From Surfaces to Spillover: Environmental Persistence and Indirect Transmission of Influenza A(H3N8) Virus.

ABSTRACT: Avian influenza viruses (AIVs) pose a significant zoonotic threat, with the emerging H3N8 subtype raising increasing concern due to sporadic human infections. Current strategies for risk assessment of novel AIVs primarily rely on genetic surveillance and isolated case reports, which provide limited insight into their cross-species transmission potential. However, these approaches may overlook critical phenotypic determinants, such as pathogenicity, transmissibility, and environmental persistence, that directly influence zoonotic risk. This study investigates the evolutionary relationships, receptor-binding properties, replication dynamics, pathogenicity in mice, transmission efficiency in guinea pigs, and environmental persistence of three H3N8 strains isolated from a live poultry market.

SUBMITTER: Jin Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12735991 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature