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Volume 14
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10.3390/pathogens14020149
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This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

Pathogenicity of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A/H5Nx Viruses in Avian and Murine Models

by
Sara H. Mahmoud
1,2,†,
Marwa S. Khattab
3,
Nahed Yehia
4,
Ali Zanaty
4,
Abd El Sattar Arafa
4 and
Ahmed A. Khalil
5,*,†
1
Center of Scientific Excellence for Influenza Viruses (CSEIV), National Research Centre (NRC), Dokki, Giza 12622, Egypt
2
Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio TX 78245-0549, USA
3
Pathology Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University, Giza 12211, Egypt
4
Reference Laboratory for Veterinary Quality Control on Poultry Production, Animal Health Research Institute, Agricultural Research Center, Dokki, Giza 12618, Egypt
5
Veterinary Serum and Vaccine Research Institute (VSVRI), Agriculture Research Center (ARC), Cairo 11381, Egypt
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
†
These authors contributed equally to this work.
Pathogens 2025, 14(2), 149; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens14020149
Submission received: 2 December 2024 / Revised: 29 January 2025 / Accepted: 2 February 2025 / Published: 4 February 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Immunopathogenesis of Influenza and Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection)
Versions Notes

Abstract

The evolution and adaptation of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) viruses pose ongoing challenges for animal and public health. We investigated the pathogenic characteristics of the newly emerged H5N1/2022 and H5N8/2022 of clade 2.3.4.4b compared to the previously circulating H5N1/2016 of clade 2.2.1.2 in Egypt using both avian and murine models. All strains demonstrated a 100% mortality in chickens after intranasal inoculation (106 EID50), while the H5N8/2022 strain showing significantly higher viral shedding (8.34 ± 0.55 log10 EID50). Contact transmission rates varied between strains (50% for the 2.3.4.4b clade and 100% for the 2.2.1.2 clade). In the mouse model, H5N1/2016 infection resulted in an 80% mortality rate with significant weight loss and virus replication in organs. In contrast, H5N8/2022 and H5N1/2022 had 60% and 40% mortality rates, respectively. An histopathological analysis revealed pronounced lesions in the tissues of the infected mice, with the most severe lesions found in the H5N1/2016 group. These findings suggest the decreased pathogenicity of the newer H5Nx strains in mammalian models, emphasizing the need for continued surveillance and adaptive control strategies.
Keywords: avian influenza viruses; H5Nx; pathogenicity; transmissibility avian influenza viruses; H5Nx; pathogenicity; transmissibility

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MDPI and ACS Style

Mahmoud, S.H.; Khattab, M.S.; Yehia, N.; Zanaty, A.; Arafa, A.E.S.; Khalil, A.A. Pathogenicity of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A/H5Nx Viruses in Avian and Murine Models. Pathogens 2025, 14, 149. https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens14020149

AMA Style

Mahmoud SH, Khattab MS, Yehia N, Zanaty A, Arafa AES, Khalil AA. Pathogenicity of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A/H5Nx Viruses in Avian and Murine Models. Pathogens. 2025; 14(2):149. https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens14020149

Chicago/Turabian Style

Mahmoud, Sara H., Marwa S. Khattab, Nahed Yehia, Ali Zanaty, Abd El Sattar Arafa, and Ahmed A. Khalil. 2025. "Pathogenicity of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A/H5Nx Viruses in Avian and Murine Models" Pathogens 14, no. 2: 149. https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens14020149

APA Style

Mahmoud, S. H., Khattab, M. S., Yehia, N., Zanaty, A., Arafa, A. E. S., & Khalil, A. A. (2025). Pathogenicity of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A/H5Nx Viruses in Avian and Murine Models. Pathogens, 14(2), 149. https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens14020149

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