1
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Ineson KM, Hill NJ, Clark DE, MacKenzie KG, Whitney JJ, Laskaris Y, Ronconi RA, Ellis JC, Giroux JF, Lair S, Stevens S, Puryear WB, Runstadler JA. Age and season predict influenza A virus dynamics in urban gulls: consequences for natural hosts in unnatural landscapes. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2022; 32:e2497. [PMID: 34783416 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2021] [Revised: 06/01/2021] [Accepted: 07/20/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Gulls are ubiquitous in urban areas due to a growing reliance on anthropogenic feeding sites, which has led to changes in their abundance, distribution, and migration ecology, with implications for disease transmission. Gulls offer a valuable model for testing hypotheses regarding the dynamics of influenza A virus (IAV) - for which gulls are a natural reservoir in urban areas. We sampled sympatric populations of Ring-billed (Larus delawarensis), Herring (L. argentatus), and Great Black-backed Gulls (L. marinus) along the densely populated Atlantic rim of North America to understand how IAV transmission is influenced by drivers such as annual cycle, host species, age, habitat type, and their interplay. We found that horizontal transmission, rather than vertical transmission, played an outsized role in the amplification of IAV due to the convergence of gulls from different breeding grounds and age classes. We detected overlapping effects of age and season in our prevalence model, identifying juveniles during autumn as the primary drivers of the seasonal epidemic in gulls. Gulls accumulated immunity over their lifespan, however short-term fluctuations in seroprevalence were observed, suggesting that migration may impose limits on the immune system to maintain circulating antibodies. We found that gulls in coastal urban habitats had higher viral prevalence than gulls captured inland, correlating with higher richness of waterbird species along the coast, a mechanism supported by our movement data. The peak in viral prevalence in newly fledged gulls that are capable of long-distance movement has important implications for the spread of pathogens to novel hosts during the migratory season as well as for human health as gulls increasingly utilize urban habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine M Ineson
- Department of Natural Resources & the Environment, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire, 03824, USA
| | - Nichola J Hill
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, Boston, Massachusetts, 02125, USA
| | - Daniel E Clark
- Division of Water Supply Protection, Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, West Boylston, Massachusetts, 01583, USA
| | - Kenneth G MacKenzie
- Division of Water Supply Protection, Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, West Boylston, Massachusetts, 01583, USA
| | - Jillian J Whitney
- Division of Water Supply Protection, Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, West Boylston, Massachusetts, 01583, USA
| | - Yianni Laskaris
- US Fish and Wildlife Service, Galloway, New Jersey, 08205, USA
| | - Robert A Ronconi
- Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, B2Y 2N6, Canada
| | - Julie C Ellis
- Department of Pathobiology, Wildlife Futures Program, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, 19348, USA
| | - Jean-François Giroux
- Département des sciences biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Québec, H3C 3P8, Canada
| | - Stéphane Lair
- Centre québécois sur la santé des animaux sauvages/Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative, Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, J2S 2M2, Canada
| | - Skyler Stevens
- Division of Mathematics, Physical, and Natural Sciences, University of New Mexico, Gallup, New Mexico, 87301, USA
| | - Wendy B Puryear
- Department of Infectious Disease and Global Health, Tufts University, North Grafton, Massachusetts, 01536, USA
| | - Jonathan A Runstadler
- Department of Infectious Disease and Global Health, Tufts University, North Grafton, Massachusetts, 01536, USA
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2
