Abstract: METHODS/RESULTS: To elucidate the existence and transmissibility of alpha2,3 sialic acid-specific viruses in H1N1pdm, amino acid substitutions within viral
hemagglutinin molecules were investigated, especially
D187E,
D222G, and
Q223R, which are related to a shift from human to avian receptor specificity.
Discussion: The results showed that alpha2,3 sialic acid-specific viruses containing
D222G and/or
Q223R substitutions within the
HA molecule were present in the upper respiratory tract as a minor population in patients with mild
H1N1pdm infections in the early phase (May 2009) of the pandemic in Japan.