A new reassortment of influenza A (H7N9) virus causing human infection in Beijing, 2014

Bi, Yuhai; Liu, Jingyuan; Xiong, Haofeng; Zhang, Yue; Liu, Di; Liu, Yingxia; Gao, George F.; Wang, Beibei

A 73-year-old man was confirmed to have an influenza A (H7N9) virus infection, and the causative agent A/Beijing/02/2014(H7N9) virus was isolated. Genetic and phylogenetic analyses revealed that the virus belonged to a novel genotype, which probably emerged and further reassorted with other H9 or H7 viruses in poultry before transmitting to humans. This virus caused a severe infection with high levels of cytokines and neutralizing antibodies. Eventually, the patient was cured after serially combined treatments. Taken together, our findings indicated that this novel genotype of the human H7N9 virus did not evolve directly from the first Beijing isolate A/Beijing/01/2013(H7N9), suggesting that the H7N9 virus has not obtained the ability for human-to-human transmissibility and the virus only evolves in poultry and then infects human by direct contact. Hence, the major measures to prevent human H7N9 virus infection are still to control and standardize the live poultry trade. Early antiviral treatment with combination therapies, including mechanical ventilation, nutrition support and symptomatic treatment, are effective for H7N9 infection.