Exploring Avian Influenza Viruses in Yakutia—The Largest Breeding Habitat of Wild Migratory Birds in Northeastern Siberia
Yakutia, the largest breeding ground for wild migratory birds in Northeastern Siberia, plays a big role in the global ecology of avian influenza viruses (AIVs). In this study, we present the results of virological surveillance conducted between 2018 and 2023, analyzing 1970 cloacal swab samples collected from 56 bird species. We identified 74 AIVs of H3N6, H3N8, H4N6, H5N3, H7N7, H10N3, and H11N9 subtypes in Anseriformes order. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the isolates belong to the Eurasian lineage and have genetic similarities with strains from East Asia, Europe, and North America. Cluster analysis has demonstrated the circulation of stable AIV genotypes for several years. We assume that Yakutia is an important territory for viral exchange on the migratory routes of migrating birds. In addition, several amino acid substitutions have been found to be associated with increased virulence and adaptation to mammalian hosts, highlighting the potential risk of interspecific transmission. These results provide a critical insight into the ecology of the AIV and highlight the importance of continued monitoring in this geographically significant region.
Authors
- Anastasiya Derko (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5984-0819)
- Kirill Sharshov (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3946-9872)
- А. М. Шестопалов (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9734-0620)
- Hyesung Jeong (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6397-9787)
- Ivan A. Sobolev (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4561-6517)
- Nikita Kasianov (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0002-9698-4982)
- Sun-Hak Lee (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0960-0550)
- Yuko Uchida (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5833-5917)
- Junki Mine (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1603-8471)
- Weon‐Hwa Jheong
- Nikita Dubovitskiy (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7780-1485)
- Chang‐Seon Song (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4158-6402)
- Viacheslav Gabyshev (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0001-5574-8310)
- Ryota Tsunekuni (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6204-1233)
- Evgeniy Shemyakin
- Takehiko Saito (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9633-5897)
- Arina Loginova (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7660-8237)
- Н. В. Егоров (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4721-1377)
- Andrew Yong Cho (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2918-2349)
- Yu-Jin Kim (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0073-8705)
- Yoonjee Hong
- Tae‐Hyeon Kim (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6232-3476)
- Deok‐Hwan Kim
- Maria Vladimirtseva
Institutions
- Russian Academy of Sciences (RU)
- Konkuk University (KR)
- National Institute of Biological Resources (KR)
- Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RU)
- Federal Research Center of Fundamental and Translational Medicine (RU)
- National Institute of Animal Health (JP)
- Institute of Oil and Gas Problems of the Siberian Branch of the RAS (RU)
- Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KR)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Viruses
- Published
- 2025-04-27
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3390/v17050632
- Citations
- 1
- Primary Topic
- Influenza Virus Research Studies
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 1.35
Funders
- National Research Foundation of Korea
- Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Research Council