Morphological features and pathogenicity of mutated canine influenza viruses from China and South Korea

The canine influenza virus (CIV) has spread globally from East Asia to the United States and mutated and evolved to generate various CIVs. Since 2010, the mutant CIVs found in China and Korea have presented increased virulence in mice, guinea pigs and ferrets, which has raised concerns about public health and outbreak of a severe canine flu. We analysed and compared the morphology, cellular uptake and pathogenicity of CIV variants in host animals, to determine their characteristics. The Chinese mutant, A/canine/Jiangsu/06/2010[H3N2](JS10), has two amino acid insertions at the distal end of the NA stalk, and A/canine/Korea/01/2007[H3N2](KR07) presented comparable efficiency of cell uptake and a similar morphology to spherical or small ovoid particles. However, KR07M generated from swapping of M segment of the pandemic isolate, A/California/04/2009 [H1N1] (CA04) into KR07 alone accounted for morphologic change and higher efficiency of cell uptake to the wild-type CIV. This study will provide an insight into the pathogenesis, transmission and evolution of CIVs and help determine future countermeasures.