title: A national study of US bird banders for evidence of avian influenza virus infections.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Previously we have found that Midwestern US wildlife biologists, poultry farmers, veterinarians, and duck hunters have had evidence of avian influenza virus infections (AIVs).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We sought to evaluate a national sample of US bird banders for previous evidence of AIV infection.
  
  
  METHODS
  Controlled, cross-sectional serological survey.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In 2009 and 2010 we enrolled 157 registered bird banders from 40 US states and compared their enrollment data and serological results with 78 adult age-group matched controls from Iowa. On average, the bird banders had 15 years of wild bird exposure, banded 20 days per year, worked chiefly in 1 of the 4 North American flyways, and banded 300 individual birds of 5 different species per season. While handling birds, only 15% of banders reported wearing gloves. Three bird banders and 1 control had evidence of previous infection (1 AIV each) with A/BWTE/Ohio/07/495762-6(H7N3), A/Ty/MN/38391-6/95(H9N2) or A/CK/NJ/7290-2/95(H11N3) by microneutralization assay. There was no evidence of previous infection with a representative sample of H4, H5, H6, H8, or H10 AIVs. Participants were followed for influenza-like-illness for a median of 7 months and 4 (3 bird banders) submitted self-collected eye, nasal, and throat influenza-like-illness swab specimens, 1 of which collected in November of 2009, yielded a pandemic H1N1 influenza A virus.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite reports of conjunctivitis and upper respiratory symptoms while bird banding, we found sparse evidence that US bird banders had infections with AIVs.
authors.affiliation: Emerging Pathogens Institute and College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA. gcgray@phhp.ufl.edu
authors.forename: Gregory C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Gray
authors.forename: Dwight D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Ferguson
authors.forename: Peter E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Lowther
authors.forename: Gary L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Heil
authors.forename: John A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Friary
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D001717:Birds; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009980:Influenza A virus / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005585:Influenza in Birds / Q000635:transmission* / Q000821:virology; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009500:Neutralization Tests; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D014481:United States; D015047:Zoonoses / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology*
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral