Game Birds Can Act as Intermediaries of Virulent Genotype VII Avian Orthoavulavirus-1 between Wild Birds and Domestic Poultry

Abstract

Newcastle Disease (ND), caused by virulent forms of Avian orthoavulavirus serotype-1 (AOAV-1) is an economically important avian disease worldwide. The past two incursions of ND into the United Kingdom occurred in game bird populations during 2005 and 2006. The nature of the game bird semi-feral rearing system, which can bring these birds into close contact with both wild birds and commercial or backyard poultry, has been hypothesized to act as a bridge between these two environments. As such, the risk that AOAV-1-infected game birds may pose to the UK poultry industry was investigated. Pheasants, partridges and chickens were experimentally infected with the virulent strain APMV-1/Chicken/Bulgaria/112/13, a genotype VII.2 virus associated with ND outbreaks in Eastern Europe. The study demonstrated that both chickens and pheasants are susceptible to infection with APMV-1/Chicken/Bulgaria/112/13, which results in high mortality and onward transmission. Partridges by contrast are susceptible to infection, but mortality was reduced, as was onward transmission. However, the data indicated that both pheasants and partridges may serve as intermediate hosts of AOAV-1 and may bridge the wild bird–domestic poultry interface enabling transmission into an economically damaging environment where morbidity and mortality may be high.

Concurrent loss of ciliary genesWDR93andCFAP46in phylogenetically distant birds

“…The gene loss in the ruff (Calidris pugnax) is consistent with the Charadriiformes order being the second most important maintenance host after anseriform birds [86,[94][95][96][97]. Although the role of non-Anseriformes and non-Charadriiformes (NANC) species in acting as a reservoir for the influenza virus is difficult to evaluate using current monitoring practices, gamebirds have received considerable attention [98][99][100][101]. Nonetheless, two more species with gene loss, the Anna's Hummingbird (Calypte anna) and the rifleman (Acanthisitta chloris), can be infected by the avian poxvirus and the zoonotic bacterium Chlamydia psittaci, respectively [102][103][104][105].…”

Continuous surveillance of pathogens detects excretion of avian orthoreovirus and parvovirus by several wild waterfowl: possible wild bird reservoirs

“…Some wild birds may act as intermediate hosts, serving as a bridge for pathogen transmission between wild birds and domestic poultry. Both high and low pathogenic strains of Newcastle disease virus could be detected in wild birds ( Shchelkanov et al, 2006 ; Bansal et al, 2022 ), and pheasants and partridges might serve as intermediate host ( Ross et al, 2023 ). Naggar's study found that there might be 2-way spil-over between wild birds and poultry.…”

Concurrent loss of ciliary genes WDR93 and CFAP46 in phylogenetically distant birds

“…The gene loss in the ruff ( Calidris pugnax ) is consistent with the Charadriiformes order being the second most important maintenance host after anseriform birds [ 97 , 106 – 109 ]. Although the role of non-Anseriformes and non-Charadriiformes (NANC) species in acting as a reservoir for the influenza virus is difficult to evaluate using current monitoring practices, gamebirds have received considerable attention [ 110 – 113 ]. Nonetheless, two more species with gene loss, the Anna's hummingbird ( Calypte anna ) and the rifleman ( Acanthisitta chloris ), can be infected by the avian poxvirus and the zoonotic bacterium Chlamydia psittaci , respectively [ 114 – 117 ].…”