Epidemiological Situation and Spread of Avian Influenza H9N2 in Poultry in North Africa
Epidemiological Situation and Spread of Avian Influenza H9N2 in Poultry in North Africa
Hadda Kareche1*, Ola Elbohy2 and Janet M. Daly2
ABSTRACT
Avian influenza (AI), which is recognized as one of the most contagious respiratory diseases in poultry worldwide, is caused by avian influenza A virus (LPAIV). Wild birds are considered the primary natural reservoirs of low pathogenicity avian influenza (LPAI) viruses. This review focusses on the epidemiological situation and the spread of LPAI viruses of the H9N2 subtype in poultry in North African countries including Morocco, Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya. Although H9N2 virus infections do not typically cause severe disease in poultry, they can result in significant economic losses to the poultry industry. Furthermore, the H9N2 subtype has zoonotic importance as human H9N2 virus infections have been identified, particularly among poultry workers. The potential for reassortment (exchanging genome segments with other influenza A virus subtypes) that could produce a virus with pandemic potential also poses a significant threat to human health. Phylogenetic analysis has shown that most of the H9N2 viruses circulating in North Africa belong to the G1-like lineage. This review highlights the need for continued surveillance, accompanied by sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of the viral genome to monitor for emerging viruses of concern and to inform updating vaccines to match the emerging field strains.
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