Recent H5N1 Sequences from Rostov Russia

Sequences from the recent H5N1 outbreaks in Rostov (see satellite map) have been released. The most recent series is from a isolate, A/chicken/Rostov-on-Don/35/2007, which was collected December 14, 2007. The sequences are closely related to another isolate, A/chicken/Rostov-22-1/2007, which was also recently released. The sequences are closely related to a clade 2.2.3 isolate A/chicken/Moscow/2/2007, which was isolated in early 2007.

These Rostov sequences therefore are not in the Uva Lake series, like all reported isolates in Europe since the summer of 2007. Like the Moscow isolate, the recent Rostov isolate has NA G743A. That change was not present in the earlier Rostov isolate.

G743A is one of the few polymorphisms not present in the earlier NA or HA sequences from Rostov. One of the other NA polymorphisms is G207T. It is a rare polymorphism that has been seen previously in patients in Vietnam, including the first reported case of Tamiflu resistance. One of the HA polymorphisms that is present in the more recent Rostov isolate is G1600A. It is also a rare polymorphism and is present in the same patient with NA G207T. Thus, newly acquired polymorphisms in the recent HA and NA sequences are in the same clade 1 isolate from 2005.

The likelihood that this coincidence is due to independent de novo mutations is low. Recombinomics

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