Epidemiological and virological studies on avian influenza virus H5N1 in Egypt

高致病性甲型禽流感病毒（HPAIV H5N1）目前在多个地区广泛传播。尽管当前的H1N1流感大流行可能转移了人们对H5N1病毒在全球范围内持续传播的注意力，但H5N1流感的大流行威胁仍然令人担忧。尤其是埃及出人意料地出现了人类感染H5N1病例数量最多的国家。在这项研究中，我们利用 2006 年和 2008-2009 年在埃及分离的 H5N1 病毒进行了分子流行病学研究。系统发育结果表明，最近的人类分离株聚集成几个新的 H5 亚系。正如预期的那样，我们发现这些 H5 亚系对 α2、6SA 的结合亲和力增强。

Highly pathogenic avian influenza A virus (HPAIV H5N1) is currently widespread in several areas. Although the current H1N1 pandemic may have diverted attention from the continuing worldwide circulation of H5N1 virus, the pandemic threat of H5N1 is still alarming. In particular, Egypt has unexpectedly had the highest number of human cases of H5N1 infection. In this study, we conducted a molecular-epidemiological studies using H5N1 viruses isolated between 2006 and 2008-2009 in Egypt. The phylogenetic results showed that recent human isolates clustered into several new H5 sublineages. As expected, we found that these H5 sublineages have acquired an enhanced binding affinity for α2, 6SA.