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Christie KF, Poulson RL, Seixas JS, Hernandez SM. Avian Influenza Virus Status and Maternal Antibodies in Nestling White Ibis ( Eudocimus albus). Microorganisms 2021; 9:2468. [PMID: 34946070 PMCID: PMC8707160 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9122468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Revised: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 11/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The White Ibis (Eudocimus albus), a nomadic wading bird, has increased its exploitation of urban habitats in South Florida, United States, and has recently established several urban breeding colonies. Certain characteristics of ibis ecology could position them in the natural cycle of the avian influenza virus (AIV). In fact, experimentally infected ibises were shown to be competent hosts for multiple AIV subtypes, and seroconversion to AIV has been documented in adult ibises in natural populations. However, the mechanisms of transmission and the timing of infection are unclear as we have yet to isolate AIV from a free-living ibis. To investigate the age-specific AIV dynamics of ibis, we captured nestlings (n = 115) weekly for 1-4 weeks from urban and natural settings in 2020 and 2021. We collected choanal/cloacal swabs for rRT-PCR and virus isolation, and plasma to screen for maternal AIV antibodies. AIV was not detected in any individual by virus isolation; however, maternal antibodies to AIV were detected in 95% of nestlings, with varying rates of catabolism. These results confirm that nestlings are afforded maternal antibodies from adults at rates reflective of higher adult seroprevalence than previously documented and that nestlings in breeding colonies may have some degree of protection and are unlikely to become infected with AIV.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rebecca L. Poulson
- Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study, Department of Population Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA;
| | - Julia Silva Seixas
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA;
| | - Sonia M. Hernandez
- Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study, Department of Population Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA;
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA;
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3
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Coccon F, Fano S. Effects of a new waste collection policy on the population of yellow-legged gulls, Larus michahellis, in the historic centre of Venice (Italy). EUR J WILDLIFE RES 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s10344-020-01384-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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4
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Gamble A, Ramos R, Parra-Torres Y, Mercier A, Galal L, Pearce-Duvet J, Villena I, Montalvo T, González-Solís J, Hammouda A, Oro D, Selmi S, Boulinier T. Exposure of yellow-legged gulls to Toxoplasma gondii along the Western Mediterranean coasts: Tales from a sentinel. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR PARASITOLOGY-PARASITES AND WILDLIFE 2019; 8:221-228. [PMID: 30891402 PMCID: PMC6404646 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2019.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2018] [Revised: 01/10/2019] [Accepted: 01/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Efficiently tracking and anticipating the dynamics of infectious agents in wild populations requires the gathering of large numbers of samples, if possible at several locations and points in time, which can be a challenge for some species. Testing for the presence of specific maternal antibodies in egg yolks sampled on the colonies could represent an efficient way to quantify the exposure of breeding females to infectious agents, particularly when using an abundant and widespread species, such as the yellow-legged gull (Larus michahellis). We used such an approach to explore spatio-temporal patterns of exposure to Toxoplasma gondii, a pathogenic protozoan responsible of toxoplasmosis in humans and other warm-blooded vertebrates. First, we tested the validity of this approach by exploring the repeatability of the detection of specific antibodies at the egg level using two different immunoassays and at the clutch level using an occupancy model. Then, samples gathered in 15 colonies from France, Spain and Tunisia were analysed using an immunoassay detecting antibodies specifically directed against T. gondii. Prevalence of specific antibodies in eggs was overall high while varying significantly among colonies. These results revealed that T. gondii circulated at a large spatial scale in the western Mediterranean yellow-legged gull population, highlighting its potential role in the maintenance community of this parasite. Additionally, this study illustrates how species commensal to human populations like large gulls can be used as wildlife sentinels for the tracking of infectious agents at the human-wildlife interface, notably by sampling eggs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amandine Gamble
