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Azat C, Alvarado-Rybak M, Aguilera JF, Benavides JA. Spatio-temporal dynamics and drivers of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 in Chile. Front Vet Sci 2024; 11:1387040. [PMID: 38756514 PMCID: PMC11096463 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2024.1387040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2024] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Highly pathogenic avian influenza A H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b (hereafter H5N1) is causing vast impacts on biodiversity and poultry around the globe. In Chile, lethal H5N1 cases have been reported in a wide range of wild bird species, marine mammals, backyard and industrial poultry, and humans. This study describes the spatio-temporal patterns of the current epizootic of H5N1 in Chile and test drivers that could be associated with outbreak occurrence. Methods We used H5N1 cases reported by the Chilean National Animal Health Authority from 5 December 2022 to 5 April 2023. These included wild bird cases confirmed through an avian influenza-specific real-time reverse transcription PCR assay (RT-qPCR), obtained from passive and active surveillance. Data were analyzed to detect the presence of H5N1 clusters under space-time permutation probability modeling, the association of H5N1 with distance and days since the first outbreak through linear regression, and the correlation of H5N1 presence with a number of ecological and anthropogenic variables using general linear modeling. Results From 445 H5N1 identified outbreaks involving 613 individual cases in wild birds, a consistent wave-like spread of H5N1 from north to south was identified, which may help predict hotspots of outbreak risk. For instance, seven statistically significant clusters were identified in central and northern Chile, where poultry production and wildlife mortality are concentrated. The presence of outbreaks was correlated with landscape-scale variables, notably temperature range, bird richness, and human footprint. Discussion In less than a year, H5N1 has been associated with the unusual mortality of >100,000 individuals of wild animals in Chile, mainly coastal birds and marine mammals. It is urgent that scientists, the poultry sector, local communities, and national health authorities co-design and implement science-based measures from a One Health perspective to avoid further H5N1 spillover from wildlife to domestic animals and humans, including rapid removal and proper disposal of wild dead animals and the closure of public areas (e.g., beaches) reporting high wildlife mortalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudio Azat
- Sustainability Research Center & PhD in Conservation Medicine, Life Science Faculty, Universidad Andrés Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Mario Alvarado-Rybak
- Núcleo de Investigaciones Aplicadas en Ciencias Veterinarias y Agronómicas, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Agronomía, Universidad de las Américas, Santiago, Chile
| | - José F. Aguilera
- Sustainability Research Center & PhD in Conservation Medicine, Life Science Faculty, Universidad Andrés Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Julio A. Benavides
- Sustainability Research Center & PhD in Conservation Medicine, Life Science Faculty, Universidad Andrés Bello, Santiago, Chile
- MIVEGEC, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, CNRS, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
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Ruiz S, Galdames P, Baumberger C, Gonzalez MA, Rojas C, Oyarzun C, Orozco K, Mattar C, Freiden P, Sharp B, Schultz-Cherry S, Hamilton-West C, Jimenez-Bluhm P. Remote Sensing and Ecological Variables Related to Influenza A Prevalence and Subtype Diversity in Wild Birds in the Lluta Wetland of Northern Chile. Viruses 2023; 15:1241. [PMID: 37376541 DOI: 10.3390/v15061241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Revised: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The Lluta River is the northernmost coastal wetland in Chile, representing a unique ecosystem and an important source of water in the extremely arid Atacama Desert. During peak season, the wetland is home to more than 150 species of wild birds and is the first stopover point for many migratory species that arrive in the country along the Pacific migratory route, thereby representing a priority site for avian influenza virus (AIV) surveillance in Chile. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of influenza A virus (IAV) in the Lluta River wetland, identify subtype diversity, and evaluate ecological and environmental factors that drive the prevalence at the study site. The wetland was studied and sampled from September 2015 to October 2020. In each visit, fresh fecal samples of wild birds were collected for IAV detection by real-time RT-PCR. Furthermore, a count of wild birds present at the site was performed and environmental variables, such as temperature, rainfall, vegetation coverage (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index-NDVI), and water body size were determined. A generalized linear mixed model (GLMM) was built to assess the association between AIV prevalence and explanatory variables. Influenza positive samples were sequenced, and the host species was determined by barcoding. Of the 4349 samples screened during the study period, overall prevalence in the wetland was 2.07% (95% CI: 1.68 to 2.55) and monthly prevalence of AIV ranged widely from 0% to 8.6%. Several hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) subtypes were identified, and 10 viruses were isolated and sequenced, including low pathogenic H5, H7, and H9 strains. In addition, several reservoir species were recognized (both migratory and resident birds), including the newly identified host Chilean flamingo (Phoenicopterus chilensis). Regarding environmental variables, prevalence of AIV was positively associated with NDVI (OR = 3.65, p < 0.05) and with the abundance of migratory birds (OR = 3.57, p < 0.05). These results emphasize the importance of the Lluta wetland as a gateway to Chile for viruses that come from the Northern Hemisphere and contribute to the understanding of AIV ecological drivers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soledad Ruiz
- Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Medicina, Facultad de Agronomía e Ingeniería Forestal, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 7820436, Chile
- Departamento de Medicina Preventiva Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias y Pecuarias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago 8330111, Chile
| | - Pablo Galdames
- Departamento de Medicina Preventiva Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias y Pecuarias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago 8330111, Chile
| | - Cecilia Baumberger
- Departamento de Medicina Preventiva Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias y Pecuarias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago 8330111, Chile
| | - Maria Antonieta Gonzalez
- Departamento de Medicina Preventiva Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias y Pecuarias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago 8330111, Chile
| | - Camila Rojas
- Departamento de Medicina Preventiva Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias y Pecuarias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago 8330111, Chile
| | - Cristobal Oyarzun
- Departamento de Medicina Preventiva Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias y Pecuarias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago 8330111, Chile
| | - Katherinne Orozco
- Departamento de Medicina Preventiva Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias y Pecuarias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago 8330111, Chile
| | - Cristian Mattar
- Laboratory for Analysis of the Biosphere (LAB), Universidad de Chile, Santiago 8330111, Chile
| | - Pamela Freiden
- Department of Infectious Diseases, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Bridgette Sharp
- Department of Infectious Diseases, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Stacey Schultz-Cherry
- Department of Infectious Diseases, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Christopher Hamilton-West
- Departamento de Medicina Preventiva Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias y Pecuarias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago 8330111, Chile
| | - Pedro Jimenez-Bluhm
- Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Medicina, Facultad de Agronomía e Ingeniería Forestal, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 7820436, Chile
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Novel Low Pathogenic Avian Influenza H6N1 in Backyard Chicken in Easter Island (Rapa Nui), Chilean Polynesia. Viruses 2022; 14:v14040718. [PMID: 35458448 PMCID: PMC9031230 DOI: 10.3390/v14040718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2022] [Revised: 03/18/2022] [Accepted: 03/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Little is known about the prevalence of avian influenza viruses (AIV) in wildlife and domestic animals in Polynesia. Here, we present the results of active AIV surveillance performed during two sampling seasons in 2019 on Easter Island (Rapa Nui). Tracheal and cloacal swabs as well as sera samples were obtained from domestic backyard poultry, while fresh faeces were collected from wild birds. In addition to detecting antibodies against AIV in 46% of the domestic chickens in backyard production systems tested, we isolated a novel low pathogenic H6N1 virus from a chicken. Phylogenetic analysis of all genetic segments revealed that the virus was closely related to AIV’s circulating in South America. Our analysis showed different geographical origins of the genetic segments, with the PA, HA, NA, NP, and MP gene segments coming from central Chile and the PB2, PB1, and NS being closely related to viruses isolated in Argentina. While the route of introduction can only be speculated, our analysis shows the persistence and independent evolution of this strain in the island since its putative introduction between 2015 and 2016. The results of this research are the first evidence of AIV circulation in domestic birds on a Polynesian island and increase our understanding of AIV ecology in region, warranting further surveillance on Rapa Nui and beyond.
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Mellouli FE, Abouchoaib N, Zekhnini H, Khayli M, Fusaro A, Idrissi HR, Benhoussa A. Molecular Detection of Avian Influenza Virus in Wild Birds in Morocco, 2016–2019. Avian Dis 2021; 66:29-38. [DOI: 10.1637/aviandiseases-d-21-00070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2021] [Accepted: 10/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Fatiha El Mellouli
- Biodiversity, Ecology and Genome Laboratory, Faculty of Sciences, Mohammed V University in Rabat, 4 Avenue Ibn Battouta, 10106 Rabat, Morocco
| | - Nabil Abouchoaib
- Biodiversity, Ecology and Genome Laboratory, Faculty of Sciences, Mohammed V University in Rabat, 4 Avenue Ibn Battouta, 10106 Rabat, Morocco
| | - Hasnae Zekhnini
- Immunology and Biodiversity Laboratory, Faculty of Science Ain chock, Hassan II University of Casablanca, 20100 Casablanca, Morocco
| | - Mounir Khayli
- Epidemiology and Health Surveillance Unit (SEVS), Institut Agronomique et Vétérinaire Hassan II, Rabat-Instituts, 6472 Rabat, Morocco
| | - Alice Fusaro
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, 35020 Legnaro, Italy
| | - Hamid Rguibi Idrissi
- Biodiversity, Ecology and Genome Laboratory, Faculty of Sciences, Mohammed V University in Rabat, 4 Avenue Ibn Battouta, 10106 Rabat, Morocco
| | - Abdelaziz Benhoussa
- Biodiversity, Ecology and Genome Laboratory, Faculty of Sciences, Mohammed V University in Rabat, 4 Avenue Ibn Battouta, 10106 Rabat, Morocco
