Genome sequence analysis of H7N3 subtype avian influenza virus originated from wild birds and its potential infectivity in mice.

In 2021, an H7N3 avian influenza virus (AIV) was isolated from a mallard in Tianhewan Yellow River National Wetland Park, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, China. Sequences analysis showed that this strain received its genes from H7, H6, H5, H3, and H1 AIVs of domestic poultry and wild birds in Asia and Europe. It was mild pathogenicity in mice. These results suggest the importance of continued surveillance of the H7N3 virus to better understand the ecology and evolution of the AIVs in poultry and wild birds and the potential threat to humans.