Influenza A viruses in American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos).
The role of many wild waterbird species in the ecology and epidemiology of avian influenza viruses (AIV) remains unclear. We report the first isolation of AIV from American White Pelicans (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos; Pelecaniformes) in North America. Two H13N9 AIVs were isolated from hatchling birds in breeding colonies in Minnesota, USA, during 2007 and 2008. Based on molecular sequencing of the hemagglutinin and neuraminidase genes, the 2008 virus was genetically related to AIVs previously isolated from gulls and shorebirds in North America. The 2007 isolate was most related to AIVs from Eurasian gulls and North American ducks, reflecting both global movement of these viruses and reassortment between viruses associated with duck and gull reservoirs.
Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study, Department of Population Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, The University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, USA. cleb@uga.edu
Camille
C
Lebarbenchon
Srinand
S
Sreevatsan
Muthannan A
MA
Ramakrishnan
Rebecca
R
Poulson
Virginia
V
Goekjian
Jon J
JJ
Di Matteo
Benjamin
B
Wilcox
David E
DE
Stallknecht
D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild / Q000821:virology; D001717:Birds; D002988:Cloaca / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D009980:Influenza A virus / Q000235:genetics; D005585:Influenza in Birds / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D008910:Minnesota / Q000453:epidemiology