- CEFE, CNRS, University of Montpellier, EPHE, University Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Raül Ramos
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Yaiza Parra-Torres
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Aurélien Mercier
- INSERM UMR_S 1094, Neuroépidémiologie Tropicale, Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Limoges, Limoges 87025, France.,Centre National de Référence Toxoplasmose/Toxoplasma Biological Resource Center, CHU Limoges, 87042 Limoges, France
| | - Lokman Galal
- INSERM UMR_S 1094, Neuroépidémiologie Tropicale, Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Limoges, Limoges 87025, France
| | - Jessica Pearce-Duvet
- CEFE, CNRS, University of Montpellier, EPHE, University Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Isabelle Villena
- Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne, Laboratoire de Parasitologie - Mycologie, EA 3800, UFR Médecine, SFR CAP-SANTÉ, Reims, France.,Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Centre National de Référence de la Toxoplasmose, Hôpital Maison Blanche, CHU Reims, Reims, France
| | - Tomás Montalvo
- Servei de Vigilància i Control de Plagues Urbanes, Agència de Salut Pública de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,CIBER Epidemiologia y salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Jacob González-Solís
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Abdessalem Hammouda
- UR "Ecologie de la Faune Terrestre" (UR17ES44), Faculté des Sciences de Gabès, Université de Gabès, Gabès, Tunisia
| | - Daniel Oro
- IMEDEA, CSIC-UIB, Esporles, Spain.,CEAB, CSIC, Blanes, Spain
| | - Slaheddine Selmi
- UR "Ecologie de la Faune Terrestre" (UR17ES44), Faculté des Sciences de Gabès, Université de Gabès, Gabès, Tunisia
| | - Thierry Boulinier
- CEFE, CNRS, University of Montpellier, EPHE, University Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, IRD, Montpellier, France
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Dirsmith KL, Jeffrey Root J, Bentler KT, Sullivan HJ, Liebowitz AB, Petersen LH, McLean HE, Shriner SA. Persistence of maternal antibodies to influenza A virus among captive mallards (Anas platyrhynchos). Arch Virol 2018; 163:3235-3242. [PMID: 30128612 DOI: 10.1007/s00705-018-3978-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2018] [Accepted: 07/23/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Wild waterfowl are maintenance hosts of most influenza A virus (IAV) subtypes and are often the subjects of IAV surveillance and transmission models. While maternal antibodies have been detected in yolks and in nestlings for a variety of wild bird species and pathogens, the persistence of maternal antibodies to IAVs in mallard ducklings (Anas platyrhynchos) has not been previously investigated. Nonetheless, this information is important for a full understanding of IAV transmission dynamics because ducklings protected by maternal antibodies may not be susceptible to infection. In this study, we examined the transfer of IAV-specific maternal antibodies to ducklings. Blood samples were collected approximately every five days from ducklings hatched from hens previously infected with an H6 strain of IAV. Serum samples were tested for antibodies to IAV by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The median persistence of maternal antibodies in ducklings was 12.5 days (range: 4-33 days) post-hatch. The majority of ducklings (71%) had detectable maternal antibodies from 4 to 17 days post-hatch, while a small subset of individuals (29%) had detectable maternal antibodies for up to 21-33 days post-hatch. Antibody concentrations in hens near the time of egg laying were correlated with maternal antibody concentrations in the initial blood sample collected from ducklings (0-4 days post-hatch). Knowledge of the duration of maternal antibodies in ducklings will aid in the interpretation of IAV serological surveillance results and in the modeling of IAV transmission dynamics in waterfowl.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine L Dirsmith
- National Wildlife Research Center, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Fort Collins, CO, USA. .,College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA.
