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CENTER FOR VETERINARY BIOLOGICS NOTICE NO. 17-04

TO: Veterinary Services Leadership Team 

Directors, Center for Veterinary Biologics 

Biologics Licensees, Permittees, and Applicants

FROM: Byron E. Rippke

Director

SUBJECT: Availability of Avian Influenza Isolate and Sequence Information

I. PURPOSE

The purpose of this notice is to furnish interested parties with the genetic sequences

from the North American (AM) H7N9 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI)

virus and low pathogenic (LPAI) viruses isolated from commercial chickens in 

Tennessee in March 2017. The notice is also to inform interested parties that the 

HPAI isolate will be available for purchase from the National Veterinary Services 

Laboratories (NVSL) by mid-April, 2017.

II. BACKGROUND

The National Veterinary Services Laboratories confirmed AM H7N9 HPAI in a 

commercial chicken (broiler breeder) flock experiencing significant mortality in 

Lincoln County, Tennessee, on March 5, 2017. Subsequent AM H7N9 detections 

were found to be LPAI, and a second HPAI detection was confirmed at NVSL on 

March 15, 2017. The virus is NOT related to the China H7N9 viruses - all gene 

segments are North American wild bird lineage with high similarity to other wild 

bird viruses collected across the U.S. between 2015-2017. In addition, the virus 

belongs to a different lineage compared to H7N3/Mexico HPAI. 

Further information on the North American H7N9 findings is available at:

https://www.usda.gov/topics/animals/one-health/avian-influenza

III. ACTION

Veterinary Services is making the HPAI genomic sequence, as well as the HPAI 

virus courtesy of the Tennessee Department of Agriculture and Kord Animal Health 

Diagnostic Laboratory, available to facilities to encourage disease research and 

development to benefit the U.S. poultry industry. The complete genomic sequences

for both HPAI and LPAI viruses have been submitted to GenBank and will be 

available under accessions as follows: H7N9 HPAI KY818808-818815 and 

KY818832-818839; H7N9 LPAI KY818816-818823. 

Animal and Plant

Health Inspection

Service

Veterinary Services

Center for Veterinary 

Biologics

1920 Dayton Avenue

PO Box 844

Ames, IA 50010

(515) 337-6100
CENTER FOR VETERINARY BIOLOGICS NOTICE NO. 17-04

Page 2

Available isolate:

• A/chicken/Tennessee/17-007147-2/2017 (H7N9) – courtesy of the Tennessee 

Department of Agriculture and Kord Animal Health Diagnostic Laboratory

Biologics firms that wish to obtain samples of these isolates for research purposes should:

A. Contact the NVSL Diagnostic Virology Laboratory at (515) 337-7551 for 

guidance regarding the appropriate forms and payments to submit.

B. Submit the completed forms and the payment associated with the order by one of the 

following methods:

1. Mail: NVSL User Fees, Box 844, Ames, Iowa 50010 

2. Email: NVSL_concerns@aphis.usda.gov. 

The NVSL will inform customers when the virus is ready to ship.

C. Note that the HPAI isolate must be transferred in compliance with the Select 

Agent Regulations. No Material Transfer Agreement will be required. This isolate is 

a not pre-tested Master Seed; it is being made available for research and 

development. The availability of this isolate does not infer any impending change in 

vaccination policy.

IV. IMPLEMENTATION/ APPLICABILITY

The HPAI sequence is posted in this announcement, and the referenced reagent will be

available from the NVSL no later than April 15, 2017.