Emergence of Eurasian Avian-Like Swine Influenza A (H1N1) virus in a child in Shandong Province, China

Background Influenza A virus infections can occur in multiple species.

Eurasian avian-like swine influenza A (H1N1) viruses (EAS-H1N1) are predominant in swine and occasionally infect humans.

A Eurasian avian-like swine influenza A (H1N1) virus was isolated from a boy who was suffering from fever; this strain was designated A/Shandong-binzhou/01/2021 (H1N1).

The aims of this study were to investigate the characteristics of this virus and to draw attention to the need for surveillance of influenza virus infection in swine and humans.

Methods Throat-swab specimens were collected and subjected to real-time fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT‒PCR).

Positive clinical specimens were inoculated onto Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells to isolate the virus, which was confirmed by a haemagglutination assay.

Then, whole-genome sequencing was carried out using an Illumina MiSeq platform, and phylogenetic analysis was performed with MEGA X software.

Results RT‒PCR revealed that the throat-swab specimens were positive for EAS-H1N1, and the virus was subsequently successfully isolated from MDCK cells; this strain was named A/Shandong-binzhou/01/2021 (H1N1).

Whole-genome sequencing and phylogenetic analysis revealed that A/Shandong-binzhou/01/2021 (H1N1) is a novel triple-reassortant EAS-H1N1 lineage that contains gene segments from EAS-H1N1 (HA and NA), triple-reassortant swine influenza H1N2 virus (NS) and A(H1N1) pdm09 viruses (PB2, PB1, PA, NP and MP).

Conclusions The isolation and analysis of the A/Shandong-binzhou/01/2021 (H1N1) virus provide further evidence that EAS-H1N1 poses a threat to human health, and greater attention should be given to the surveillance of influenza virus infections in swine and humans.