| | - J Jeffrey Root
- National Wildlife Research Center, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Kevin T Bentler
- National Wildlife Research Center, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Heather J Sullivan
- National Wildlife Research Center, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Andrea B Liebowitz
- National Wildlife Research Center, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Lauren H Petersen
- National Wildlife Research Center, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Hailey E McLean
- National Wildlife Research Center, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Susan A Shriner
- National Wildlife Research Center, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Fort Collins, CO, USA
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Muzyka D, Pantin-Jackwood M, Spackman E, Smith D, Rula O, Muzyka N, Stegniy B. Isolation and Genetic Characterization of Avian Influenza Viruses Isolated from Wild Birds in the Azov-Black Sea Region of Ukraine (2001-2012). Avian Dis 2017; 60:365-77. [PMID: 27309081 DOI: 10.1637/11114-050115-reg] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Wild bird surveillance for avian influenza virus (AIV) was conducted from 2001 to 2012 in the Azov - Black Sea region of the Ukraine, considered part of the transcontinental wild bird migration routes from northern Asia and Europe to the Mediterranean, Africa, and southwest Asia. A total of 6281 samples were collected from wild birds representing 27 families and eight orders for virus isolation. From these samples, 69 AIVs belonging to 15 of the 16 known hemagglutinin (HA) subtypes and seven of nine known neuraminidase (NA) subtypes were isolated. No H14, N5, or N9 subtypes were identified. In total, nine H6, eight H1, nine H5, seven H7, six H11, six H4, five H3, five H10, four H8, three H2, three H9, one H12, one H13, one H15, and one H16 HA subtypes were isolated. As for the NA subtypes, twelve N2, nine N6, eight N8, seven N7, six N3, four N4, and one undetermined were isolated. There were 27 HA and NA antigen combinations. All isolates were low pathogenic AIV except for eight highly pathogenic (HP) AIVs that were isolated during the H5N1 HPAI outbreaks of 2006-08. Sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of the HA genes revealed epidemiological connections between the Azov-Black Sea regions and Europe, Russia, Mongolia, and Southeast Asia. H1, H2, H3, H7, H8, H6, H9, and H13 AIV subtypes were closely related to European, Russian, Mongolian, and Georgian AIV isolates. H10, H11, and H12 AIV subtypes were epidemiologically linked to viruses from Europe and Southeast Asia. Serology conducted on serum and egg yolk samples also demonstrated previous exposure of many wild bird species to different AIVs. Our results demonstrate the great genetic diversity of AIVs in wild birds in the Azov-Black Sea region as well as the importance of this region for monitoring and studying the ecology of influenza viruses. This information furthers our understanding of the ecology of avian influenza viruses in wild bird species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denys Muzyka
- A National Scientific Center "Institute of Experimental and Clinical Veterinary Medicine," Kharkiv, 61023, Ukraine
| | - Mary Pantin-Jackwood
- B Exotic and Emerging Avian Viral Diseases Unit, Southeast Poultry Research Laboratory, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Athens, GA 30677
| | - Erica Spackman
- B Exotic and Emerging Avian Viral Diseases Unit, Southeast Poultry Research Laboratory, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Athens, GA 30677
| | - Diane Smith
- B Exotic and Emerging Avian Viral Diseases Unit, Southeast Poultry Research Laboratory, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Athens, GA 30677
| | - Oleksandr Rula
- A National Scientific Center "Institute of Experimental and Clinical Veterinary Medicine," Kharkiv, 61023, Ukraine
| | - Nataliia Muzyka
- A National Scientific Center "Institute of Experimental and Clinical Veterinary Medicine," Kharkiv, 61023, Ukraine
| | - Borys Stegniy
- A National Scientific Center "Institute of Experimental and Clinical Veterinary Medicine," Kharkiv, 61023, Ukraine
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7
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Arnal A, Vittecoq M, Pearce-Duvet J, Gauthier-Clerc M, Boulinier T, Jourdain E. Laridae: A neglected reservoir that could play a major role in avian influenza virus epidemiological dynamics. Crit Rev Microbiol 2015; 41:508-19. [DOI: 10.3109/1040841x.2013.870967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
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8
