Domestic ducks are natural reservoirs of avian influenza viruses and serve as reassortant hosts for new virus subtypes. We isolated 2 novel influenza A(H5N8) viruses from domestic ducks in eastern China, sequenced their genomes, and tested their pathogenicity in chickens and mice. Circulation of these viruses may pose health risks for humans.
Keywords: H5N8 subtype; avian influenza virus; domestic ducks; eastern China; influenza; influenza virus; poultry; virus reassortment; viruses.