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Global Patterns of Influenza A Virus in Wild Birds
Björn Olsen,1,2Vincent J. Munster,3Anders Wallensten,4,5Jonas Waldenström,6Albert D. M. E. Osterhaus,3Ron A. M. Fouchier3*
The outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza of the H5N1subtype in Asia, which has subsequently spread to Russia, theMiddle East, Europe, and Africa, has put increased focus onthe role of wild birds in the persistence of influenza viruses.The ecology, epidemiology, genetics, and evolution of pathogenscannot be fully understood without taking into account the ecologyof their hosts. Here, we review our current knowledge on globalpatterns of influenza virus infections in wild birds, discussthese patterns in the context of host ecology and in particularbirds' behavior, and identify some important gaps in our currentknowledge.
1 Department of Infectious Diseases, Umeå University, SE-90187 Umeå, Sweden. 2 Section for Zoonotic Ecology and Epidemiology, Department of Biology and Environmental Science, University of Kalmar, SE-39182 Kalmar, Sweden. 3 Department of Virology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands. 4 Smedby Health Center, Kalmar County Council, SE-39471 Kalmar, Sweden. 5 Division of Virology, Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine (IMK) Faculty of Health Sciences, Linköping University, SE-581 85 Linköping, Sweden. 6 Department of Animal Ecology, Lund University, SE-22362 Lund, Sweden.
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: r.fouchier{at}erasmusmc.nl
Influenza A viruses have been isolated from many species, includinghumans, pigs, horses, mink, felids, marine mammals, and a widerange of domestic birds, but wildfowl and shorebirds are thoughtto form the virus reservoir in nature. The influenza A virusgenome consists of eight segments of negative-stranded RNA,which code for 11 proteins. Influenza viruses are classifiedon the basis of two of these proteins expressed on the surfaceof virus particles; the hemagglutinin (HA) and neur-aminidase(NA) glycoproteins (1). In wild birds and poultry throughoutthe world, influenza viruses representing 16 HA and 9 NA antigenicsubtypes have been detected (2), which can be found in numerouscombinations (also called subtypes, e.g., H1N1, H16N3).
The HA protein is initially synthesized as a single polypeptideprecursor (HA0), which is cleaved into HA1 and HA2 subunitsby proteases. The mature protein mediates binding of the virusto host cells, followed by fusion with endosomal membranes (1).Influenza viruses of subtypes H5 and H7, but not other HA subtypes,may become highly pathogenic after introduction into poultryand can cause outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza(HPAI, formerly termed "fowl plague"). The switch from a lowpathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) virus phenotype, common inwild birds and poultry, to the HPAI virus phenotype is achievedby the introduction of basic amino acid residues into the HA0cleavage site, which facilitates systemic virus replication.HPAI isolates have been obtained primarily from commerciallyraised poultry (3).
In the past decade, HPAI outbreaks have occurred frequently,caused by influenza viruses of subtype H5N1 in Asia, Russia,the Middle East, Europe, and Africa (ongoing since 1997); H5N2in Mexico (1994), Italy (1997), and Texas (2004); H7N1 in Italy(1999); H7N3 in Australia (1994), Pakistan (1994), Chile (2002),and Canada (2003); H7N4 in Australia (1997); and H7N7 in theNetherlands (2003) (3, 4).
Migratory Birds as a Natural Reservoir of LPAI Viruses
LPAI viruses have been isolated from at least 105 wild birdspecies of 26 different families (Table 1) (5). All influenzavirus subtypes and most HA/NA combinations have been detectedin the bird reservoir and poultry, whereas relatively few havebeen detected in other species. Although many wild bird speciesmay harbor influenza viruses, birds of wetlands and aquaticenvironments such as the Anseriformes (particularly ducks, geese,and swans) and Charadriiformes (particularly gulls, terns, andwaders) constitute the major natural LPAI virus reservoir (1).Anseriformes and Charadriiformes are distributed globally, exceptfor the most arid regions of the world (6).
Table 1. Prevalence of influenza A virus in wild birds. Influenza virus prevalence in specific species is given only if tests on >500 birds have been reported; lower numbers in individual species are included in the total. See (5) for additional comments and original data. Of the 36 species of ducks, 28,955 were dabbling ducks and 1011 were diving ducks, with influenza virus prevalence of 10.1 and 1.6%, respectively.
