Genetic drift of equine 2 influenza A virus (H3N8), 1963-1988: analysis by oligonucleotide mapping.

The research investigates the genetic diversity of Equine 2 Influenza A virus strains from different years between 1963 and 1988, where the study found increasing genetic diversity over time, indicating a genetic drift.

Objective of the Research

The aim of this study was to investigate the genetic variation among different strains of the Equine 2 Influenza A virus that emerged over a span of 25 years from 1963 to 1988.

Methodology

• The researchers conducted a comparative analysis by RNA oligonucleotide fingerprints of the total genomic RNA.
• They also examined the individual RNA segments of the Equine 2 Influenza A virus strains over the specified years.

Findings

• The analysis revealed genetic diversity among the virus strains from different periods.
• The strains from the epidemic outbreak during 1978-1979 showed minor differences among their genomes.
• The Swedish isolates from 1979 up to 1988 demonstrated increasing genomic heterogeneity.

Conclusion

• The evidence of increasing genomic heterogeneity among the Swedish isolates from 1979 to 1988 suggests a genetic drift in the Equine 2 Influenza A virus over time.
• The observed genetic diversity suggests that the virus strain evolved over the studied period, with its genetic composition changing gradually, potentially due to random changes or mutations.