Efficacy of a cap-dependent endonuclease inhibitor and neuraminidase inhibitors against H7N9 highly pathogenic avian influenza virus causing severe viral pneumonia in cynomolgus macaques.

Efficacy of a cap-dependent endonuclease inhibitor and neuraminidase inhibitors against H7N9 highly pathogenic avian influenza virus causing severe viral pneumonia in cynomolgus macaques.
Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2020 Nov 30;:
Authors: Suzuki S, Nguyen CT, Ogata-Nakahara A, Shibata A, Osaka H, Ishigaki H, Okamatsu M, Sakoda Y, Kida H, Ogasawara K, Itoh Y
Abstract
H7N9 highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) infection in a human was first reported in 2017. A/duck/Japan/AQ-HE29-22/2017 (H7N9) (Dk/HE29-22) found in imported duck meat at an airport in Japan possessed hemagglutinin with a multi-basic cleavage site, indicating high pathogenicity in chickens as in the case of other H7 HPAIVs. In the present study, we examined the pathogenicity of Dk/HE29-22 and the effectiveness of a cap-dependent endonuclease inhibitor (baloxavir) and neuraminidase inhibitors (oseltamivir and zanamivir) against infection with this strain in a macaque model (n = 3 for each group). All of the macaques infected with Dk/HE29-22 showed severe signs of disease and pneumonia even after the virus had disappeared from lung samples. Virus titers in macaques treated with baloxavir were significantly lower than those in the other treated groups. After infection, levels of IFN-α and IFN-β in the blood of macaques in the baloxavir group were the highest among the groups, whereas levels of TNF-α and IL-13 were slightly increased in the untreated group. In ...

Source: Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy - November 30, 2020 Category: Microbiology Authors: Suzuki S, Nguyen CT, Ogata-Nakahara A, Shibata A, Osaka H, Ishigaki H, Okamatsu M, Sakoda Y, Kida H, Ogasawara K, Itoh Y Tags: Antimicrob Agents Chemother Source Type: research