The Shifting World of Avian Orthoreovirus in China's Poultry

In the past few years, China's poultry industry has been hit hard by the rise of new avian orthoreovirus (ARV) strains. This study dives into how these viruses have been changing in commercial broiler farms from 2016 to 2021. Researchers collected and identified 51 unique ARV samples from different provinces. Genetic tests showed five main ARV types, with genotype 1 being the most common. They found that the σC gene, crucial for virus entry, had evolved into six different forms, while other genes had only a few variations.The study also discovered that parts of the viral DNA had swapped places in three segments, a process called recombination. When they looked at the key protein σC, they found it had big differences between types. This protein's structure changes, which help the virus attach to host cells, were mainly found in its spherical end.