JVI Accepts, published online ahead of print on 14 October 2009

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J. Virol. doi:10.1128/JVI.01732-09
Copyright (c) 2009, American Society for Microbiology and/or the Listed Authors/Institutions. All Rights Reserved.

Transmission of pandemic H1N1 influenza virus and impact of prior exposure to seasonal strains or interferon treatment

John Steel, Peter Staeheli, Samira Mubareka, Adolfo García-Sastre, Peter Palese, and Anice C. Lowen^*

Department of Microbiology, Institute of Global Health and Emerging Pathogens and Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA; Department of Virology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany; and Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and Research Institute

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. Email: anice.lowen{at}mssm.edu.

Novel, swine origin influenza viruses of the H1N1 subtype were first detected in humans in April 2009. As of Aug 12th, 180,000 cases had been reported globally. Despite the fact that they are of the same antigenic subtype as seasonal influenza viruses circulating in humans since 1977, these viruses continue to spread and have caused the first influenza pandemic since 1968. Here we show that a pandemic H1N1 strain replicates in and transmits among guinea pigs with similar efficiency to a seasonal H3N2 influenza virus. This transmission was, however, partially disrupted when guinea pigs had pre-existing immunity to recent human isolates of either the H1N1 or H3N2 subtypes and was fully blocked through daily intranasal administration of interferon to either inoculated or exposed animals. Our results suggest that partial immunity resulting from prior exposure to conventional human strains may blunt the impact of pandemic H1N1 viruses in the human population. In addition, the use of interferon as an antiviral prophylaxis may be an effective way to limit spread in at risk populations.