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Hammouda A, Pearce-Duvet J, Boulinier T, Selmi S. Egg sampling as a possible alternative to blood sampling when monitoring the exposure of yellow-legged gulls (Larus michahellis) to avian influenza viruses. Avian Pathol 2014; 43:547-51. [PMID: 25275922 DOI: 10.1080/03079457.2014.972340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
We explored whether antibody detection in egg yolks could serve as an alternative to antibody detection in plasma samples when monitoring yellow-legged gulls (Larus michahellis) for exposure to avian influenza viruses (AIVs). We tested female plasma and eggs for anti-AIV antibodies and used the data we obtained to check whether the two sample types yielded the same antibody status (positive or negative) and to compare the antibody prevalence estimated from the blood data with that estimated from the yolk data. Our results showed that sampling one egg per clutch, regardless of that egg's position in the laying sequence, is sufficient to provide an unbiased estimate of antibody prevalence across clutches. The results also showed that almost 25% of the clutches laid by positive females contained only antibody-negative eggs, which suggests that yolk samples might underestimate female antibody prevalence. However, this result may stem from differences in the methods used to assess plasma versus yolk antibody status. Further research is needed to clarify this issue; while the number of false negatives could be reduced by adapting antibody detection techniques, it may be that they are an unavoidable consequence of natural avian maternal transfer dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdessalem Hammouda
- a UR "Biodiversité, & Valorisation des Bioressources en Zones Arides", Faculté des Sciences de Gabès , Zrig, Gabès , Tunisia
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9
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van Dijk JGB, Mateman AC, Klaassen M. Transfer of maternal antibodies against avian influenza virus in mallards (Anas platyrhynchos). PLoS One 2014; 9:e112595. [PMID: 25386907 PMCID: PMC4227685 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0112595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2014] [Accepted: 10/12/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Maternal antibodies protect chicks from infection with pathogens early in life and may impact pathogen dynamics due to the alteration of the proportion of susceptible individuals in a population. We investigated the transfer of maternal antibodies against avian influenza virus (AIV) in a key AIV host species, the mallard (Anas platyrhynchos). Combining observations in both the field and in mallards kept in captivity, we connected maternal AIV antibody concentrations in eggs to (i) female body condition, (ii) female AIV antibody concentration, (iii) egg laying order, (iv) egg size and (v) embryo sex. We applied maternity analysis to the eggs collected in the field to account for intraspecific nest parasitism, which is reportedly high in Anseriformes, detecting parasitic eggs in one out of eight clutches. AIV antibody prevalence in free-living and captive females was respectively 48% and 56%, with 43% and 24% of the eggs receiving these antibodies maternally. In both field and captive study, maternal AIV antibody concentrations in egg yolk correlated positively with circulating AIV antibody concentrations in females. In the captive study, yolk AIV antibody concentrations correlated positively with egg laying order. Female body mass and egg size from the field and captive study, and embryos sex from the field study were not associated with maternal AIV antibody concentrations in eggs. Our study indicates that maternal AIV antibody transfer may potentially play an important role in shaping AIV infection dynamics in mallards.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacintha G. B. van Dijk
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
- * E-mail:
| | - A. Christa Mateman
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Marcel Klaassen
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia
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Huang Y, Wille M, Benkaroun J, Munro H, Bond AL, Fifield DA, Robertson GJ, Ojkic D, Whitney H, Lang AS. Perpetuation and reassortment of gull influenza A viruses in Atlantic North America. Virology 2014; 456-457:353-63. [PMID: 24889254 DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2014.04.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2014] [Revised: 03/24/2014] [Accepted: 04/04/2014] [Indexed: 12/09/2022]
Abstract
