Baikara B, Karamendin K, Kassymbekov Y, Daulbayeva. Genetic Characterization of Kazakhstan Isolates: Avian Influenza H9N2 Viruses Demonstrate Their Potential to Infect Mammals. Viruses. 2025; 17(5):685
Low pathogenic H9N2 avian influenza viruses have become widespread in wild birds and poultry worldwide, raising concerns about their potential to spark pandemics or their role in enhancing the virulence and infectivity of H5Nx viruses through genetic reassortment. Therefore, influenza monitoring studies, including those of H9N2 viruses, are crucial for understanding, evaluating, and mitigating the risks associated with avian infections, and have broader implications for global public health. Although H9N2 viruses are not considered enzootic in Kazakhstan, they have been repeatedly detected in wild waterfowls and domestic poultry. In this study, all eight gene segments of influenza A/H9N2 viruses isolated in various regions of Kazakhstan between 2014 and 2020 were sequenced and analyzed. Molecular characterization revealed the presence of genetic markers associated with mammalian infectivity and disease potential. Furthermore, their predicted receptor binding site sequences indicate their potential capacity to attach to human-type receptors. These findings highlight the importance of continued surveillance and molecular investigation to better understand the evolution and zoonotic potential of H9N2 viruses in Kazakhstan.
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 1 days 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 1 days ago
- [preprint]FluNexus: a versatile web platform for antigenic prediction and visualization of influenza A viruses 1 days 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 1 days ago
- Detection of highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) virus 2.3.4.4b in alpacas 1 days ago
[Go Top] [Close Window]


