Flores RA, Cammayo-Fletcher PLT, Nguyen BT, Villav. Genetic Characterization and Phylogeographic Analysis of the First H13N6 Avian Influenza Virus Isolated from Vega Gull in South Korea. Viruses. 2024 Feb 12;16(2):285
Avian influenza virus (AIV) is a pathogen with zoonotic and pandemic potential. Migratory birds are natural reservoirs of all known subtypes of AIVs, except for H17N10 and H18N11, and they have been implicated in previous highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreaks worldwide. This study identified and characterized the first isolate of the H13N6 subtype from a Vega gull (Larus vegae mongolicus) in South Korea. The amino acid sequence of hemagglutinin gene showed a low pathogenic AIV subtype and various amino acid substitutions were found in the sequence compared to the reference sequence and known H13 isolates. High sequence homology with other H13N6 isolates was found in HA, NA, PB1, and PA genes, but not for PB2, NP, M, and NS genes. Interestingly, various point amino acid mutations were found on all gene segments, and some are linked to an increased binding to human-type receptors, resistance to antivirals, and virulence. Evolutionary and phylogenetic analyses showed that all gene segments are gull-adapted, with a phylogeographic origin of mostly Eurasian, except for PB2, PA, and M. Findings from this study support the evidence that reassortment of AIVs continuously occurs in nature, and migratory birds are vital in the intercontinental spread of avian influenza viruses.
See Also:
Latest articles in those days:
- T cell help is a limiting factor for rare anti-influenza memory B cells to reenter germinal centers and generate potent broadly neutralizing antibodies 20 hours ago
- Wild birds drive the introduction, maintenance, and spread of H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b high pathogenicity avian influenza viruses in Spain, 2021-2022 20 hours ago
- [preprint]FluNexus: a versatile web platform for antigenic prediction and visualization of influenza A viruses 21 hours ago
- Salpingitis and multiorgan lesions caused by highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) virus in a cat associated with consumption of recalled raw milk in California 21 hours ago
- Detection of highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) virus 2.3.4.4b in alpacas 21 hours ago
[Go Top] [Close Window]


