsy Schroeder
Erica Spackman
Alex Hamberg
author_facet Deepanker Tewari
Manoj K. Sekhwal
Mary L. Killian
Corey Zellers
Chrislyn Wood Nicholson
Betsy Schroeder
Erica Spackman
Alex Hamberg
author_sort Deepanker Tewari
collection DOAJ
description Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) surveillance for influenza A virus (IAV) in the United States is conducted using a National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN) real-time reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR). Samples showing the presence of IAV are confirmed and characterized at the national reference laboratory. During the H5N1 HPAI outbreak in 2022, our laboratory reported the detection of IAV in a PA commercial chicken flock using rRT-PCR targeting the matrix gene, which was negative for the H5/H7 subtypes. IAV was not detected by additional sampling of the birds the following day with rRT-PCR. The virus detected was characterized as a human seasonal H3N2 with whole-genome sequencing (WGS). Further investigation revealed that the collector who visited the farm was diagnosed with an IAV infection. This case report emphasizes the importance of farm biosafety and biosecurity, of conducting regular reviews of worker safety protocols, and of advanced molecular techniques like WGS for viral characterization and epidemiology.
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issn 2813-0227
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publishDate 2024-12-01
publisher MDPI AG
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series Zoonotic Diseases
spelling doaj-art-3628eedaddf34c2b8a832ca18bcefd9f2025-08-20T02:51:10ZengMDPI AGZoonotic Diseases2813-02272024-12-014431531910.3390/zoonoticdis4040027The Attribution of Human Seasonal Influenza H3N2 Virus Detection to the Collector, Not Avian Sources, During the 2022 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Outbreak in Pennsylvania, USA—Implications for Biosafety and BiosecurityDeepanker Tewari0Manoj K. Sekhwal1Mary L. Killian2Corey Zellers3Chrislyn Wood Nicholson4Betsy Schroeder5Erica Spackman6Alex Hamberg7Pennsylvania Veterinary Laboratory, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Harrisburg, PA 17110, USAPennsylvania State Animal Diagnostic Laboratory, Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USANational Veterinary Services Laboratories, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Ames, IA 50010, USAPennsylvania Veterinary Laboratory, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Harrisburg, PA 17110, USAAnimal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Harrisburg, PA 17110, USABureau of Epidemiology, Harrisburg, PA 17110, USAU.S. Department of Agriculture, Exotic and Emerging Avian Viral Diseases Unit, U.S. National Poultry Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, Athens, GA 30602, USAPennsylvania Veterinary Laboratory, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Harrisburg, PA 17110, USAHighly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) surveillance for influenza A virus (IAV) in the United States is conducted using a National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN) real-time reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR). Samples showing the presence of IAV are confirmed and characterized at the national reference laboratory. During the H5N1 HPAI outbreak in 2022, our laboratory reported the detection of IAV in a PA commercial chicken flock using rRT-PCR targeting the matrix gene, which was negative for the H5/H7 subtypes. IAV was not detected by additional sampling of the birds the following day with rRT-PCR. The virus detected was characterized as a human seasonal H3N2 with whole-genome sequencing (WGS). Further investigation revealed that the collector who visited the farm was diagnosed with an IAV infection. This case report emphasizes the importance of farm biosafety and biosecurity, of conducting regular reviews of worker safety protocols, and of advanced molecular techniques like WGS for viral characterization and epidemiology.https://www.mdpi.com/2813-0227/4/4/27HPAIcollectorbiosafetybiosecurityrRT-PCRIAV
spellingShingle Deepanker Tewari
Manoj K. Sekhwal
Mary L. Killian
Corey Zellers
Chrislyn Wood Nicholson
Betsy Schroeder
Erica Spackman
Alex Hamberg
The Attribution of Human Seasonal Influenza H3N2 Virus Detection to the Collector, Not Avian Sources, During the 2022 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Outbreak in Pennsylvania, USA—Implications for Biosafety and Biosecurity
Zoonotic Diseases
HPAI
collector
biosafety
biosecurity
rRT-PCR
IAV
title The Attribution of Human Seasonal Influenza H3N2 Virus Detection to the Collector, Not Avian Sources, During the 2022 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Outbreak in Pennsylvania, USA—Implications for Biosafety and Biosecurity
title_full The Attribution of Human Seasonal Influenza H3N2 Virus Detection to the Collector, Not Avian Sources, During the 2022 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Outbreak in Pennsylvania, USA—Implications for Biosafety and Biosecurity
title_fullStr The Attribution of Human Seasonal Influenza H3N2 Virus Detection to the Collector, Not Avian Sources, During the 2022 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Outbreak in Pennsylvania, USA—Implications for Biosafety and Biosecurity
title_full_unstemmed The Attribution of Human Seasonal Influenza H3N2 Virus Detection to the Collector, Not Avian Sources, During the 2022 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Outbreak in Pennsylvania, USA—Implications for Biosafety and Biosecurity
title_short The Attribution of Human Seasonal Influenza H3N2 Virus Detection to the Collector, Not Avian Sources, During the 2022 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Outbreak in Pennsylvania, USA—Implications for Biosafety and Biosecurity
title_sort attribution of human seasonal influenza h3n2 virus detection to the collector not avian sources during the 2022 highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreak in pennsylvania usa implications for biosafety and biosecurity
topic HPAI
collector
biosafety
biosecurity
rRT-PCR
IAV
url https://www.mdpi.com/2813-0227/4/4/27
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