Rather Muzamil A, Gul Irfan, Aman Muttahir, Hassan Amreena, Nazki Salik, Koul Parvaiz A, Potdar Varsha, Ganai Nazir A, Khan Azmat Alam, Chikan Naveed A, Abdul-Careem Mohamed Faizal, Shabir Nadeem
Laboratory of Vaccine Biotechnology, Division of Animal Biotechnology, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry, Sher-e-Kashmir, University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir, Srinagar, 190006, Jammu and Kashmir, India.
Department of Biotechnology, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, 190006, Jammu and Kashmir, India.
Arch Microbiol. 2025 Jun 23;207(8):185. doi: 10.1007/s00203-025-04371-7.
Avian influenza virus (AIV) can infect domestic and wild birds, and recent trends have shown an alarming transmission to non-avian hosts, including humans. The AIV infection is associated with fowl deaths and huge economic losses, besides having high pandemic potential, as per the reports of the WHO. The emergence of new virus subtypes, especially H5N1, driven by rapid mutation rates and genomic reassortments, has been linked to frequent transmission and adaptation to mammalian hosts, posing a significant global threat. The same is reflected by the global increase in AIV infection among humans, with 954 cases reported from January 2001 to December 2024 and a 49% case fatality rate. Likewise, the spillover of the virus into farm cattle and subsequent transmission to other animals from them could potentially lead to wider ecological and public health risks. Therefore, a clear understanding of disease transmission and multi-species invasion is crucial for predicting potential outbreaks, identifying susceptible hosts, and developing targeted interventions. The current review provides a detailed insight into AIV invasion, its infectious cycle, and transmission, with a prime focus on host immune responses as well as immune evasion. The review also highlights the adaptability of AIVs to humans, attributed to shifts in receptor specificity and mutations in viral proteins, which could contribute to the potential for a pandemic. Thus, the review aims to improve our understanding of AIV transmission and immune evasion by examining the complex mechanisms through which the virus spreads and how it circumvents the host defense system. The review underscores the development of a robust surveillance system, mainly in high-risk interfaces, owing to its cross-species transmission potential. Additionally, unraveling host-pathogen interactions and identifying genetic and immunological factors, strengthening global data-sharing platforms, and developing multivalent or universal vaccines will be important in designing future AIV control and preparedness strategies.
禽流感病毒（AIV）可感染家禽和野鸟，近期趋势显示其向包括人类在内的非禽类宿主传播的情况令人担忧。根据世界卫生组织的报告，AIV感染除了具有高大流行潜力外，还与家禽死亡和巨大经济损失有关。新病毒亚型的出现，尤其是H5N1，由于快速的突变率和基因组重配，与频繁传播和对哺乳动物宿主的适应性有关，构成了重大的全球威胁。这一点从全球人类AIV感染病例的增加中得到体现，2001年1月至2024年12月报告了954例病例，病死率为49%。同样，病毒传播到家养牛群并随后从它们传播到其他动物，可能会导致更广泛的生态和公共卫生风险。因此，清楚了解疾病传播和多物种入侵对于预测潜在疫情、识别易感宿主以及制定针对性干预措施至关重要。本综述详细深入地探讨了AIV入侵、其感染周期和传播，主要关注宿主免疫反应以及免疫逃避。该综述还强调了AIV对人类的适应性，这归因于受体特异性的转变和病毒蛋白的突变，这可能有助于大流行的可能性。因此，本综述旨在通过研究病毒传播的复杂机制以及它如何规避宿主防御系统，来增进我们对AIV传播和免疫逃避的理解。该综述强调了建立强大监测系统的重要性，主要是在高风险界面，因为其具有跨物种传播潜力。此外，阐明宿主-病原体相互作用并识别遗传和免疫因素、加强全球数据共享平台以及开发多价或通用疫苗，对于设计未来的AIV控制和防范策略将至关重要。
