Characterization of avian influenza viruses isolated from domestic ducks in Vietnam in 2009 and 2010

In the surveillance of avian influenza in Vietnam, 26 H9N2, 1 H3N2, 1 H3N8, 7 H4N6, 3 H11N3, and 1 H11N9 viruses were isolated from tracheal and cloacal swab samples of 300 domestic ducks in April 2009, and 1 H9N6 virus from 300 bird samples in March 2010. Out of the 27 H9 virus isolates, the hemagglutinins of 18 strains were genetically classified as belonging to the sublineage G1, and the other nine belonged to the Korean sublineage. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that one of the 27 H9 viruses was a reassortant in which the PB2 gene belonged to the Korean sublineage and the other seven genes belonged to the G1 sublineage. Three representative H9N2 viruses were intranasally inoculated into ducks, chickens, pigs, and mice. On the basis of experimental infection studies, it was found that each of the three viruses readily infected pigs and replicated in their upper respiratory tracts, and they infected chickens with slight replication. Viruses were recovered from the lungs of mice inoculated with two of the three isolates. The present results reveal that H9 avian influenza viruses are prevailing and genetic reassortment occurs among domestic ducks in Vietnam. It is recommended that careful surveillance of swine influenza with H9 viruses should be performed to prepare for pandemic influenza.