Elizabeth R Wonderlich, Zachary D Swan, Stephanie J Bissel, Amy L Hartman, Jonathan P Carney, Katherine J O'Malley, Adebimpe O Obadan, Jefferson Santos, Reagan Walker, Timothy J Sturgeon, Lonnie J Frye, Pauline Maiello, Charles A Scanga, Jennifer D Bowling, Anthea L Bouwer, Parichat A Duangkhae, Clayton A Wiley, JoAnne L Flynn, Jieru Wang, Kelly S Cole, Daniel R Perez, Douglas S Reed, Simon M Barratt-Boyes
Human infections with highly pathogenic avian influenza A (H5N1) virus are frequently fatal but the mechanisms of disease remain ill-defined. H5N1 infection is associated with intense production of proinflammatory cytokines, but whether this cytokine storm is the main cause of fatality or is a consequence of extensive virus replication that itself drives disease remains controversial. Conventional intratracheal inoculation of a liquid suspension of H5N1 influenza virus in nonhuman primates likely results in efficient clearance of virus within the upper respiratory tract and rarely produces severe disease...
February 15, 2017: Journal of Immunology