Human-to-swine introductions and onward transmission of 2009 H1N1 pandemic influenza viruses in Brazil

Abstract

IntroductionOnce established in the human population, the 2009 H1N1 pandemic virus (H1N1pdm09) was repeatedly introduced into swine populations globally with subsequent onward transmission among pigs.MethodsTo identify and characterize human-to-swine H1N1pdm09 introductions in Brazil, we conducted a large-scale phylogenetic analysis of 4,141 H1pdm09 hemagglutinin (HA) and 3,227 N1pdm09 neuraminidase (NA) gene sequences isolated globally from humans and swine between 2009 and 2022.ResultsPhylodynamic analysis revealed that during the period between 2009 and 2011, there was a rapid transmission of the H1N1pdm09 virus from humans to swine in Brazil. Multiple introductions of the virus were observed, but most of them resulted in self-limited infections in swine, with limited onward transmission. Only a few sustained transmission clusters were identified during this period. After 2012, there was a reduction in the number of human-to-swine H1N1pdm09 transmissions in Brazil.DiscussionThe virus underwent continuous antigenic drift, and a balance was established between swine-to-swine transmission and extinction, with minimal sustained onward transmission from humans to swine. These results emphasize the dynamic interplay between human-to-swine transmission, antigenic drift, and the establishment of swine-to-swine transmission in shaping the evolution and persistence of H1N1pdm09 in swine populations.