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Ellis JW, Root JJ, McCurdy LM, Bentler KT, Barrett NL, VanDalen KK, Dirsmith KL, Shriner SA. Avian influenza A virus susceptibility, infection, transmission, and antibody kinetics in European starlings. PLoS Pathog 2021; 17:e1009879. [PMID: 34460868 PMCID: PMC8432794 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2020] [Revised: 09/10/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Avian influenza A viruses (IAVs) pose risks to public, agricultural, and wildlife health. Bridge hosts are spillover hosts that share habitat with both maintenance hosts (e.g., mallards) and target hosts (e.g., poultry). We conducted a comprehensive assessment of European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris), a common visitor to both urban and agricultural environments, to assess whether this species might act as a potential maintenance or bridge host for IAVs. First, we experimentally inoculated starlings with a wild bird IAV to investigate susceptibility and replication kinetics. Next, we evaluated whether IAV might spill over to starlings from sharing resources with a widespread IAV reservoir host. We accomplished this using a specially designed transmission cage to simulate natural environmental transmission by exposing starlings to water shared with IAV-infected mallards (Anas platyrhynchos). We then conducted a contact study to assess intraspecies transmission between starlings. In the initial experimental infection study, all inoculated starlings shed viral RNA and seroconverted. All starlings in the transmission study became infected and shed RNA at similar levels. All but one of these birds seroconverted, but detectable antibodies were relatively transient, falling to negative levels in a majority of birds by 59 days post contact. None of the contact starlings in the intraspecies transmission experiment became infected. In summary, we demonstrated that starlings may have the potential to act as IAV bridge hosts if they share water with IAV-infected waterfowl. However, starlings are unlikely to act as maintenance hosts due to limited, if any, intraspecies transmission. In addition, starlings have a relatively brief antibody response which should be considered when interpreting serology from field samples. Further study is needed to evaluate the potential for transmission from starlings to poultry, a possibility enhanced by starling's behavioral trait of forming very large flocks which can descend on poultry facilities when natural resources are scarce.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy W. Ellis
- National Wildlife Research Center—Wildlife Services, Animal Plant Health Inspection Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - J. Jeffrey Root
- National Wildlife Research Center—Wildlife Services, Animal Plant Health Inspection Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Loredana M. McCurdy
- National Wildlife Research Center—Wildlife Services, Animal Plant Health Inspection Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Kevin T. Bentler
- National Wildlife Research Center—Wildlife Services, Animal Plant Health Inspection Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Nicole L. Barrett
- National Wildlife Research Center—Wildlife Services, Animal Plant Health Inspection Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Kaci K. VanDalen
- National Wildlife Research Center—Wildlife Services, Animal Plant Health Inspection Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Katherine L. Dirsmith
- National Wildlife Research Center—Wildlife Services, Animal Plant Health Inspection Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Susan A. Shriner
- National Wildlife Research Center—Wildlife Services, Animal Plant Health Inspection Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Avian Influenza in Wild Birds and Poultry: Dissemination Pathways, Monitoring Methods, and Virus Ecology. Pathogens 2021; 10:pathogens10050630. [PMID: 34065291 PMCID: PMC8161317 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10050630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Revised: 05/13/2021] [Accepted: 05/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Avian influenza is one of the largest known threats to domestic poultry. Influenza outbreaks on poultry farms typically lead to the complete slaughter of the entire domestic bird population, causing severe economic losses worldwide. Moreover, there are highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) strains that are able to infect the swine or human population in addition to their primary avian host and, as such, have the potential of being a global zoonotic and pandemic threat. Migratory birds, especially waterfowl, are a natural reservoir of the avian influenza virus; they carry and exchange different virus strains along their migration routes, leading to antigenic drift and antigenic shift, which results in the emergence of novel HPAI viruses. This requires monitoring over time and in different locations to allow for the upkeep of relevant knowledge on avian influenza virus evolution and the prevention of novel epizootic and epidemic outbreaks. In this review, we assess the role of migratory birds in the spread and introduction of influenza strains on a global level, based on recent data. Our analysis sheds light on the details of viral dissemination linked to avian migration, the viral exchange between migratory waterfowl and domestic poultry, virus ecology in general, and viral evolution as a process tightly linked to bird migration. We also provide insight into methods used to detect and quantify avian influenza in the wild. This review may be beneficial for the influenza research community and may pave the way to novel strategies of avian influenza and HPAI zoonosis outbreak monitoring and prevention.
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