Genetic characterization and pathogenic potential of H10 avian influenza viruses isolated from live poultry markets in Bangladesh

Fatal human cases of avian-origin H10N8 influenza virus infections have raised concern about their potential for human-to-human transmission. H10 subtype avian influenza viruses (AIVs) have been isolated from wild and domestic aquatic birds across Eurasia and North America. We isolated eight H10 AIVs (four H10N7, two H10N9, one H10N1, and one H10N6) from live poultry markets in Bangladesh. Genetic analyses demonstrated that all eight isolates belong to the Eurasian lineage. HA phylogenetic and antigenic analyses indicated that two antigenically distinct groups of H10 AIVs are circulating in Bangladeshi live poultry markets. We evaluated the virulence of four representative H10 AIV strains in DBA/2J mice and found that they replicated efficiently in mice without prior adaptation. Moreover, H10N6 and H10N1 AIVs caused high mortality with systemic dissemination. These results indicate that H10 AIVs pose a potential threat to human health and the mechanisms of their transmissibility should be elucidated.