Role of terrestrial wild birds in ecology of influenza A virus (H5N1).
House sparrows, European starlings, and Carneux pigeons were inoculated with 4 influenza A (H5N1) viruses isolated from different avian species. We monitored viral replication, death after infection, and transmission to uninfected contact birds of the same species. Sparrows were susceptible to severe infection; 66%-100% of birds died within 4-7 days. High levels of virus were detected from oropharyngeal and cloacal swabs and in organs of deceased sparrows. Inoculation of starlings caused no deaths, despite high levels of virus shedding evident in oropharyngeal swabs. Least susceptible were pigeons, which had no deaths and very low levels of virus in oropharyngeal and cloacal swabs. Transmission to contact birds did not occur frequently: only A/common magpie/Hong Kong/645/2006 virus was shown to transmit to 1 starling. In summary, recent influenza (H5N1) viruses are pathogenic for small terrestrial bird species but the rate of intraspecies transmission in these hosts is very low.
Boon
Adrianus C M
AC
St Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee 38105, USA.
Sandbulte
Matthew R
MR
Seiler
Patrick
P
Webby
Richard J
RJ
Songserm
Thaweesak
T
Guan
Yi
Y
Webster
Robert G
RG
D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild / Q000821:virology*; D001717:Birds / Q000097:blood / Q000821:virology*; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D004463:Ecology; D006385:Hemagglutination Inhibition Tests / Q000379:methods; D053124:Influenza A Virus, H5N1 Subtype / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology*; D005585:Influenza in Birds / Q000097:blood / Q000821:virology*; D014779:Virus Replication; D017201:Virus Shedding