title: Experimentally infected domestic ducks show efficient transmission of Indonesian H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza virus, but lack persistent viral shedding.
abstract: Ducks are important maintenance hosts for avian influenza, including H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses. A previous study indicated that persistence of H5N1 viruses in ducks after the development of humoral immunity may drive viral evolution following immune selection. As H5N1 HPAI is endemic in Indonesia, this mechanism may be important in understanding H5N1 evolution in that region. To determine the capability of domestic ducks to maintain prolonged shedding of Indonesian clade 2.1 H5N1 virus, two groups of Pekin ducks were inoculated through the eyes, nostrils and oropharynx and viral shedding and transmission investigated. Inoculated ducks (n = 15), which were mostly asymptomatic, shed infectious virus from the oral route from 1 to 8 days post inoculation, and from the cloacal route from 2-8 dpi. Viral ribonucleic acid was detected from 1-15 days post inoculation from the oral route and 1-24 days post inoculation from the cloacal route (cycle threshold <40). Most ducks seroconverted in a range of serological tests by 15 days post inoculation. Virus was efficiently transmitted during acute infection (5 inoculation-infected to all 5 contact ducks). However, no evidence for transmission, as determined by seroconversion and viral shedding, was found between an inoculation-infected group (n = 10) and contact ducks (n = 9) when the two groups only had contact after 10 days post inoculation. Clinical disease was more frequent and more severe in contact-infected (2 of 5) than inoculation-infected ducks (1 of 15). We conclude that Indonesian clade 2.1 H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza virus does not persist in individual ducks after acute infection.
authors.affiliation: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Australian Animal Health Laboratory, Geelong, Australia ; School of Veterinary Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia ; Disease Investigation Centre Regional IV Wates, Yogyakarta, Indonesia.
authors.forename: Hendra
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wibawa
authors.affiliation: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Australian Animal Health Laboratory, Geelong, Australia.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bingham
authors.affiliation: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Australian Animal Health Laboratory, Geelong, Australia ; School of Veterinary Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia ; Indonesian Research Center for Veterinary Science, Bogor, West Java, Indonesia.
authors.forename: Harimurti
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nuradji
authors.affiliation: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Australian Animal Health Laboratory, Geelong, Australia.
authors.forename: Sue
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lowther
authors.affiliation: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Australian Animal Health Laboratory, Geelong, Australia.
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Payne
authors.affiliation: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Australian Animal Health Laboratory, Geelong, Australia.
authors.forename: Jenni
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Harper
authors.affiliation: Disease Investigation Centre Regional IV Wates, Yogyakarta, Indonesia.
authors.forename: Akhmad
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Junaidi
authors.affiliation: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Australian Animal Health Laboratory, Geelong, Australia.
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Middleton
authors.affiliation: School of Veterinary Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
authors.forename: Joanne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Meers
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D004372:Ducks / Q000821:virology*; D053124:Influenza A Virus, H5N1 Subtype / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology*; D005585:Influenza in Birds / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000635:transmission* / Q000821:virology*; D012703:Serotyping; D017201:Virus Shedding / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral