Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 18, 2025

Rapid Diagnosis of Avian Influenza Virus in Wild Birds: Use of a Portable rRT-PCR and Freeze-dried Reagents in the Field
Published on: August 2, 2011
Global spread of H3 subtype avian influenza viruses with an accelerated evolution after interspecies transmission
Jiaying Yang1, Xiaojing Chen2, Xiyan Li3
1School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen 518107, Guangdong, PR China; National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Key Laboratory for Medical Virology, National Health Commission, Beijing 102206, PR China.
Abstract:
The H3 subtype avian influenza virus (AIV) has been widely spread in birds and is known as a natural source of mammalian influenza viruses. Based on data from public databases and our surveillance data, we analyzed the ecology, evolution, and spread of H3 AIVs. Sublineages of H3 AIVs have been detected worldwide, infecting various birds, at least 90 species in wild birds and poultry. Important areas for large-scale and local dissemination of H3 AIVs were identified, such as Alaska, Central Asia, and Chinese provinces. The H3 viruses have elevated the HA gene substitution rate after introduction from wild birds to domestic poultry, and even faster in domestic chickens. Our results implied an evolutionary mechanism of H3 AIV cross-species transmission, that viruses from wild birds to domestic poultry have accelerated substitution rate by shorter generation time and host selection. Novel chicken H3 viruses, especially H3N8 G25 viruses that have spilled over to humans, require high attention.
Related Concept Videos
Viral Mutations
Viral Recombination
Speciation Rates
Convergent Evolution
The Evidence for Evolution
Horizontal Gene Transfer

