Researchers Identify Equine Influenza Virus in Camels

Researchers have successfully identified the first known case of equine influenza virus in camels.

Researchers at the University of Florida have successfully gathered evidence that the influenza A virus easily transmits from horses to camels and fear that humans could be the next target. Though there is no immediate risk identified the researchers highlight that the inter-mammalian transmission of the virus is a critical issue for public health researchers who aim to control the threat of a pandemic.

"Over the last 10 years, we've been amazed at all the cross-species jumps of influenza. Now we're finding yet another," said Gregory C. Gray, center director and environmental and global health professor in UF's College of Public Health and Health Professions.

Recently camels were blamed for the spread of fatal MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome) virus. Saudi Arabia scientists said that people handling camels should consider wearing masks and gloves to prevent the spread of MERS. This highlighted the role of camels in ecology of zoonotic disease that gets transmitted from animals to humans.

Apart from MERS, there was the SARS virus, Ebola virus and strains of E.Coli.

"Similar influenza viruses can move from horses to humans," Gray said. "If a camel has it, why couldn't they share it with humans?"

This study conducted in 2012, focused on three Mongolian aimags, or provinces, where camels and horses mingle with each other.  They also collected the nasal samples of hundreds of camels and horse, in which they confirmed that one camel had influenza A.  Further tests matched viruses in the Mongolian horses.

The researchers through this finding, highlight the need for advanced surveillance for zoonotic disease in camels to study in depth the risk to humans.

"It adds another potential exposure to man where a novel virus could hide out, if you will, in camels and later surprise us and infect humans," Gray said. "Knowing that influenza virus can jump between horses and camels will reshape how we understand the ecology of novel influenza viruses which may affect man."

People in close contact with camels in Middle East, Africa and Australia have to be cautious as they can be easily affected. Further studies are needed to understand how the virus is transmitted.

The finding will be published in the December issue of Emerging Infectious Diseases.