Influenza A viruses are transmitted via the air from the nasal respiratory epithelium of ferrets

Mathilde Richard, Judith M. A. Brand, Theo M. Bestebroer, Pascal Lexmond, Dennis Meulder, Ron A. M. Fouchier, Anice C. Lowen and Sander Herfst ()
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Mathilde Richard: Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Center for Research on Influenza Pathogenesis (CRIP) Center of Excellence for Influenza Research and Surveillance (CEIRS)
Judith M. A. Brand: Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Center for Research on Influenza Pathogenesis (CRIP) Center of Excellence for Influenza Research and Surveillance (CEIRS)
Theo M. Bestebroer: Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Center for Research on Influenza Pathogenesis (CRIP) Center of Excellence for Influenza Research and Surveillance (CEIRS)
Pascal Lexmond: Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Center for Research on Influenza Pathogenesis (CRIP) Center of Excellence for Influenza Research and Surveillance (CEIRS)
Dennis Meulder: Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Center for Research on Influenza Pathogenesis (CRIP) Center of Excellence for Influenza Research and Surveillance (CEIRS)
Ron A. M. Fouchier: Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Center for Research on Influenza Pathogenesis (CRIP) Center of Excellence for Influenza Research and Surveillance (CEIRS)
Anice C. Lowen: Emory University School of Medicine
Sander Herfst: Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Center for Research on Influenza Pathogenesis (CRIP) Center of Excellence for Influenza Research and Surveillance (CEIRS)

Nature Communications, 2020, vol. 11, issue 1, 1-11

Abstract: Abstract Human influenza A viruses are known to be transmitted via the air from person to person. It is unknown from which anatomical site of the respiratory tract influenza A virus transmission occurs. Here, pairs of genetically tagged and untagged influenza A/H1N1, A/H3N2 and A/H5N1 viruses that are transmissible via the air are used to co-infect donor ferrets via the intranasal and intratracheal routes to cause an upper and lower respiratory tract infection, respectively. In all transmission cases, we observe that the viruses in the recipient ferrets are of the same genotype as the viruses inoculated intranasally, demonstrating that they are expelled from the upper respiratory tract of ferrets rather than from trachea or the lower airways. Moreover, influenza A viruses that are transmissible via the air preferentially infect ferret and human nasal respiratory epithelium. These results indicate that virus replication in the upper respiratory tract, the nasal respiratory epithelium in particular, of donors is a driver for transmission of influenza A viruses via the air.

Date: 2020
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-14626-0

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