Molecular characteristics of H9N2 influenza viruses isolated from farmed raccoon dogs and arctic foxes in China.

In this study, eight H9N2 IAVs were isolated from infected diseased, farmed raccoon dogs and arctic foxes. Eight genes shared 98.6%-100% identity among the isolates possessing a PSRSSR/GL motif at the HA cleavage site, which is same as the motif of G1 and Y280 lineages of H9N2 IAVs. The phylogenetic analysis showed that the HA genes of the eight isolates clustered with Y280-like viruses, whereas the NA genes belonged to F/98-like sublineage. Interestingly, the NS, NP, PB2 and PA genes of the isolates were closely related to H7N9 IAVs. This is the first evidence for isolation of H9N2 IAVs from raccoon dogs and arctic foxes. Raccoon dogs and arctic foxes potentially serve as an intermediate host for influenza viruses with pandemic potential toward other animals due to co-expression of both SA α-2,6-Gal and SA α-2,3-Gal receptors in a wide range of their tissues.

Co-infection of H9N2 influenza virus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa contributes to the development of hemorrhagic pneumonia in mink.

Influenza A virus (IAV) and bacteria co-infection can influence the host clinical conditions. Both H9N2 IAV and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) are potential pathogens of respiratory diseases in mink. In this study, to clarify the effects of H9N2 IAV and P. aeruginosa co-infections on hemorrhagic pneumonia in mink, we carried out to establish the mink models of the two-pathogen co-infections in different orders. Compared with the single infections with H9N2 IAV or P. aeruginosa, the mink co-infected with H9N2 IAV and P. aeruginosa showed severe respiratory diseases, and exacerbated histopathological lesions and more obvious apoptosis in the lung tissues. H9N2 IAV shedding and viral loads in the lungs of the mink co-infected with H9N2 IAV and P. aeruginosa were higher than those in the mink with single H9N2 IAV infection. Furthermore, the clearance of P. aeruginosa in the co-infected mink lungs was delayed. In addition, the anti-H9N2 antibody titers in mink with P. aeruginosa co-infection following H9N2 IAV infection were significantly higher than those of the other groups. This implied that H9N2 IAV and P. aeruginosa co-infection contributed to the development of hemorrhagic pneumonia in mink, and that P. aeruginosa should play a major role in the disease. The exact interaction mechanism among H9N2 IAV, P. aeruginosa and the host needs to be further investigated.

[IR spectra of quarternary ammonium cellulose and its adsorption properties to POPs].

In the present paper, the IR spectra, adsorption and reusing property of quaternary ammonium cationic cellulose (QACC) towards POPs were studied. The method and technological parameters of adsorption were discussed. The adsorbing isotherm, thermodynamics (deltaH, deltaS and deltaG), adsorption rate constant and adsorption activation energy of QACC on dyes were determined, and the sorption mechanism of QACC was confirmed initially, too. In near neutral water solution, QACC has a better saturated absorptive capability to water-soluble organic contaminations of aromatic series which contain carboxyl, sulfonic and hydroxyl group, and the presence of common coexistent ions in environmental water had no obvious effect on the saturated adsorption capacity of QACC. The adsorption involves both physical adsorption and chemical adsorption, and the chemical adsorption is the main. The adsorption of QACC to water-soluble organic contaminants followed Langmuir adsorption equation and one-order kinetic equation. Furthermore the adsorption rate constants increase with increasing temperature. QACC could be desorbed and reused with 0.5 mol x L(-1) sodium hydroxide solution after adsorbing water-soluble organic contaminations. QACC is a new environmental function material with excellent performance and can be used to remove the POPs in the environment.