H7N3 viruses circulating among wild birds in Egypt could threaten poultry production and public health.Įach year, avian influenza viruses (AIVs) cause regional outbreaks in birds in various parts of the world, and they sometimes give rise to influenza viruses that cause human influenza pandemics. In conclusion, all of the viruses studied had the ability to infect mice and chickens.
Mutations in the viral proteins associated with antiviral drug resistance were not detected, and all strains were sensitive to the antiviral drugs tested. Efficient virus replication and transmission in chickens was observed within each group, indicating that these subtypes can spread easily from wild birds to poultry without prior adaptation. Infected chickens showed only ocular clinical signs at three days postinfection as well as systemic viral infection in different organs. The mortality rate ranged from 20 to 100% in infected mice. Considerable variation in virus pathogenicity was observed in mice infected with different H7N3 viruses. In this study, we investigated and compared the infectivity, pathogenicity, and transmission of four different constellation forms of Egyptian H7N3 viruses in chickens and mice and assessed the sensitivity of these viruses to different commercial antiviral drugs in vitro.
During our active surveillance of avian influenza viruses in wild birds in Egypt in the period 2014-2017, multiple reassortant low-pathogenic avian influenza H7N3 viruses were isolated. Active surveillance and studying the virological features of avian-origin influenza viruses are essential for early warning and preparedness for the next potential pandemic.
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