Dear Subscribers,
WHO/OIE/FAO H5 Working Group reports a new clade designated 2.3.4.4, the Evolution of the influenza A(H5) haemagglutinin. Please see the full report below.
Recent detections of highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N8) in East Asia and Europe, A(H5N8) and A(H5N2) in North America, and A(H5N6) in East and Southeast Asia, have prompted the WHO/OIE/FAO H5 Evolution Working Group to review and update the H5 haemagglutinin (HA) clade nomenclature (1-4), which was last revised based on sequence data available prior to December 2012 (4). Although a detailed report describing the update of the existing nomenclature is in preparation, considering the high likelihood that these viruses will continue to be detected and reported, timely communication of the new clade designation is warranted. The phylogenetic analysis of H5 HA sequences from these viruses revealed extensive divergence and indicated the need to update the clade nomenclature for H5N1, H5N2, H5N5, H5N6, and H5N8 subtype viruses clustering in this HA group. After careful analysis of all available H5 sequence data, this group of HA gene segments has been designated as clade 2.3.4.4 and use of this unified classification is recommended. The virology, animal and public health communities are encouraged to adopt this clade designation for these H5 HAs and discontinue use of the provisional clade 2.3.4.6 designation, which was assigned tentatively during the WHO Vaccine Virus Consultation in September 2014 in reviewing and selecting candidate vaccine viruses of this emerging group of viruses (5).
http://www.who.int/influenza/gisrs_laboratory/h5_nomenclature_clade2344/en/
Enjoy your reading.
Sincerely Yours,
TADs-Network-Asia
Emergency Center for Transboundary Animal Diseases (ECTAD)
FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (FAORAP)
39 Phra Athit Road, Pra Nakorn
Bangkok, 10200, Thailand
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