Positive
Family
Species
Sampled
(n)
(%)
Ducks
36 species
34,503
3275
9.5
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)
15,250
1965
12.9
Northern Pintail (Anas acuta)
3,036
340
11.2
Blue-winged Teal (Anas discors)
1,914
220
11.5
Common Teal (Anas crecca)
1,314
52
4.0
Eurasian Wigeon (Anas penelope)
1,023
8
0.8
Wood Duck (Aix sponsa)
926
20
2.2
Common Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna)
881
57
6.5
American Black Duck (Anas rubripes)
717
130
18.1
Green-winged Teal (Anas carolinensis)
707
28
4.0
Gadwall (Anas strepera)
687
10
1.5
Spot-billed Duck (Anas poecilorhyncha)
574
21
3.7
Geese
8 species
4,806
47
1.0
Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)
2,273
19
0.8
Greylag Goose (Anser anser)
977
11
1.1
White-fronted Goose (Anser albifrons)
596
13
2.2
Swans
3 species
5,009
94
1.9
Tundra Swan (Cygnus columbianus)
2,137
60
2.8
Mute Swan (Cygnus olor)
1,597
20
1.3
Whooping Swan (Cygnus cygnus)
930
14
1.5
Gulls
9 species
14,505
199
1.4
Ring-billed gull (Larus delawarensis)
6,966
136
2.0
Black-tailed Gull (Larus crassirostris)
1,726
17
1.0
Black-headed Gull (Larus ridibundus)
770
17
2.2
Herring Gull (Larus argentatus)
768
11
1.4
Mew Gull (Larus canus)
595
0
0.0
Terns
9 species
2,521
24
0.9
Common Tern (Sterna hirundo)
961
16
1.7
Waders
10 species
2,637
21
0.8
Rails
3 species
1,962
27
1.4
Eurasian Coot (Fulica atra)
1,861
23
1.2
Petrels
5 species
1,416
4
0.3
Wedge-tailed Shearwater (Puffinus pacificus)
794
4
0.5
Cormorants
1 species
4,500
18
0.4
Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo)
4,500
18
0.4
In birds, LPAI viruses preferentially infect cells lining theintestinal tract and are excreted in high concentrations intheir feces. It has been shown that influenza viruses remaininfectious in lake water up to 4 days at 22°C and more than30 days at 0°C (7), and the relatively high virus prevalencein birds living in aquatic environments may be due in part toefficient transmission through the fecal-oral route via surfacewaters (1, 7).
Migration is a common strategy for birds occupying seasonalhabitats and may range from short local movements to intercontinentalmigrations. Migratory birds can carry pathogens, particularlythose that do not significantly affect the birds' health statusand consequently interfere with migration. Many Anseriformesand Charadriiformes are known to perform regular long-distancemigrations (6), thereby potentially distributing LPAI virusesbetween countries or even continents. Birds breeding in onegeographic region often follow similar migratory flyways, e.g.,the East AsianAustralian flyway from eastern Siberiasouth to eastern Asia and Australia (Fig. 1A). However, themajor flyways are simplifications, and there are numerous exceptionswhere populations behave differently from the common patterns(6, 8). Within the large continents and along the major flyways,migration connects many bird populations in time and space,either at common breeding areas, during migration, or at sharednonbreeding areas (Fig. 1). As a result, virus-infected birdscan transmit their pathogens to other populations that subsequentlymay bring the viruses to new areas.
Fig. 1. Migratory flyways of wild bird populations. A world map with the main general migratory flyways of wild bird populations is shown (adapted from information collected and analyzed by Wetlands International). (A) Black dots indicate the locations of historical and current influenza virus surveillance sites from which data have been used in this manuscript. These global migration flyways are simplifications, and there are situations where populations behave differently from the common patterns. Migration patterns of Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) (B) and Garganey (Anas querquedula) in Eurasia and Africa and Blue-winged Teal (Anas discors) in the Americas (C) (right and left parts of the map, respectively) are provided. Yellow color indicates breeding areas in which species are absent during winter, green indicates areas in which species are present around the year, and blue indicates areas in which species are only present in winter and do not breed. Arrows indicate the seasonal migration patterns.
[View Larger Version of this Image (45K GIF file)]
It is important to realize that the transmission of the virusesand their geographical spread is dependent on the ecology ofthe migrating hosts. For instance, migrating birds rarely flythe full distance between breeding and nonbreeding areas withoutstopping over and "refueling" along the way. Rather, birds makefrequent stopovers during migration and spend more time eatingand preparing for migration than actively performing flights(9). Many species aggregate at favorable stopover or winteringsites, resulting in high local densities. Such sites may beimportant for transmission of LPAI viruses between wild andcaptive birds and between different species.
Influenza Viruses in Ducks
Extensive surveillance studies of wild ducks in the NorthernHemisphere have revealed high LPAI virus prevalence primarilyin juvenilepresumably immunologically naïvebirdswith a peak in early fall before southbound migration. In NorthAmerica, the prevalence falls from 60% in ducks sampled at marshallingsites close to the Canadian breeding areas in early fall, to0.4 to 2% at the wintering grounds in the southern U.S.A., and0.25% on the ducks' return to the breeding grounds in spring.Similar patterns have been observed in Northern Europe, butinfluenza virus detection during spring migration can be significantlyhigher, up to 6.5%. Surveillance of the nesting grounds of ducksin Siberia before winter migration revealed the presence ofinfluenza viruses in up to 8% of birds (10).
Such year-round prevalence raises the possibility that LPAIvirus can persist in ducks alone. This hypothesis complementsearlier ones, in which additional host species or preservationof infectious influenza viruses in frozen lakes over the winterplay a role in the perpetuation of avian influenza viruses (1,7).
