Phylogeography and biological characterization of #H12N2 virus isolated from whooper #swan in Central #China
Abstract Wild birds and waterfowl serve as the natural reservoirs of avian influenza viruses (AIVs). When AIVs originating from wild birds cross species barriers to infect mammals or humans , they pose a significant threat to public health . The H12 subtype of AIVs primarily circulates in wild birds, with relatively few isolates reported worldwide , and the evolutionary and biological characteristics of H12 subtype AIVs remain largely unknown. In this study, we analyzed the spatiotemporal distribution of H12 subtype AIVs worldwide and conducted a comprehensive investigation into the evolutionary and biological characteristics of an H12N2 virus isolated from a whooper swan in Central China . Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the H12N2 isolate belongs to the Eurasian lineage , with its HA gene likely originating from a duck-derived H12N5 virus and its NA gene potentially derived from an H9N2 virus , indicating that it is a complex reassorted virus. Animal experiments in domestic ducks ...