Avian influenza virus ecology in wild birds of Western Siberia

Abstract

Background: The aim of the study was to explore the ecological diversity of wild birds in Siberia, which are the natural reservoir of avian influenza virus (AIV). Methods:Cloacal swabs and intestinal fragments were collected from wild migratory birds from 2007-2014. Isolated viruses were grown in the allantoic cavity of embryonated chicken eggs. The presence of virus was determined using hemagglutination assays. Primary identification and subtyping of influenza viruses was confirmed by RT-PCR. Conclusions:Wild migratory waterfowl of orders Anseriformes and Charadriiformes are the main reservoir of AIV in the south of Western Siberia. This area plays a key role in persistence, evolution, and geographical distribution of avian influenza.

Lessons learned and questions raised during and post-COVID-19 anthropopause period in relation to the environment and climate

“…Such water and wetland ecological complexes are natural resting biotopes for a variety of species like Anseriformes and Gruiformes especially at the south parts of Siberia (Sivay et al 2012 ). In a recent study by Sharshov et al ( 2017 ), the virus of influenza was detected in 185 birds from a total of 2300 samples obtained from wild migratory birds in the south of Western Siberia during 2007–2014. Certain viruses including influenza persist in environmental ice (glaciers, snow, permafrost) for years, centuries, millennia, or even longer (Rogers et al 2004 ).…”

Characterization of avian influenza A (H4N2) viruses isolated from wild birds in Shanghai during 2019 to 2021

“…This study has demonstrated that H4 viruses primarily infect Anseriformes , whereas no evidence of H4 virus infection was detected in Charadriiformes , which are recognized as one of the natural reservoirs for AIVs ( Stallknecht et al, 1988 ). Many articles have also reported a higher prevalence of H4 avian influenza in Anseriformes compared to Charadriiformes ( Hurtado et al, 2016 ; Sharshov et al, 2017 ). The possible reason is that the samples collected from Charadriiformes were limited.…”

New Patterns for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza and Adjustment of Prevention, Control and Surveillance Strategies: The Example of France

“…Indeed, in France, the moment of arrival of migratory waterfowl after their nesting and moulting periods, is mainly from September to December, depending on the species [ 12 , 13 ]. Nesting and moulting are risk periods when significant contamination of these populations may occur due to: (i) close contact between numerous bird populations of various species arriving from many parts of the world—Asia, Europe, Africa—on shared arctic or sub-arctic nesting and moulting grounds [ 4 , 14 ]; (ii) juvenile birds with a naïve status representing an important proportion of the nesting population, in contact with adults who have potentially exchanged numerous viruses during the moulting and reproduction periods, and this would support the spread of these viruses through infected bird populations during their fall migrations [ 15 ].…”