All HA and NA subtypes, with the exception of H13 to H16, circulatein wild ducks in North America and Northern Europe. In a 26-yearlongitudinal study performed in Canada, influenza viruses ofsubtypes H3, H4, and H6 were isolated from ducks most frequently;H1, H2, H7, H10, and H11 less frequently; and H5, H8, H9, andH12 only sporadically. Although in other North American andEuropean studies, influenza viruses of subtypes H3, H4, andH6 were also detected frequently, the detection of other virussubtypes was not significantly different (4, 11). Thus, theprevalence of influenza virus in general, as well as the specificdistribution of subtypes, may vary between different surveillancestudies depending on species, time, and place.
In the Canadian studies, cyclic patterns of influenza virussubtypes were reported: Peaks in virus isolation of an HA subtypewere followed 1 to 2 years later by reduced rates of isolationof this subtype. This observation awaits confirmation in othersurveillance studies but is of particular interest in relationto findings for other infectious diseases: Cyclic patterns describedfor measles and whooping cough in humans have provided new insightsin the role of spatial factors, herd immunity, and populationage-structure on epidemiology (12). Cycling of influenza virusin wild birds could provide similar new insights into the ecologyof influenza viruses in their natural hosts.
Influenza virus surveillance of ducks has been performed inJapan since the late 1970s. As in other studies, influenza virusprevalence and isolated subtypes varied between years and locations(5). The prevalence of influenza virus in wild birds elsewherein Asia is largely unknown, but several studies have been conductedin live bird markets, where most HA and NA subtypes were foundin poultry (1, 13). It is plausible that the circulation ofthe LPAI virus subtypes in poultry at least partially reflectsthat in wild birds, but no direct connection has yet been established.
Dabbling ducks of the Anas genus, with Mallards (Anas platyrhynchos)as the most extensively studied species, have been found tobe infected with influenza viruses more frequently than otherbirds, including diving ducks (Table 1) (5). Differences invirus prevalence between ecological guilds of ducks are likelyin part related to behavior. Dabbling ducks feed primarily onfood in surface waters; diving ducks forage at deeper depthsand more often in marine habitats (6). Dabbling ducks displaya propensity for abmigration, the switching of breeding groundsbetween years, which is in part due to mate choice (6). Thisbehavior could provide an opportunity for influenza virusesto be transmitted between different host subpopulations. LPAIvirus infection generally causes no major clinical signs indabbling ducks, and experimental infections indicate that animalsonly produce a transient, low-level humoral immune response,which may be sufficient to provide partial protection againstreinfection with viruses of the same subtype but is unlikelyto confer protection against heterologous reinfections (14).Different influenza virus subtypes can also infect ducks concomitantly,creating the opportunity for genetic mixing (15).
Little is known about the prevalence of influenza viruses inwild ducks in the Southern Hemisphere or potential transmissionbetween the hemispheres. There is little connectivity betweennorthern and southern Anatidae species, and most species stayyear round within each breeding continent. The Blue-winged Teal(Anas discors) is one of the few North American species thathas a winter distribution that includes South America (Fig. 1C)(6). There are several other duck species that could serve ashosts for influenza virus in South America (6), but surveillancedata are not available. Similarly, only 6 of 39 Anatidae speciesbreeding in Eurasia winter with at least part of the populationsouth of the Sahara desert in Africa, e.g., the Garganey (Anasquerquedula) (Fig. 1C) and the Northern Pintail (Anas acuta),each have African winter populations in excess of one millionbirds (16). As in South America, none of the 22 Anatidae speciesthat breed in sub-Saharan Africa spend the nonbreeding seasonoutside the continent. However, there are several species withlarge, widespread populations in Africa (16), and some migratewithin Africa (17). Potential areas for mixing of Eurasian andAfrican ducks are in West Africa, near the Senegal and NigerRivers, the flood-plains of the Niger River in Nigeria and Mali,and Lake Chad (16), and influenza viruses in African Anatidaepopulations may thus be linked to Eurasia through migratingspecies. Anatidae of Oceania are mainly resident and do notperform regular seasonal migrations (6).
Influenza Viruses in Gulls and Terns
The first recorded isolation of influenza virus from wild birdswas from a Common Tern (Sternahirundo) in 1961. This HPAI H5N3virus was responsible for an outbreak in South Africa whereat least 1300 of these birds died (3). The most frequently detectedLPAI virus subtype in gulls is H13, a subtype rarely found inother birds. Recently, a "novel" virus subtype (H16), relatedto H13, was described in Black-headed Gulls (Larus ridibundus)in Sweden. The genes of H13 and H16 viruses are geneticallydistinct from those of influenza viruses from other hosts, whichsuggests they have been genetically isolated for sufficienttime to allow genetic differentiation (2). This concurs withthe observation that gull influenza viruses do not readily infectducks when they are inoculated experimentally (1). Althoughother influenza virus subtypes are also occasionally detectedin terns and gulls (Table 1) (5), it is plausible that the virusesthat are genetically indistinguishable from viruses of otheravian hosts are most likely not endemic in gulls and terns.
Influenza viruses can be detected in a small proportion of gulls,with the highest virus prevalence reported in late summer andearly fall. Most gull species breed in colonies (6), with adultsand juveniles crowded in a small space, creating good opportunitiesfor virus spread. This situation contrastswiththatindabblingducks that do not breed in dense colonies (6), and epizooticscould be more easily initiated when birds congregate in largenumbers during molt, migration, or wintering.
Influenza Viruses in Waders
Waders in the Charadriidae and Scolopacidae families are adaptedto either marine or freshwater wetland areas and often liveside-by-side with ducks (18). Long-term influenza virus surveillancestudies are still sparse, but data from North America suggesta distinct role of these birds in the perpetuation of certainvirus subtypes. Influenza viruses of subtypes H1 to H12 havebeen isolated in birds migrating through the eastern U.S.A.,with a high prevalence of certain HA subtypes (H1, H2, H5, H7,H9 to H12) and a larger variety of HA/NA combinations as comparedwith ducks in Canada, suggesting that waders maintain a widerspectrum of viruses. Moreover, the seasonal prevalence of influenzaviruses in waders seems to be reversed as compared with ducks,with higher virus prevalence (14%) during spring migration (19).This has led to the hypothesis that different families of wetlandbirds are involved in perpetuation of LPAI virus and suggestsa role for waders, which may carry the virus north to the duckbreeding grounds in spring. Recent genetic analyses have notrevealed striking differences between influenza viruses fromducks and waders in the Americas, suggesting that these viralgene pools are not separated (20, 21). Although the wader-ducklink may be a plausible scenario based on the North Americandata, studies in waders in Northern Europe have failed to producesimilar results. Nevertheless, many wader species of the NorthernHemisphere are long-distance intercontinental migrants (8) andmay, therefore, have the potential to distribute influenza virusesaround the globe.
Influenza Viruses in Other Wild Birds
LPAI viruses can be found in numerous other bird species (Table 1)(5), but it is unclear in which of these species influenza virusesare endemic and in which the virus is a temporary pathogen.Species in which influenza viruses are endemic share the samehabitat at least part of the year with other species in whichinfluenza viruses are frequently detected, including geese,swans, rails, petrels, and cormorants. In these birds and others(5), influenza virus prevalence seems to be lower than in dabblingducks (Table 1), but it should be noted that studies on thesespecies are limited, and it is possible that peak prevalencehas been missed because of its seasonal nature or location.
As for ducks, gulls, and waders, their behavior and ecologymay be an important determinant of their role as host species.For instance, geese are mainly herbivorous and often congregatein large flocks for grazing in pastures and agricultural fields,especially during the nonbreeding season. Such flocks may reachtens of thousands of birds in optimal areas and often containseveral different species. Colonial breeding occurs in somegoose species, but most are solitary nesters or nest in loosegroups with little interaction between pairs. Given that wildgeese and ducks are the ancestors of today's domestic gooseand duck species and that these domestic animals in parts ofthe world are frequently kept alongside chickens, wild geeseand ducks may form the bridge for influenza viruses betweenwild and domestic birds.
Genetic Variation of Influenza Viruses in Wild Birds
Evolution of avian influenza viruses in their natural hostsis slow, but not negligible. Avian influenza viruses can bedivided into two lineages, Eurasian and American (Fig. 2), probablyas a result of long-term ecological and geographical separationof hosts. However, the avifauna of North America and Eurasiaare not completely separated; some ducks and shorebirds crossthe Bering Strait during migration or have breeding ranges thatinclude both the Russian Far East and northwestern North America(6). The majority of tundra shorebirds from the Russian FarEast winter in Southeast Asia and Australia, but some specieswinter along the west coast of the Americas (22). The overlapin distribution of ducks is not as profound as that of shorebirds,but a few species (e.g., Northern Pintail, Anas acuta) are commonin both North America and Eurasia (6) and could also providean intercontinental bridge for influenza virus. Indeed, influenzaviruses carrying a mix of genes from the American and Eurasianlineages have been isolated, indicating that allopatric speciationis only partial (2325). The partial ecological isolationof influenza virus hosts seems sufficient to facilitate divergentevolution of separate gene pools, but allows occasional spilloverof gene segments from one gene pool to the other.
Fig. 2. Phylogenetic tree for the matrix gene of influenza A viruses from a variety of hosts. Nucleotide sequences were selected from public databases and aligned, after which a maximum likelihood tree was generated using influenza virus A/Equine/Prague/57 (H7N7) as outgroup. Sequences were selected from each host to reflect the longest possible time frame and variation in locations of virus isolation. The avian influenza viruses are divided in an American lineage (pink) and a Eurasian lineage (yellow), and there are no clear patterns of host, temporal, or spatial correlation within these lineages. In contrast, the human influenza A virus lineage (light blue), the Eurasian swine lineage (purple), and the HPAI H5N1 lineage (orange) display clear temporal patterns of virus evolution.
