Avian influenza virus with hemagglutinin-neuraminidase combination H3N6, isolated from a domestic pigeon in Guangxi, southern China

Abstract

The H3 subtype of avian influenza virus can provide genes for human influenza virus through gene reassortment, which has raised great concerns about its potential threat to human health. An H3N6 subtype of avian influenza virus was isolated from Guangxi Province, China, in 2009. All eight gene segments of the strain were sequenced. The sequence analysis indicated that this H3N6 virus was a nature reassortant virus. The genome sequences now can be used to understand the epidemiological and molecular characteristics of the H3N6 influenza virus in southern China.