Assessment of zoonotic potential of four European swine influenza viruses in the ferret model

The reverse zoonotic events that introduced the 2009 pandemic influenza virus into swine herds have drastically increased the diversity of reassortants throughout Europe. The pandemic potential of these novel reassortments is unknown, hence necessitating enhanced surveillance of European swine herds and enhanced focus on risk assessment of these new viruses.

In this study, four European swine influenza viruses were assessed for their zoonotic potential. Of the four viruses, two were enzootic viruses of subtype H1N2 (with avian-like H1) and H3N2 and two were new reassortants, one with avian-like H1 and human-like N2 and one with pandemic H1 and swine-like N2.

All viruses replicated to high viral titers in nasal wash- and nasal turbinate samples from inoculated ferrets and transmitted efficiently by direct contact. Only the H3N2 virus transmitted to naïve ferrets via respiratory droplets. Growth kinetics using human bronchial cells showed that all four viruses were able to replicate to high titers.

Further, the viruses revealed preferential binding to the α2,6-silalylated glycans and investigation of the antiviral susceptibility of the viruses revealed that they were all sensitive to neuraminidase inhibitors. These findings suggest that the investigated viruses have the potential to infect humans and further underline the need for continued surveillance as well as pandemic and zoonotic assessment of new influenza reassortants.