[View Larger Version of this Image (21K GIF file)]
Within each genetic lineage, multiple sublineages of viral genescocirculate, but there appear to be no consistent temporal orspatial correlations. Moreover, genetic data from duck and shorebirdinfluenza virus isolates from the Americas suggest an activeinterplay between these host species (20, 21). Although certainHA subtypes are reported to be more prevalent in either shorebirdsor ducks in North America, this also does not seem to have resultedin differences in the genetic composition of influenza virusesobtained from these two reservoirs (19, 26).
The segmented nature of the influenza virus genome enables evolutionby a process known as genetic reassortment, i.e., the mixingof genes from two or more influenza viruses. A recent studyof 35 influenza virus isolates obtained from ducks in Canadaindicates that genetic "sublineages" do not persist, but frequentlyreassort with other viruses (27). Influenza viruses of a particularsubtype do not necessarily have the same genetic make-up, evenwithin a single year or a single host species. The high prevalenceof influenza virus in some wild bird species and the sporadicdetection of concomitant infections in single birds (15) supportthe notion that reassortment may occur in nature. Gaining informationon the actual frequency of reassortment in the wild bird reservoirand the impact of these events on LPAI virus evolution willbe of considerable interest.
HPAI H5N1 Viruses in Wild Birds
In 1997, an HPAI outbreak caused by H5N1 influenza virus occurredin chicken farms and the live bird markets of Hong Kong, whichalso resulted in the first reported case of human influenzaand fatality attributable directly to avian influenza virus(28). The H5N1 HPAI virus reappeared in 2002 in waterfowl attwo parks in Hong Kong and was also detected in other captiveand wild birds (29). It resurfaced again in 2003 and has devastatedthe poultry industry in large parts of Southeast Asia since2004. In 2005, the virus was isolated during an outbreak amongmigratory birds in Qinghai Lake, China, affecting large numbersof wild birds (30). This single epizootic caused an estimated10% decrease of the global population of Bar-headed Geese (Anserindicus), highlighting the potential devastating effects onvulnerable wildlife. Subsequently, the virus has appeared acrossAsia, Europe and the Middle East, and in several African countries.Wild bird deaths have been reported in several of these countries,in Europe, particularly affecting Mute Swans (Cygnus olor) andWhooper Swans (Cygnus cygnus), but mortality has also been recordedin other waterfowl species, and occasionally in raptors, gulls,and herons. So far, the HPAI H5N1 strain that originated inpoultry in Southeast Asia has caused mortality in >60 wildbird species (2931). In addition, during the devastatingoutbreaks in poultry, the H5N1 virus was transmitted to 175humans, leading to 95 deaths (as of 6 March 2006), and has alsobeen isolated from pigs, cats, tigers, and leopards.
It is most likely that the H5N1 virus has circulated continuouslyin domestic birds in Southeast Asia since 1997 and, as a consequence,has evolved substantially (Fig. 2). Surveillance studies inMainland China from 1999 onward indicated that H5N1 viruseshave become endemic in domestic birds in the region and thatmultiple genetic lineages of the virus are cocirculating (32,33). Poultry trade and mechanical movement of infected materialsare likely modes for spreading HPAI in general (3). For theH5N1 virus, it is without doubt that domestic waterfowl, specificfarming practices, and agroecological environments played akey role in the occurrence, maintenance, and spread of HPAIfor many affected countries (34, 35). Although numerous wildbirds have also become infected, it has been much debated whetherthey play an active role in the geographic spread of the disease.It has been argued that infected birds would be too severelyaffected to continue migration and thus unlikely to spread theH5N1 virus. Although this may be true for some wild birds, ithas been shown that, in experimental infections, several birdspecies survive infection and shed the H5N1 virus without apparentdisease signs (31, 32, 36). In addition, many wild birds maybe partially immune owing to previous exposures to LPAI influenzaviruses, as has been shown for chickens (37). Finally, recentstudies suggest that HPAI viruses may become less pathogenicto ducks infected experimentally, while retaining high pathogenicityfor chickens (32, 36, 38). The present situation in Europe,where infected wild birds have been found in several countriesthat have not reported outbreaks among poultry, suggests thatwild birds can indeed carry the virus to previously unaffectedareas. Although swan deaths have been the first indicator forthe presence of the H5N1 virus in several European countries,this does not necessarily imply a role as predominant vectors;they could merely have functioned as sentinel birds infectedvia other migrating bird species.
