Chinese scientists identify evolution of H5N1 avian influenza virus

BEIJING, July 11 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese research team has systematically identified the origin, evolution and propagation of the H5N1 virus, which has caused avian influenza outbreaks around the world.

The research, conducted by the Harbin Veterinary Research Institute under the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, was published recently in the journal Emerging Microbes &Infections.

The study found that the current circulating H5N1 virus emerged in the Netherlands in October 2020 as a recombination of the H5N8 avian influenza virus with subtypes such as H1N1 and H3N8.

The H5N1 virus is responsible for the loss of over 70 million domestic poultry in Europe, Africa, Asia and North America since October 2020, said Chen Hualan from the Harbin Veterinary Research Institute, who led the research team.

The researchers performed a detailed phylogenic analysis of 233 representative H5N1 strains that were isolated from 28 countries, and found that the virus has encountered complicated gene exchange with different viruses circulating in wild birds and formed 16 genotypes since its emergence.