First detection of avian influenza subtype H4N6 in Israel in a wild mallard ( Anas platyrhynchos )

Abstract

Avian influenza viruses (AIV) are a worldwide threat to animal and human health. As wild waterfowl circulate and spread these viruses around the world, investigations of AIV prevalence in wild populations are critical for understanding pathogen transmission, as well as predicting disease outbreaks in domestic animals and humans. Surveillance efforts in this study have isolated H4N6 for the first time in Israel from a faecal sample of a wild mallard (Anas platyrhynchos). Phylogenetic analyses of the HA and NA genes revealed that this strain is closely related to isolates from Europe and Asia. This Eurasian origin, together with Israel serving as an important migratory bottleneck of the mid Palearctic‐African flyway, suggests a potential introduction of this strain by migratory birds. Additional phylogenetic analysis of the isolate's internal genes (PB1, PB2, PA, NP, M and NS) revealed high levels of phylogenetic relatedness with other AIV subtypes, indicating previous reassortment events. High reassortment rates are characteristic for H4N6 viruses, which, together with this subtype's ability to infect pigs and adaptability to the human receptor binding domain, raises the concern that it would potentially become zoonotic in the future. These results emphasize the importance of continuous AIV monitoring in migratory birds.

The gems of the Middle-East: Unveiling the biodiversity of Monogonont rotifers in temporary waterbodies of Israel

“…Former studies suggest that rotifers, due to their relatively small size, are ubiquitously distributed over large geographic scales (Fontaneto, 2019) by abiotic factors such as wind (Rivas et al, 2019) or biotic vectors (i.e., mobile links), including migratory birds (Green et al, 2023, Moreno et al, 2019, Frisch et al, 2007. Despite Israel being a crucial resting stop for many birds (Lublin et al, 2022), particularly in the northern Mediterranean mountain area (i.e., Hula Lake Park; Gophen, 2023), which may transport organisms/propagules (Green et al, 2023), this study found a stronger effect between community composition and geographic distance (i.e., dispersal limitation) than environmental parameters (i.e., environmental filtering/niche selection).…”

The H4 subtype of avian influenza virus: a review of its historical evolution, global distribution, adaptive mutations and receptor binding properties

“…In the Israel Hula Valley, a crucial waterbird habitat situated on a migratory bird route, Lublin et al collected fecal samples from 53 wild mallards ( Anas platyrhynchos ) in 2018 and identified 5 strains as the H4N6 AIV ( Lublin, et al, 2022 ). Monitoring surveys conducted from 1976 to 2015 in the Mississippi Migratory Flyway ( MMF ) and Central Migratory Flyway ( CMF ) indicated a positive rate of 11% for AIV, with H4 (26.2%) being one of the prominent subtypes ( Diskin, et al, 2020 ).…”

Wild bird mass mortalities in eastern Canada associated with the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A(H5N1) virus, 2022

“…Globally, this new HPAI virus subtype has caused disease and unprecedented mass mortality events among wild birds with disproportionate impacts on waterbirds, including cranes (Lublin et al 2023, Pawar et al 2023, Great Skuas (Stercorarius skua; Banyard et al 2022), gulls and terns (Pohlmann et al 2023, Roberts et al 2023, Sobolev et al 2023, gannets (Lane et al 2023, Pohlmann et al 2023, Roberts et al 2023, Peruvian pelicans (Pelecanus thagus; Leguia et al 2023), Cape Cormorants (Phalacrocorax capensis), and African Penguins (Spheniscus demersus; Roberts et al 2023). In North America, this virus was first detected in wild birds in December 2021, following observation of several wild gulls with neurological symptoms at a rehabilitation facility in St. John 's, Newfoundland, Canada (K. Gosse, pers.…”