Then, unexpectedly, another novel Influenza-like Virus was detected in a Wuhan spiny eel (Macrognathus aculeatus), also known as the lesser spiny eel. It was found to phylogenetically cluster with influenza B viruses in amphibians as a sister clade. It is therefore interesting that a similar virus was potentially found in fish[1].
The researchers showed that the WSEIV NA-like protein has sialidase activity comparable to B/Malaysia/2506/2004 influenza B virus NA, making it a bona fide neuraminidase that is sensitive to NA inhibitors. They tested the functionality of the HA by addressing the receptor specificity, stability, preferential airway protease cleavage, and fusogenicity. They showed highly specific binding to monosialic ganglioside 2 (GM2) and fusogenicity at a range of different pH conditions. In addition, they found limited antigenic conservation of the WSEIV HA and NA relative to the B/Malaysia/2506/2004 virus HA and NA.
Influenza B viruses have been discounted from being a pandemic threat due to the absence of an identified sustained non-human reservoir. However, the Wuhan spiny eel is distributed throughout Southeast Asia and are farmed and harvested for food. This research suggests that humans are immunologically naïve to the WSEIV glycoproteins[2].
In short, these novel Influenza-like viruses form a separate cluster that pose an unknown threat to humans.
[1] Arunkumar et al: Functionality of the putative surface glycoproteins of the Wuhan spiny eel influenza virus in Nature Communications – 2021. See here.
[2] Singh et al: Characterization of the glycoproteins of novel fish influenza B-like viruses in biorxiv – 2025. See here.
No comments:
Post a Comment