Surveillance for highly pathogenic H5 avian influenza virus in synanthropic wildlife associated with poultry farms during an acute outbreak

• Published in: Scientific reports 2016-11, Vol.6 (1), p.36237-36237, Article 36237
• Main Authors: Shriner, Susan A., Root, J. Jeffrey, Lutman, Mark W., Kloft, Jason M., VanDalen, Kaci K., Sullivan, Heather J., White, Timothy S., Milleson, Michael P., Hairston, Jerry L., Chandler, Shannon C., Wolf, Paul C., Turnage, Clinton T., McCluskey, Brian J., Vincent, Amy L., Torchetti, Mia K., Gidlewski, Thomas, DeLiberto, Thomas J.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 631/158/1469; 631/326/596/1578; Agriculture; Animals; Animals, Wild - virology; Antibodies; Antibodies, Viral - blood; Avian flu; Biosecurity; Birds; Birds - virology; Canada - epidemiology; Disease Outbreaks - prevention & control; Disease Outbreaks - veterinary; Epidemiological Monitoring - veterinary; Farms; Female; Humanities and Social Sciences; Influenza; Influenza A Virus, H5N2 Subtype - genetics; Influenza A Virus, H5N2 Subtype - isolation & purification; Influenza A Virus, H5N2 Subtype - pathogenicity; Influenza A Virus, H5N8 Subtype - genetics; Influenza A Virus, H5N8 Subtype - isolation & purification; Influenza A Virus, H5N8 Subtype - pathogenicity; Influenza in Birds - epidemiology; Influenza in Birds - prevention & control; Influenza in Birds - virology; Male; Mammals; Mammals - virology; Mice; multidisciplinary; Outbreaks; Pandemics; Poultry; Poultry Diseases - epidemiology; Poultry Diseases - virology; Poultry farming; Ribonucleic acid; RNA; Science; Species; United States - epidemiology; Viruses; Wildlife
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/srep36237

In November 2014, a Eurasian strain H5N8 highly pathogenic avian influenza virus was detected in poultry in Canada. Introduced viruses were soon detected in the United States and within six months had spread to 21 states with more than 48 million poultry affected. In an effort to study potential mechanisms of spread of the Eurasian H5 virus, the United States Department of Agriculture coordinated several epidemiologic investigations at poultry farms. As part of those efforts, we sampled synanthropic birds and mammals at five infected and five uninfected poultry farms in northwest Iowa for exposure to avian influenza viruses. Across all farms, we collected 2,627 samples from 648 individual birds and mammals. House mice were the most common mammal species captured while house sparrows, European starlings, rock pigeons, swallows, and American robins were the most commonly captured birds. A single European starling was positive for Eurasian H5 viral RNA and seropositive for antibodies reactive to the Eurasian H5 virus. Two American robins were also seropositive. No mammal species showed evidence of infection. These results indicate synanthropic species merit further scrutiny to better understand potential biosecurity risks. We propose a set of management practices aimed at reducing wildlife incursions.