Differential tissue tropism and transmission efficiency of two dominant influenza D clades with overlapping but distinct receptor binding fine specificities in ferrets.

ABSTRACT: Influenza D virus (IDV) utilizes bovines as a primary reservoir causing periodical spillover to pigs and other hosts. In this study, we utilized ferrets to study IDV with a focus on the role of the Hemagglutinin-Esterase-Fusion (HEF) protein in the replication, tissue tropism, and transmission of two dominant clades of IDV- swine D/OK, and bovine D/660. In addition to swine D/OK, we rescued a chimeric virus (D/OK660HEF) expressing the bovine D/660 HEF using reverse genetic system. Two isogenic IDVs differing only in the HEF protein were characterized in ferrets with respect to viral shedding, tissue tropism, transmission, and pathogenesis. Ferrets intranasally infected with D/OK and D/OK660HEF showed similar levels of viral shedding but exhibited slight differences in transmission efficien

SUBMITTER: Uprety T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12435653 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature