Within the original host, let's say a duck, the virus may mutate over time: either independently, or by recombination with a gene segment from a different virus.
It is the endless recombinations of our genomes - each nearly identical, but not quite - that make us what we are, both as individuals and as a species.
You inherit 25% of each grandparent's DNA. However, this process of recombination means that inevitably some of their genetic make-up will be lost along the way.