Prospects
Despite the relatively intense surveillance studies that havebeen performed for many years in North America and Eurasia,our understanding of the global distribution of LPAI virusesin wild bird populations is still limited. Serological evidenceindicates that influenza viruses occasionally circulate in Antarctica(39), and it is reasonable to assume that influenza virusesare distributed globally, wherever competent host species arepresent. It is possible that some subtypes are rare or not detectedannually in current surveillance studies. Simply because ofthe limitations of our studies, we are currently biased towardspecies that are easy to sample during migration or wintering.Second, to understand the global patterns of LPAI viruses inwild birds, it will be crucial to integrate virus and host ecologywith long-term surveillance studies to provide more insighton the year-round perpetuation of influenza viruses in wildbirds. Possible intercontinental contacts among ducks and shorebirdsin areas where migrating birds from the northern and southernlatitudes mix are of particular interest. Can influenza virusesbe perpetuated in ducks alone, or does the interface betweenducks and shorebirds, as seems to occur in North America (19),also occur on other continents? With high-throughput sequencingtechnology, it should be possible to gain more insight intothe genetic variability and evolution of LPAI viruses in wildbirds and to integrate this information with epidemiology andvirus-host ecology.
The recent H5N1 outbreaks in Eurasia have identified additionalgaps in our knowledge of avian influenza viruses in wild birdsin general. It should be realized that our knowledge of LPAIviruses in wild birds cannot simply be extrapolated to HPAIviruses; for instance, the most important host species or routesof transmission may be quite different (Table 1) (2931,38). It is clear that influenza virus surveillance of wild birdscould provide "early warning" signals for the introduction ofHPAI H5N1 virus in new regions and may provide access to strainsfor characterization. For proper risk assessment studies, however,we also need a better understanding of the interface betweenwild and domestic birds, the possible transmission of influenzaviruses between these populations, bird behavior, age-structuresof populations, and detailed migration routes. We further needbetter understanding of the transmission and pathogenesis ofH5N1 virus in wild birds, as well as identification of virus-permissivehost species and their relative likelihood to develop disease,patterns of virus secretion, and temporal and spatial variationsin virus prevalence.
With our current limited knowledge on HPAI in wild birds, thereis no solid basis for including wild birds in control strategiesbeyond the physical separation of poultry from wild birds. Evenin areas with significant outbreaks in poultry, virus prevalencein wild birds is low (32), and the role of these wild birdsin spreading the disease is unclear. It is clear that the H5N1problem originated from outbreaks in poultry and that the outbreaksand their geographical spread probably cannot be stopped withoutimplementation of proper control measures in the global poultryindustry. However, there is at present no scientific basis forculling wild birds to control the outbreaks and their spread,and this is further highly undesirable from a conservationistperspective.
The current increased interest in influenza virus surveillancein wild and domestic birds provides a unique opportunity toincrease our understanding not only of HPAI epidemiology butalso of the ecology of LPAI viruses in their natural hosts,at the same time and for the same cost.
References and Notes
1. R. G. Webster, W. J. Bean, O. T. Gorman, T. M. Chambers, Y. Kawaoka, Microbiol. Rev.56, 152 (1992).[Abstract/Free Full Text]
15. G. B. Sharp et al., J. Virol.71, 6128 (1997).[Abstract]
16. D. A. Scott, P. M. Rose, Atlas of Anatidae Populations in Africa and Western Eurasia (Publ. no. 41, Wetlands International, Wageningen, Netherlands, 1996).
17. L. H. Brown, E. K. Urban, K. Newman, The Birds of Africa (Academic Press, London, 1982), vol. 1.
39. F. J. Austin, R. G. Webster, J. Wildl. Dis.29, 568 (1993).[Abstract]
40. We apologize to the scientists whose original contributions have not been cited here due to space restrictions. We thank G. Rimmelzwaan, D. Smith, T. Piersma, J. de Jong, and E. de Wit for fruitful discussions and helpful comments.
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276, 2345-2346
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Does influenza A affect body condition of wild mallard ducks, or vice versa? A reply to Flint and Franson.
N. Latorre-Margalef, G. Gunnarsson, V. J. Munster, R. A. M. Fouchier, A. D. M. E. Osterhaus, J. Elmberg, B. Olsen, A. Wallensten, T. Fransson, L. Brudin, et al. (2009)
Proc R Soc B
276, 2347-2349
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Influenza Exerts Continued Pressure in an Era of Modern Medicine.
J. W. Noah, D. L. Noah, and S. Matalon (2009)
Am. J. Respir. Cell Mol. Biol.
41, 3-7
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Connectivity sustains disease transmission in environments with low potential for endemicity: modelling schistosomiasis with hydrologic and social connectivities.
Evaluation of a Commercial Blocking Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay To Detect Avian Influenza Virus Antibodies in Multiple Experimentally Infected Avian Species.
J. D. Brown, D. E. Stallknecht, R. D. Berghaus, M. P. Luttrell, K. Velek, W. Kistler, T. Costa, M. J. Yabsley, and D. Swayne (2009)
Clin. Vaccine Immunol.
16, 824-829
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Universal Detection and Identification of Avian Influenza Virus by Use of Resequencing Microarrays.
