Adaptive evolution and environmental durability jointly structure phylodynamic patterns in avian influenza viruses.

ABSTRACT: Avian influenza viruses (AIVs) have been pivotal to the origination of human pandemic strains. Despite their scientific and public health significance, however, there remains much to be understood about the ecology and evolution of AIVs in wild birds, where major pools of genetic diversity are generated and maintained. Here, we present comparative phylodynamic analyses of human and AIVs in North America, demonstrating (i) significantly higher standing genetic diversity and (ii) phylogenetic trees with a weaker signature of immune escape in AIVs than in human viruses. To explain these differences, we performed statistical analyses to quantify the relative contribution of several potential explanations. We found that HA genetic diversity in avian viruses is determined by a combination of fac

SUBMITTER: Roche B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4130664 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature