INTERSPECIES TRANSMISSION OF INFLUENZA-VIRUSES

In this report we examine the hypothesis that aquatic birds are the pr imordial source of all influenza viruses in other species. Two partly overlapping reservoirs of influenza A viruses exist in migrating water fowl and shorebirds throughout the world. These species harbor influen za viruses of all the known hemagglutinin and neuraminidase subtypes. In contrast to the rapid, progressive changes in both the nucleotide a nd amino acid sequences of mammalian virus gene lineages, avian virus genes show far less variation and, in most cases, appear to be in evol utionary stasis. There are periodic exchanges of influenza virus genes or whole viruses between species, giving rise to pandemics of disease in humans, lower animals, and birds. The periodic exchange of influen za viruses between species has been illustrated by the appearance of n ew pandemic influenza viruses in humans, including the Spanish influen za of 1918, the Asian influenza of 1957, and the Hong Kong influenza o f 1968. Transmission of avian influenza viruses to swine in Europe in 1979 has resulted in the appearance of human-avian reassortant influen za viruses in pigs in Italy and in children in the Netherlands. These studies provide evidence supporting the possibility that pigs serve as a mixing vessel for reassortment between influenza viruses in mammali an and avian hosts and raise the question of whether the avian influen za viruses now circulating in European swine are the precursors of the next human pandemic virus.