Isolation of a novel H3N2 influenza virus containing a gene of H9N2 avian influenza in a dog in South Korea in 2015.

Abstract

We isolated a serotype H3N2 influenza virus from a dog with severe respiratory distress in an animal clinic in South Korea in 2015 and characterized the sequences of its eight genes. The following seven genes were derived from canine influenza virus: PB2, PB1, HA, NP, NA, M, and NS. However, the PA gene was derived from avian H9N2 influenza virus that is circulating in poultry in Korea. These findings suggest that the continued surveillance of the influenza virus in dogs is warranted because humans have close contact with dogs, which may promote viral transmission.