Introduction
Influenza A viruses are found in many different animals, including ducks, chickens, pigs, whales, horses, and seals. However, certain subtypes of influenza A virus are specific to certain species, except for birds which are hosts to all subtypes of influenza A.
Subtypes that have caused widespread illness in people either in the past also caused outbreaks in pigs and horses.
Influenza A viruses normally seen in one species sometimes can cross over and cause illness in another species. For example in 1998 viruses from humans were introduced into the pig population and caused widespread disease among pigs.
Avian influenza viruses may be transmitted to humans in two main ways:
- Directly from birds or from avian virus-contaminated environments to people.
- Through an intermediate host, such as a pig.
Influenza viruses have eight separate gene segments. The segmented genome allows viruses from different species to mix and create a new influenza A virus if viruses from two different species infect the same person or animal.
For example, if a pig were infected with a human influenza virus and an avian influenza virus at the same time, the viruses could reassort and produce a new virus. The resulting new virus might then be able to infect humans and spread from person to person.
This type of major change in the influenza A viruses is known as antigenic shift. Antigenic shift results when a new influenza A subtype to which most people have little or no immune protection infects humans. If this new virus causes illness in people and can be transmitted easily from person to person, an influenza pandemic can occur.
It also is possible that the process of reassortment could occur in a human. For example, a person could be infected with avian influenza and a human strain of influenza at the same time. These viruses could reassort to create a new virus against which humans have little or no immunity. These are more likely to result in sustained human-to-human transmission and pandemic influenza.
This is why careful evaluation of influenza viruses recovered from humans who are infected with avian influenza is very important to identify reassortment if it occurs.
While it is unusual for people to get influenza directly from animals, some infections and outbreaks caused by certain avian influenza A viruses and pig influenza viruses have been reported.
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