Analyses of receptor binding specificity of highly pathogenic avian influenza A (H5N1) viruses isolated from felines in South Korea, 2023.

Influenza viruses infect host cells by binding to specific sialic acid receptors present on the surface of target cells, and this receptor binding exhibits specificity depending on cell type and host species. Avian influenza A (H5N1) viruses typically bind preferentially to α2,3-linked sialic acid receptors, although some strains have been reported to acquire binding affinity for the human-type α2,6-linked sialic acid receptors, highlighting the need for ongoing receptor binding analyses of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) viruses. Notably, in July...