title: Isolation of avian influenza viruses from two different transhemispheric migratory shorebird species in Australia.
abstract: Shorebirds on their southerly migration from Siberia to Australia, may pass through Asian regions currently experiencing outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N1 influenza. To test for the presence of avian influenza viruses in migratory shorebirds arriving in Australia during spring 2004, 173 cloacal swabs were collected from six species. Ten swabs were positive for influenza A, with H4N8 viruses detected in five red-necked stints and H11N9 viruses detected in five sharp-tailed sandpipers. No H5N1 viruses were detected. All isolated viruses were non-pathogenic in domestic chickens. These results further demonstrate the potential for migratory shorebirds to carry and potentially spread influenza viruses.
authors.affiliation: World Health Organisation Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza, Parkville, Australia. aeron.hurt@influenzacentre.org
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Hurt
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Hansbro
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Selleck
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Olsen
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Minton
authors.forename: A W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Hampson
authors.forename: I G
authors.initials: IG
authors.lastname: Barr
mesh_terms: D025041:Animal Migration; D000818:Animals; D001315:Australia; D046091:Charadriiformes / Q000145:classification* / Q000821:virology*; D002645:Chickens / Q000821:virology; D006389:Hemagglutinins, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D009980:Influenza A virus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D005585:Influenza in Birds / Q000821:virology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009439:Neuraminidase / Q000235:genetics; D010802:Phylogeny; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D012800:Siberia
chemical_list: D006389:Hemagglutinins, Viral; D009439:Neuraminidase