Gulls are important hosts of avian influenza A viruses (AIVs) and gull AIVs often contain gene segments of mixed geographic and host lineage origins. In this study, the prevalence of AIV in gulls of Newfoundland, Canada from 2008 to 2011 was analyzed. Overall prevalence was low (30/1645, 1.8%) but there was a distinct peak of infection in the fall. AIV seroprevalence was high in Newfoundland gulls, with 50% of sampled gulls showing evidence of previous infection. Sequences of 16 gull AIVs were determined and analyzed to shed light on the transmission, reassortment and persistence dynamics of gull AIVs in Atlantic North America. Intercontinental and waterfowl lineage reassortment was prevalent. Of particular note were a wholly Eurasian AIV and another with an intercontinental reassortant waterfowl lineage virus. These patterns of geographic and inter-host group transmission highlight the importance of characterization of gull AIVs as part of attempts to understand global AIV dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanyan Huang
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, 232 Elizabeth Avenue, St. John's, NL, Canada A1B 3X9
| | - Michelle Wille
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, 232 Elizabeth Avenue, St. John's, NL, Canada A1B 3X9
| | - Jessica Benkaroun
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, 232 Elizabeth Avenue, St. John's, NL, Canada A1B 3X9
| | - Hannah Munro
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, 232 Elizabeth Avenue, St. John's, NL, Canada A1B 3X9
| | - Alexander L Bond
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, 232 Elizabeth Avenue, St. John's, NL, Canada A1B 3X9
| | - David A Fifield
- Newfoundland and Labrador Department of Natural Resources, P.O. Box 7400, St. John's, NL, Canada A1E 3Y5
| | - Gregory J Robertson
- Wildlife Research Division, Environment Canada, 6 Bruce St., Mount Pearl, NL, Canada A1N 4T3
| | - Davor Ojkic
- Animal Health Laboratory, University of Guelph, Box 3612, Guelph, ON, Canada N1H 6R8
| | - Hugh Whitney
- Newfoundland and Labrador Department of Natural Resources, P.O. Box 7400, St. John's, NL, Canada A1E 3Y5
| | - Andrew S Lang
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, 232 Elizabeth Avenue, St. John's, NL, Canada A1B 3X9.
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11
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Circulation of a Meaban-like virus in yellow-legged gulls and seabird ticks in the western Mediterranean basin. PLoS One 2014; 9:e89601. [PMID: 24625959 PMCID: PMC3953012 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0089601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2013] [Accepted: 01/21/2014] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent years, a number of zoonotic flaviviruses have emerged worldwide, and wild birds serve as their major reservoirs. Epidemiological surveys of bird populations at various geographical scales can clarify key aspects of the eco-epidemiology of these viruses. In this study, we aimed at exploring the presence of flaviviruses in the western Mediterranean by sampling breeding populations of the yellow-legged gull (Larus michahellis), a widely distributed, anthropophilic, and abundant seabird species. For 3 years, we sampled eggs from 19 breeding colonies in Spain, France, Algeria, and Tunisia. First, ELISAs were used to determine if the eggs contained antibodies against flaviviruses. Second, neutralization assays were used to identify the specific flaviviruses present. Finally, for colonies in which ELISA-positive eggs had been found, chick serum samples and potential vectors, culicid mosquitoes and soft ticks (Ornithodoros maritimus), were collected and analyzed using serology and PCR, respectively. The prevalence of flavivirus-specific antibodies in eggs was highly spatially heterogeneous. In northeastern Spain, on the Medes Islands and in the nearby village of L'Escala, 56% of eggs had antibodies against the flavivirus envelope protein, but were negative for neutralizing antibodies against three common flaviviruses: West Nile, Usutu, and tick-borne encephalitis viruses. Furthermore, little evidence of past flavivirus exposure was obtained for the other colonies. A subset of the Ornithodoros ticks from Medes screened for flaviviral RNA tested positive for a virus whose NS5 gene was 95% similar to that of Meaban virus, a flavivirus previously isolated from ticks of Larus argentatus in western France. All ELISA-positive samples subsequently tested positive for Meaban virus neutralizing antibodies. This study shows that gulls in the western Mediterranean Basin are exposed to a tick-borne Meaban-like virus, which underscores the need of exploring the spatial and temporal distribution of this flavivirus as well as its potential pathogenicity for animals and humans.
