Standard procedure for isolation of influenza A viruses is inoculation of embryonated chicken eggs. However, this procedure is known to introduce mutations in the hemagluttinin gene when applied to human adapted influenza viruses. As an increase in mutation frequency has been shown after low pathogenic viruses have been transferred from their natural host to domesticated poultry, we designed a procedure to investigate isolation on an embryonated egg from the sampled species. The HA gene of two viruses, one H4 and one H6 was sequenced from the raw sample. Subsequently, the viruses were then passaged 6 times in the amniotic and allatoic compartments of embryonated mallard eggs. The same virus was then passaged in the same manner in embryonated chicken eggs. Material from each passaged virus will be sequenced targeting the HA gene, and results regarding selection will be presented at the conference.

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