2010-09-24

Pandemic Influenza and Avian Influenza Conjunctivitis Presentation

Last Updated 2010-09-30

Large outbreaks of eye inflammation (conjunctivitis), including hemorrhagic conjunctivitis, have begun around the world this month with several regions registering case counts in the thousands.  Viral infection is frequently associated with this type of highly contagious "Pink Eye" or "Red Eye".  Early pandemic H1N1 cases document these types of eye redness in the patient symptomology.


One recent HA polymorphism found in the pandemic reservoir has been previously associated with viral conjunctivitis with and without classic influenza symptoms. The amino acid value of HA 188T is strongly correlated to conjunctivitis on the Netherlands human H7N7 outbreak during 2003, including zoonoses from commercial poultry operatons. One human fatality was recorded during that outbreak and that case sequence shows the HA 188T.
The 6 pH1N1 sequences that carry 188T (all recent) also demonstrate a significant set of markers with homology to zoonotic serotypes including further H7N7 amino acid homology and extensive H7N7 SNP potential. H9N2 and H3N8 also are potential contributors, but the data sparsity inclines our team to be more concerned with an H7N7 / H9N2 team coordination from commercial domestic poultry operations.

Avian influenza again may be communicating with the human pandemic H1N1 Hydrae. India today, 2010-09-30, is on record in a section of Mumbai as counting 2,500 cases of conjunctivitis this month.  HA 188T is also found in India.

. . . . Florida14_24M_2010_08_05 (
. . . . . . . . 100N [H7N3, H7N7, H9N2],
. . . . . . . . syn161Y [H3N8 2009, H6N1, H9N2],
. . . . . . . . 188T [H6N1, H7N7],
. . . . . . . . syn338G [H3N8, H4, H5, H6, sw],
. . . . . . . . 377K [H9N2],
. . . . . . . . 442I mix,
. . . . . . . . 454N [H7N3, H7N7, H9N2])

. . . . OZVictoria512_2010_07_30 (
. . . . . . . . syn60I,
. . . . . . . . 100N [H7N3, H7N7, H9N2],
. . . . . . . . 188T [H6N1, H7N7],
. . . . . . . . syn285P,
. . . . . . . . syn338G [H3N8, H4, H5, H6, sw],
. . . . . . . . 377K [H9N2],
. . . . . . . . 454N [H7N3, H7N7, H9N2])

. . . . Thailand34_9912_2010_07_14 (
. . . . . . . . 188T [H6N1, H7N7],
. . . . . . . . 200T,
. . . . . . . . HA truncated after aa253)

. . . . Thailand34_9937_2010_07_14 (
. . . . . . . . 162Q [Unique to PF11 GenBank/GISAID],
. . . . . . . . 188T [H6N1, H7N7],
. . . . . . . . HA truncated after aa253)

. . . . NZChristchurch15_2010_07_12 (
. . . . . . . . 100N,
. . . . . . . . 188T [H6N1, H7N7],
. . . . . . . . syn338G [H3N8, H4, H5, H6, sw],
. . . . . . . . 377K [H9N2],
. . . . . . . . 454N [H7N3, H7N7, H9N2])

 . . . . India5107_2010_06_28 (
. . . . . . . . syn60I,
. . . . . . . . 100N [H7N3, H7N7, H9N2],
. . . . . . . . syn135V,
. . . . . . . . 188T [H6N1, H7N7],
. . . . . . . . syn338G [H3N8, H4, H5, H6, sw],
. . . . . . . . 377K [H9N2],
. . . . . . . . 454N [H7N3, H7N7, H9N2])

. . . . India8910_2010_05_08 (
. . . . . . . . syn49G [H7N3, H7N7],
. . . . . . . . syn51A,
. . . . . . . . 188T [H6N1, H7N7],
. . . . . . . . syn338G [H3N8, H4, H5, H6, sw],
. . . . . . . . 377K [H9N2],
. . . . . . . . 454N [H7N3, H7N7, H9N2])

. . . . swThaiCURA75_2010_01 (
. . . . . . . . 188T [H6N1, H7N7],
. . . . . . . . 263D,
. . . . . . . . syn350G [H7N3, H7N7],
. . . . . . . . 414I,
. . . . . . . . syn484N [H3N8, H4, H5N1 (E/A/H), H6, H7N7, H9N2, H11])

The human post-pandemic reservoir continues to diversify and augment from a wide variety of avian, canine and equine sources. Sampling and sequence confirmation may corroborate that Mexico, China or Pakistan has HA 188T in the PF11 reservoir near the same geographies where the eye symptoms are occurring.




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