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Runstadler J, Hill N, Hussein ITM, Puryear W, Keogh M. Connecting the study of wild influenza with the potential for pandemic disease. INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION 2013; 17:162-87. [PMID: 23541413 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2013.02.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2012] [Revised: 02/25/2013] [Accepted: 02/28/2013] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Continuing outbreaks of pathogenic (H5N1) and pandemic (SOIVH1N1) influenza have underscored the need to understand the origin, characteristics, and evolution of novel influenza A virus (IAV) variants that pose a threat to human health. In the last 4-5years, focus has been placed on the organization of large-scale surveillance programs to examine the phylogenetics of avian influenza virus (AIV) and host-virus relationships in domestic and wild animals. Here we review the current gaps in wild animal and environmental surveillance and the current understanding of genetic signatures in potentially pandemic strains.
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Lebarbenchon C, Pantin-Jackwood M, Kistler WM, Luttrell MP, Spackman E, Stallknecht DE, Brown JD. Evaluation of a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for detection of antibodies against the H5 subtype of Influenza A virus in waterfowl. Influenza Other Respir Viruses 2012; 7:1237-40. [PMID: 24192340 PMCID: PMC3819717 DOI: 10.1111/irv.12070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/23/2012] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The ID Screen Influenza H5 Antibody Competition enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was tested for the detection of antibodies to the H5 subtype of influenza A (IA) virus in waterfowl. Assays were conducted with sera obtained from Mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) and Pekin Ducks (Anas platyrhynchos domestica), experimentally infected with eight low pathogenic (LP) and nine highly pathogenic (HP) H5N1 IA viral strains. Three incubation periods (1, 4 and 18 hours) and two dilutions (1:2 and 1:5) were tested. All serum samples from LP H5-infected birds tested positive; however, improved detection rates were observed for viruses belonging to the HP H5N1 clade 2.2.1 as compared with those belonging to clade 2.1.3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camille Lebarbenchon
- Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study, Department of Population Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, The University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
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Sá e Silva M, Swayne DE. Serum and Egg Yolk Antibody Detection in Chickens Infected with Low Pathogenicity Avian Influenza Virus. Avian Dis 2012; 56:601-4. [DOI: 10.1637/10087-022312-resnote.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
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Müller W, Vergauwen J, Eens M, Blount JD. Environmental effects shape the maternal transfer of carotenoids and vitamin E to the yolk. Front Zool 2012; 9:17. [PMID: 22876878 PMCID: PMC3502133 DOI: 10.1186/1742-9994-9-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2012] [Accepted: 08/03/2012] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED INTRODUCTION Maternal effects occur when the phenotype of the offspring is influenced by the phenotype of the mother, which in turn depends on her heritable state as well as on influences from the current and past environmental conditions. All of these pathways may, therefore, form significant sources of variation in maternal effects. Here, we focused on the maternal transfer of carotenoids and vitamin E to the egg yolk, using canaries as a model species. Maternal yolk carotenoids and vitamin E are known to generate significant phenotypic variation in offspring, representing examples of maternal effects. We studied the intra-individual consistency in deposition patterns across two years and the mother-daughter resemblance across two generations in order to estimate the level of heritable variation. The effects of the current environmental conditions were studied via a food supplementation experiment, while the consequences of past environmental conditions were estimated on the basis of the early growth trajectories. RESULTS There was a significant effect of the current environmental conditions on the yolk carotenoid and vitamin E deposition, but this effect varied between antioxidant components. The deposition of yolk carotenoids and vitamin E were linked to the process of yolk formation. Past environmental conditions did not contribute to the variation in yolk carotenoid and vitamin E levels nor did we find significant heritable variation. CONCLUSIONS The transfer of carotenoids or vitamin E may be an example where current environmental variation is largely passed from the mother to the offspring, despite the numerous intermediate physiological steps that are involved. Differences in the effect of the environmental conditions as experienced by the mother during laying may be due to differences in availability as well as physiological processes such as competitive exclusion or selective absorption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wendt Müller
- Department of Biology-Ethology, University of Antwerp, 2610, Wilrijk, Belgium.
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