B. Lin, A. P. Malanoski, Z. Wang, K. M. Blaney, N. C. Long, C. E. Meador, D. Metzgar, C. A. Myers, S. L. Yingst, M. R. Monteville, et al. (2009)
J. Clin. Microbiol.
47, 988-993
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Detection and characterization of avian influenza and other avian paramyxoviruses from wild waterfowl in parts of the southeastern United States.
T. V. Dormitorio, J. J. Giambrone, K. Guo, and G. R. Hepp (2009)
Poult. Sci.
88, 851-855
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Active Surveillance for Avian Influenza Virus Infection in Wild Birds by Analysis of Avian Fecal Samples from the Environment.
Effects of influenza A virus infection on migrating mallard ducks.
N. Latorre-Margalef, G. Gunnarsson, V. J Munster, R. A.M Fouchier, A. D.M.E Osterhaus, J. Elmberg, B. Olsen, A. Wallensten, P. D Haemig, T. Fransson, et al. (2009)
Proc R Soc B
276, 1029-1036
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Practical Considerations for High-Throughput Influenza A Virus Surveillance Studies of Wild Birds by Use of Molecular Diagnostic Tests.
V. J. Munster, C. Baas, P. Lexmond, T. M. Bestebroer, J. Guldemeester, W. E. P. Beyer, E. de Wit, M. Schutten, G. F. Rimmelzwaan, A. D. M. E. Osterhaus, et al. (2009)
J. Clin. Microbiol.
47, 666-673
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Pathogenicity and Vaccine Efficacy of Different Clades of Asian H5N1 Avian Influenza A Viruses in Domestic Ducks.
J.-K. Kim, P. Seiler, H. L. Forrest, A. M. Khalenkov, J. Franks, M. Kumar, W. B. Karesh, M. Gilbert, R. Sodnomdarjaa, B. Douangngeun, et al. (2008)
J. Virol.
82, 11374-11382
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THE EPIDEMIOLOGY OF THE HIGHLY PATHOGENIC H5N1 AVIAN INFLUENZA IN MUTE SWAN (CYGNUS OLOR) AND OTHER ANATIDAE IN THE DOMBES REGION (FRANCE), 2006.
J. Hars, S. Ruette, M. Benmergui, C. Fouque, J.-Y. Fournier, A. Legouge, M. Cherbonnel, B. Daniel, C. Dupuy, and V. Jestin (2008)
J. Wildl. Dis.
44, 811-823
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Variable exposure and immunological response to Lyme disease Borrelia among North Atlantic seabird species.
V Staszewski, K.D McCoy, and T Boulinier (2008)
Proc R Soc B
275, 2101-2109
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Cross-Species Virus Transmission and the Emergence of New Epidemic Diseases.
C. R. Parrish, E. C. Holmes, D. M. Morens, E.-C. Park, D. S. Burke, C. H. Calisher, C. A. Laughlin, L. J. Saif, and P. Daszak (2008)
Microbiol. Mol. Biol. Rev.
72, 457-470
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Amino Acid 226 in the Hemagglutinin of H4N6 Influenza Virus Determines Binding Affinity for {alpha}2,6-Linked Sialic Acid and Infectivity Levels in Primary Swine and Human Respiratory Epithelial Cells.
A. C. Bateman, M. G. Busch, A. I. Karasin, N. Bovin, and C. W. Olsen (2008)
J. Virol.
82, 8204-8209
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Noise, nonlinearity and seasonality: the epidemics of whooping cough revisited.
IS THE OCCURRENCE OF AVIAN INFLUENZA VIRUS IN CHARADRIIFORMES SPECIES AND LOCATION DEPENDENT?.
B. A. Hanson, M. P. Luttrell, V. H. Goekjian, L. Niles, D. E. Swayne, D. A. Senne, and D. E. Stallknecht (2008)
J. Wildl. Dis.
44, 351-361
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Avian Influenza Surveillance in Hunter-harvested Waterfowl from the Gulf Coast of Texas (November 2005-January 2006).
P. J. Ferro, J. El-Attrache, X. Fang, S. N. Rollo, A. Jester, T. Merendino, M. J. Peterson, and B. Lupiani (2008)
J. Wildl. Dis.
44, 434-439
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A Blood Survey of Elements, Viral Antibodies, and Hemoparasites in Wintering Harlequin Ducks (Histrionicus Histrionicus) and Barrow's Goldeneyes (Bucephala Islandica).
D. J. Heard, D. M. Mulcahy, S. A. Iverson, D. J. Rizzolo, E. C. Greiner, J. Hall, H. Ip, and D. Esler (2008)
J. Wildl. Dis.
44, 486-493
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Prevalence and diversity of avian influenza viruses in environmental reservoirs.
A. S. Lang, A. Kelly, and J. A. Runstadler (2008)
J. Gen. Virol.
89, 509-519
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Healthy Human Subjects Have CD4+ T Cells Directed against H5N1 Influenza Virus.
