Quasispecies in primary avian specimens
Srinand Sreevatsan, MVSc, MPH, PhD
Principal Investigator
Department of Veterinary Population Medicine
College of Veterinary Medicine
University of Minnesota
- Aims: Evaluate the presence and extent of quasispecies of influenza virus A in primary clinical samples obtained from waterfowl collected during routine MCEIRS surveillance; apply analyses to the interpretation of culture and sequence data, including subtype stability and transmission, generated by MCEIRS surveillance in wild birds and mammals
- Approach: Extract RNA from allantoic fluid, cell culture, and cloacal swabs using the QIAamp Viral RNA Mini Kit (Qiagen) and fragment enriched viral RNA into a size range compatible with sequencing on the Genome Sequencer FLX; perform pyrosequencing on a selection of viral isolates and cloacal swabs and analyze sequencing data using bioinformatics tools