Chains of Transmission of 2009 pandemic H1N1 in the Ferret Model

We evaluated if vaccination against neuraminidase (NA) could disrupt chains of airborne transmission for the 2009 pandemic H1N1 virus in ferrets. Immunologically naive donor ferrets (DI) were infected with 2009 pandemic H1N1 and paired with a mock or neuraminidase (NA) vaccinated respiratory contact (RC1). Once mock or NA vaccinated RC1 ferrets became infected, RC1 animals were moved and paired with a naive respiratory contact, RC2. Each DI-RC1-RC2 trio of ferrets (n=6) were evaluated for sequential transmission. Nasal washes were collected from ferrets, and nasal washes with high titers of virus were subjected to whole genome sequencing. H1N1 sequences from ferret nasal washes were evaluated for the emergence of quasi-species and escape variants.