High serological barriers may contribute to restricted Influenza-A-virus transmission between pigs and humans

IF 4.5 2区医学 Q1 INFECTIOUS DISEASES

One Health Pub Date : 2025-10-14 DOI:10.1016/j.onehlt.2025.101214

Christin Hennig , Annika Graaf-Rau , Kathrin Schmies , Roland Elling , Philipp Henneke , Ralf Dürrwald , Elisabeth grosse Beilage , Martin Schwemmle , Martin Beer , Timm Harder

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Influenza A viruses (IAV) circulate in both humans and pigs, with bidirectional transmission potentially driving viral evolution. Despite frequent contact and genetic compatibility, observed cross-species transmission remains rare, suggesting the presence of unexplored or little-known barriers. The study investigated transmission dynamics and mechanisms restricting IAV spread at the human-swine interface in Germany. We analyzed 3070 porcine and 333 human nasal swabs from 135 swine farms via RT-qPCR and full-genome sequencing. Concurrently, we conducted serological surveys: 1) Children's sera (urban, no pig contact) for antibodies against circulating swine IAV, and 2) Swine sera for antibodies against human-adapted IAV. Molecular surveillance identified only one zooanthroponosis event and sporadic anthropozoonosis (primarily in children) despite swine IAV strains carrying zoonotic-propensity genetic markers (MxA resistance). Serologically, urban children without pig exposure exhibited marked neutralizing activity against swine IAV, whereas swine sera contained neutralizing antibodies against human IAV strains. Pre-existing cross-reactive immunity—evidenced by unexpected antibody prevalence in both species—creates a more complex interspecies barrier than genetic factors alone. This serological “shield” may critically limit IAV transmission between humans and pigs, reshaping our understanding of zoonotic risk.

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高血清学屏障可能有助于限制甲型流感病毒在猪和人之间的传播

甲型流感病毒（IAV）在人类和猪中传播，双向传播可能推动病毒进化。尽管频繁的接触和遗传兼容性，观察到的跨物种传播仍然很少，这表明存在未被探索或鲜为人知的障碍。本研究调查了德国人猪界面禽流感病毒的传播动力学和限制机制。我们通过RT-qPCR和全基因组测序分析了来自135个猪场的3070只猪和333只人鼻拭子。同时，我们进行了血清学调查：1)儿童（城市，无猪接触）血清中抗循环猪流感病毒的抗体，2)猪血清中抗人适应猪流感病毒的抗体。尽管猪IAV毒株携带人畜共患病倾向遗传标记（MxA抗性），但分子监测只发现了一起人畜共患病事件和散发性人畜共患病（主要发生在儿童中）。血清学上，未接触猪的城市儿童对猪流感病毒表现出明显的中和活性，而猪血清中含有对人流感病毒株的中和抗体。预先存在的交叉反应性免疫——在两个物种中都有意想不到的抗体流行——比单独的遗传因素造成了更复杂的物种间屏障。这种血清学“屏障”可能严重限制人与猪之间的IAV传播，重塑我们对人畜共患风险的理解。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

One Health Medicine-Infectious Diseases

CiteScore

8.10

自引率

4.00%

发文量

审稿时长

18 weeks

期刊介绍： One Health - a Gold Open Access journal. The mission of One Health is to provide a platform for rapid communication of high quality scientific knowledge on inter- and intra-species pathogen transmission, bringing together leading experts in virology, bacteriology, parasitology, mycology, vectors and vector-borne diseases, tropical health, veterinary sciences, pathology, immunology, food safety, mathematical modelling, epidemiology, public health research and emergency preparedness. As a Gold Open Access journal, a fee is payable on acceptance of the paper. Please see the Guide for Authors for more information. Submissions to the following categories are welcome: Virology, Bacteriology, Parasitology, Mycology, Vectors and vector-borne diseases, Co-infections and co-morbidities, Disease spatial surveillance, Modelling, Tropical Health, Discovery, Ecosystem Health, Public Health.