Genetic characterization of the pathogenic influenza A/Goose/Guangdong/1/96 (H5N1) virus: Similarity of its hemagglutinin gene to those of H5N1 viruses from the 1997 outbreaks in Hong Kong

Analysis of the sequences of all eight RNA segments of the influenza A/Goos e/Guangdong/1/96 (H5N1) virus, isolated from a sick goose during an outbrea k in Guangdong Province, China, in 1996, revealed that the hemagglutinin (H A) gene of the virus was genetically similar to those of the H5N1 viruses i solated in Hong Kong in 1997. However, the remaining genes showed greater s imilarity to other avian influenza viruses. Notably, the neuraminidase gene did not have the 19-amino-acid deletion in the stalk region seen in the H5 N1 Hong Kong viruses and the NS gene belonged to allele B, while that of th e H5N1 Hong Kong viruses belonged to allele A. These data suggest that the H5N1 viruses isolated from the Hong Kong outbreaks derived their HA genes f rom a virus similar to the A/Goose/Guangdong/1/96 virus or shared a progeni tor with this goose pathogen. (C) 1999 Academic Press.