Characterization of avian metapneumoviruses isolated in the USA

Abstract

Avian pneumovirus (APV; officially known as turkey rhinotracheitis virus) is an emergent pathogen of birds in the USA that results in upper respiratory tract disease in turkeys. Six years after the first outbreak in the USA, the disease continues to ravage turkey flocks, primarily in the state of Minnesota. From 1997 to 2000, the industry recorded losses estimated at 15 million US dollars per annum. Researchers have developed sensitive diagnostic techniques, including the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and the reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. which, when used together, are highly sensitive in detecting APV outbreaks in commercial turkey flocks. Phylogenetic analysis of the nucleotide and predicted amino acid sequence of 15 US viruses isolated between 1996 and 2000 demonstrated that the US viruses are relatively homogenous but different from the European APV subgroups A and B, resulting in the classification of US isolates into subgroup C. Infectious APV was isolated from sentinel waterfowls placed close to an infected commercial turkey farm and from wild Canada geese captured in Minnesota, suggesting that free-ranging birds may be involved in the spread of APV. Current efforts to prevent and control the infection include improving management and biosecurity practices and developing attenuated live and deletion mutant vaccines capable of conferring protection.

Serological and virological survey and resighting of marked wild geese in Germany

“…In recent years, various species of wild goose have been found infected with Newcastle disease virus (avian paramyxo virus 1 (APMV-1)) as well as other APMV serotypes (Spalatin and Hanson 1975;Takakuwa et al 1998;Shengqing et al 2002;Globig 2007), avian influenza A virus (AIV) (Boudreault et al 1980;Shengqing et al 2002;Fouchier et al 2003;Zhou et al 2006), avian pneumovirus (APV) (Shin et al 2000;Lwamba et al 2002), metapneumovirus (MPV) Turpin et al 2008), and Marek's disease virus (MDV) (Murata et al 2007). Despite those previous studies providing virological or serological evidence that Bean Geese, White-fronted Geese and Canada Geese staging or resting in Germany are infected with economically important avian viruses such as AIV, goose parvovirus (GVP), avian reo-like viruses (REOV), avian adeno-like virus (ALV), or egg drop syndrome 76 virus (EDV) (Hlinak et al 1998;Müller et al 1999;Bonner et al 2004), attempts to systematically isolate viral agents in both arctic and non-indigenous wild geese in Germany have been limited or failed.…”

Evidence of the circulation of avian metapneumovirus in domestic backyard chickens in Eastern Saudi Arabia in 2019

“…More research is needed to isolate and compare the genomic sequences of aMPV from domestic birds such as ducks and turkeys from locally affected locations and assign genetic differences and overlapping cross-reactivity across chicken, turkey, and duck isolates. Wild Canadian geese collected in Minnesota and sentinel ducks deployed near an infected commercial turkey farm tested positive for avian pox virus, indicating the potential role of free-ranging birds in aMPV transmission [42]. The method used in our assay detects aMPV subtypes A and B.…”

Serological and Molecular Characterization of Avian Metapneumovirus in Chickens in Northern Vietnam

“…Poultry may become infected with several types of respiratory illnesses caused by bacteria, viruses, and mycoplasma [1,2]. In terms of viral diseases, illnesses caused by avian Metapneumovirus (aMPV) are believed to be common in all chicken-producing countries and are responsible for huge economic losses of millions of USD per year in poultry production [3].…”