Engelsk definition
A subtype of INFLUENZA A VIRUS that is highly virulent in poultry and wild birds, but shows varying degrees of pathogenicity in mice. The H5N8 virus subtype has a polybasic amino acid motif at the HA cleavage site which explains its pathogenicity in birds, and expresses surface proteins HEMAGGLUTININ 5 and NEURAMINIDASE 8 which are typical of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza viruses.