Avian influenza virus A of a novel
reassortant subtype H7N9 was recently found to cause severe human
respiratory infections
in China. Live poultry markets were suspected
locations of the human H7N9 infection sources, based on the cases'
exposure
histories and sequence similarities between viral
isolates. To explore the role of live poultry markets in the origin of
the
novel H7N9 virus, we systematically examined
poultry and environmental specimens from local markets and farms in
Hangzhou,
using real-time RT-PCR as well as high-throughput
next generation sequencing (NGS). RT-PCR identified specimens positive
for
the H7 and N9 genomic segments in all of the twelve
poultry markets epidemiologically linked to ten human H7N9 cases.
Chickens,
ducks, and environmental specimens from the markets
heavily contained mixed subtypes including H7, N9, H9, N2, and
sometimes
H5 and N1.
