Compensatory Mutations in Avian Influenza H7N1 Hemagglutinin Drive Avian Host Adaptation and Antigenic Drift without Enhancing Replication in Human Cells
This study reveals that specific compensatory mutations in the hemagglutinin of Italian H7N1 avian influenza viruses enabled the virus to adapt to poultry hosts and evade immune detection through antigenic drift, while strictly maintaining avian receptor specificity and failing to enhance replication in human cells.