M. Roti, J. Yang, D. Berger, L. Huston, E. A. James, and W. W. Kwok (2008)
J. Immunol.
180, 1758-1768
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Molecular analysis of avian H7 influenza viruses circulating in Eurasia in 1999-2005: detection of multiple reassortant virus genotypes.
L. Campitelli, A. Di Martino, D. Spagnolo, G. J. D. Smith, L. Di Trani, M. Facchini, M. A. De Marco, E. Foni, C. Chiapponi, A. M. Martin, et al. (2008)
J. Gen. Virol.
89, 48-59
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Risk-based surveillance for H5N1 avian influenza virus in wild birds in Great Britain.
L. C. Snow, S. E. Newson, A. J. Musgrove, P. A. Cranswick, H. Q. P. Crick, and J. W. Wilesmith (2007)
Vet Rec.
161, 775-781
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Phylogenetic Diversity among Low-Virulence Newcastle Disease Viruses from Waterfowl and Shorebirds and Comparison of Genotype Distributions to Those of Poultry-Origin Isolates.
L. M. Kim, D. J. King, P. E. Curry, D. L. Suarez, D. E. Swayne, D. E. Stallknecht, R. D. Slemons, J. C. Pedersen, D. A. Senne, K. Winker, et al. (2007)
J. Virol.
81, 12641-12653
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A polar system of intercontinental bird migration.
T. Alerstam, J. Backman, G. A Gudmundsson, A. Hedenstrom, S. S Henningsson, H. Karlsson, M. Rosen, and R. Strandberg (2007)
Proc R Soc B
274, 2523-2530
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Influenza A Virus in Birds during Spring Migration in the Camargue, France.
C. Lebarbenchon, C.-M. Chang, S. van der Werf, J.-T. Aubin, Y. Kayser, M. Ballesteros, F. Renaud, F. Thomas, and M. Gauthier-Clerc (2007)
J. Wildl. Dis.
43, 789-793
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Differential Polymerase Activity in Avian and Mammalian Cells Determines Host Range of Influenza Virus.
G. Gabriel, M. Abram, B. Keiner, R. Wagner, H.-D. Klenk, and J. Stech (2007)
J. Virol.
81, 9601-9604
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Molecular and antigenic evolution and geographical spread of H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses in western Africa.
M. F. Ducatez, C. M. Olinger, A. A. Owoade, Z. Tarnagda, M. C. Tahita, A. Sow, S. De Landtsheer, W. Ammerlaan, J. B. Ouedraogo, A. D. M. E. Osterhaus, et al. (2007)
J. Gen. Virol.
88, 2297-2306
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FluGenome: a web tool for genotyping influenza A virus.
G. Lu, T. Rowley, R. Garten, and R. O. Donis (2007)
Nucleic Acids Res.
35, W275-W279
|Abstract »|Full Text »|PDF »
EVOLUTION OF INFLUENZA A VIRUSES IN WILD BIRDS.
R. G. Webster, S. Krauss, D. Hulse-Post, and K. Sturm-Ramirez (2007)
J. Wildl. Dis.
43, S1-S6
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VIROLOGY OF AVIAN INFLUENZA IN RELATION TO WILD BIRDS.
R. A. M. Fouchier, V. J. Munster, J. Keawcharoen, A. D. M. E. Osterhaus, and T. Kuiken (2007)
J. Wildl. Dis.
43, S7-S14
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WILD BIRDS AND THE EPIDEMIOLOGY OF AVIAN INFLUENZA.
Influenza Surveillance in Wild Birds in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa: Preliminary Results from an Ongoing FAO-led Survey.
N. Gaidet, T. Dodman, A. Caron, G. Balanca, S. Desvaux, F. Goutard, G. Cattoli, V. Martin, A. Tripodi, F. Lamarque, et al. (2007)
J. Wildl. Dis.
43, S22-S28
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A statistical phylogeography of influenza A H5N1.
R. G. Wallace, H. HoDac, R. H. Lathrop, and W. M. Fitch (2007)
PNAS
104, 4473-4478
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Influenza Virus Database (IVDB): an integrated information resource and analysis platform for influenza virus research.
S. Chang, J. Zhang, X. Liao, X. Zhu, D. Wang, J. Zhu, T. Feng, B. Zhu, G. F. Gao, J. Wang, et al. (2007)
Nucleic Acids Res.
35, D376-D380
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From the Cover: Predicting the global spread of H5N1 avian influenza.
A. M. Kilpatrick, A. A. Chmura, D. W. Gibbons, R. C. Fleischer, P. P. Marra, and P. Daszak (2006)
PNAS
103, 19368-19373
|Abstract »|Full Text »|PDF »
Anti-Influenza Prodrug Oseltamivir Is Activated by Carboxylesterase Human Carboxylesterase 1, and the Activation Is Inhibited by Antiplatelet Agent Clopidogrel.
D. Shi, J. Yang, D. Yang, E. L. LeCluyse, C. Black, L. You, F. Akhlaghi, and B. Yan (2006)
J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther.
319, 1477-1484
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