Continued evolution of H10N3 influenza virus with adaptive mutations poses an increased threat to mammals

Shiping Ding; Jiangtao Zhou; Junlong Xiong; Xiaowen Du; Wenzhuo Yang; Jinyu Huang; Yi Liu; Lihong Huang; Ming Liao; Jiahao Zhang; Wenbao Qi

doi:10.1016/j.virs.2024.06.005

August 2024

Citation: Shiping Ding, Jiangtao Zhou, Junlong Xiong, Xiaowen Du, Wenzhuo Yang, Jinyu Huang, Yi Liu, Lihong Huang, Ming Liao, Jiahao Zhang, Wenbao Qi. Continued evolution of H10N3 influenza virus with adaptive mutations poses an increased threat to mammals .VIROLOGICA SINICA, 2024, 39(4) : 546-555. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.virs.2024.06.005

Continued evolution of H10N3 influenza virus with adaptive mutations poses an increased threat to mammals

Shiping Ding ^a,b,c,d ,
Jiangtao Zhou ^a,b,c,d ,
Junlong Xiong ^a,b,c,d ,
Xiaowen Du ^g ,
Wenzhuo Yang ^a,b,c,d ,
Jinyu Huang ^a,b,c,d ,
Yi Liu ^a,b,c,d ,
Lihong Huang ^a,b,c,d ,
Ming Liao ^b,c,d,e,g ,
Jiahao Zhang ^{f
,,} ,
Wenbao Qi ^{a,b,c,d,e
,,}

a. State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China;
b. National Avian Influenza Para-Reference Laboratory, Guangzhou, 510642, China;
c. Key Laboratory of Zoonoses, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Guangzhou, 510642, China;
d. National and Regional Joint Engineering Laboratory for Medicament of Zoonoses Prevention and Control, Guangzhou, 510642, China;
e. Key Laboratory of Zoonoses Prevention and Control of Guangdong Province, Guangzhou, 510642, China;
f. State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China;
g. College of Animal Science and Technology, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Guangzhou, 510550, China

Corresponding author: Jiahao Zhang, jiahaozhang@hzau.edu.cn
Wenbao Qi, qiwenbao@scau.edu.cn
Received Date: 02 January 2024
Accepted Date: 10 June 2024
Available online: 11 June 2024

Abstract

The H10 subtype avian influenza virus (AIV) poses an ongoing threat to both birds and humans. Notably, fatal human cases of H10N3 and H10N8 infections have drawn public attention. In 2022, we isolated two H10N3 viruses (A/chicken/Shandong/0101/2022 and A/chicken/Shandong/0603/2022) from diseased chickens in China. Genome analysis revealed that these viruses were genetically associated with human-origin H10N3 virus, with internal genes originating from local H9N2 viruses. Compared to the H10N8 virus (A/chicken/Jiangxi/102/2013), the H10N3 viruses exhibited enhanced thermostability, increased viral release from erythrocytes, and accumulation of hemagglutinin (HA) protein. Additionally, we evaluated the pathogenicity of both H10N3 and H10N8 viruses in mice. We found that viral titers could be detected in the lungs and nasal turbinates of mice infected with the two H10N3 viruses, whereas H10N8 virus titers were detectable in the lungs and brains of mice. Notably, the proportion of double HA Q222R and G228S mutations in H10N3 viruses has increased since 2019. However, the functional roles of the Q222R and G228S double mutations in the HA gene of H10N3 viruses remain unknown and warrant further investigation. Our study highlights the potential public health risk posed by the H10N3 virus. A spillover event of AIV to humans could be a foretaste of a looming pandemic. Therefore, it is imperative to continuously monitor the evolution of the H10N3 influenza virus to ensure targeted prevention and control measures against influenza outbreaks.
- Avian influenza virus (AIV)
- , H10N3
- , Evolution
- , Pathogenicity

Electronic Supplementary Material

10.1016j.virs.2024.06.005-ESM .docx
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