The canine respiratory epithelium is a permissive ecosystem for influenza interspecies transmission and emergence

Abstract

The outcome of virus spillover ranges from dead-end infections to pandemics and is underpinned by host-pathogen interactions as well as evolutionary and epidemiological processes. The emergence of novel influenza A viruses (IAVs) has been associated with reassortment events involving multiple species, highlighting the importance of reservoir and intermediate hosts in viral emergence. Highly pathogenic H5N1 IAVs of the 2.3.4.4b genotype have caused a panzootic affecting a broad range of mammals. The role of dogs--arguably the most popular companion animal and a natural host of IAVs--in the ecology of IAVs under this new zooepidemiological scenario is unknown. To address this, we characterised the glycome of the dog respiratory epithelium, infected canine tracheal explants with multiple IAVs (including canine H3N2 and H3N8, equine H3N8, avian H3N8 and H5N1, swine H1N1, human H1N1 and H3N2, and bovine H5N1 viruses), and determined their cellular tropism. We show that the respiratory tract of dogs presents abundant sialylated glycans known to act as IAV receptors. Further, most IAVs (including 2.3.4.4b viruses) infected and replicated in dog tracheas, targeting mainly ciliated cells. Serological testing showed evidence of influenza spillover infections in dogs from the UK. Overall, our results show that the canine respiratory tract can provide a suitable environment for the generation of new IAVs. Given the multi-host contact networks of dogs in nature, they could act as recipients, bridging hosts, and/or mixing vessels for multiple IAV lineages, playing a central role in the ecology of influenza emergence.