Nagoba BS, Dhotre SV, Sonar MN, Gavkare AM, Mumbre SS, Dhotre PS. Recent advances in avian influenza virus: Molecular pathogenesis, emerging strains, and next-generation therapeutics. World J Virol 2025; 14(3): 109161 [DOI: 10.5501/wjv.v14.i3.109161]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Basavraj S Nagoba, PhD, Professor, Department of Microbiology, Maharashtra Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (Medical College), Vishwanathpuram, Ambajogai Road, Latur 413531, Maharashtra, India. dr_bsnagoba@yahoo.com
Research Domain of This Article
Infectious Diseases
Article-Type of This Article
Review
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
World J Virol. Sep 25, 2025; 14(3): 109161 Published online Sep 25, 2025. doi: 10.5501/wjv.v14.i3.109161
Recent advances in avian influenza virus: Molecular pathogenesis, emerging strains, and next-generation therapeutics
Basavraj S Nagoba, Shree V Dhotre, Mahesh N Sonar, Ajay M Gavkare, Sachin S Mumbre, Pradnya S Dhotre
Basavraj S Nagoba, Department of Microbiology, Maharashtra Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (Medical College), Latur 413531, Maharashtra, India
Shree V Dhotre, Department of Microbiology, Ashwini Rural Medical College, Solapur 413006, Maharashtra, India
Mahesh N Sonar, Department of Pediatrics, Maharashtra Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (Medical College), Latur 413531, Maharashtra, India
Ajay M Gavkare, Department of Physiology, Maharashtra Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (Medical College), Latur 413531, Maharashtra, India
Sachin S Mumbre, Department of Community Medicine, Ashwini Rural Medical College, Solapur 413006, India
Pradnya S Dhotre, Department of Biochemistry, Ashwini Rural Medical College, Solapur 413006, India
Author contributions: Nagoba BS designed the overall concept and outline of the manuscript; Dhotre SV, Gavkare AM, Mumbre SS, and Dhotre PS contributed to the discussion and design of the manuscript; Nagoba BS, Dhotre SV and Gavkare AM contributed to the writing, and editing the manuscript and review of literature; all of the authors read and approved the final version of the manuscript to be published.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All authors declare that they have no conflict of interest to disclose.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Basavraj S Nagoba, PhD, Professor, Department of Microbiology, Maharashtra Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (Medical College), Vishwanathpuram, Ambajogai Road, Latur 413531, Maharashtra, India. dr_bsnagoba@yahoo.com
Received: May 6, 2025 Revised: May 17, 2025 Accepted: July 25, 2025 Published online: September 25, 2025 Processing time: 147 Days and 21 Hours
Abstract
Avian influenza viruses (AIVs) represent an ongoing threat to global health due to their capacity for genetic evolution, zoonotic transmission, and pandemic emergence. This review highlights recent progress in understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying AIV infection, including viral immune evasion strategies and host-virus interactions. It discusses recent outbreaks involving reassortant strains such as H5N1 and H9N2, and examines their public health consequences. Advancements in antiviral therapy, including resistance patterns, and the development of next-generation vaccines such as messenger RNA and universal influenza vaccines are reviewed. The integration of genomic surveillance, artificial intelligence-driven prediction, and One Health approaches is emphasized as essential for pandemic preparedness. This comprehensive overview aims to provide researchers and policymakers with actionable insights for controlling the evolving threat of avian influenza.
Core Tip: Avian influenza viruses continue to evolve through re-assortment and mutation, posing persistent zoonotic and pandemic threats. This review synthesizes recent advances in molecular virology, highlights emerging high-risk strains, and evaluates next-generation vaccines and antiviral therapies. A deeper understanding of host–virus interactions, combined with advanced surveillance and innovative therapeutics, will be crucial for future pandemic prevention.
