Strategies for subtyping influenza viruses circulating in the Danish pig population

Influenza viruses are endemic in the Danish pig population and the dominant circulating subtypes are H1N1, a Danish H1N2 reassortant, and H3N2. Here we present our current and future strategies for influenza virus subtyping. For diagnostic and surveillance of influenza subtypes circulating in the Danish pig population functional and rapid subtyping assays are required.

The conventional RT-PCR influenza subtyping assays developed by Chiapponi et al. (2003) have been implemented and used for typing of influenza viruses found positive in a pan influenza A real time RT-PCR assay. The H1 and N1 assays were specific when applied on Danish influenza positive samples, whereas the N2 assay consistently showed several unspecific PCR products.

A subset of positive influenza samples detected by the real time RT-PCR screening assay could not be subtyped using these assays. Therefore, new influenza subtyping assays based on RT-PCR and subsequent sequencing were implemented for the four subtypes H1, H3, N1, and N2. The assays were based on primer sets published by the WHO, but slightly modified for improved detection of Danish subtype variants.

Sequencing of circulating influenza viruses is beneficial since it provides information about the genetic drift of influenza in the Danish pig population. Finally, we will present preliminary results of the performance of new real time RT-PCR assays for rapid subtyping of the most common subtypes circulating in Danish pigs.

These real time RT-PCR assays would provide a simpler and faster tool for routine diagnostic influenza subtyping.