title: Perpetuation and reassortment of gull influenza A viruses in Atlantic North America.
abstract: Gulls are important hosts of avian influenza A viruses (AIVs) and gull AIVs often contain gene segments of mixed geographic and host lineage origins. In this study, the prevalence of AIV in gulls of Newfoundland, Canada from 2008 to 2011 was analyzed. Overall prevalence was low (30/1645, 1.8%) but there was a distinct peak of infection in the fall. AIV seroprevalence was high in Newfoundland gulls, with 50% of sampled gulls showing evidence of previous infection. Sequences of 16 gull AIVs were determined and analyzed to shed light on the transmission, reassortment and persistence dynamics of gull AIVs in Atlantic North America. Intercontinental and waterfowl lineage reassortment was prevalent. Of particular note were a wholly Eurasian AIV and another with an intercontinental reassortant waterfowl lineage virus. These patterns of geographic and inter-host group transmission highlight the importance of characterization of gull AIVs as part of attempts to understand global AIV dynamics.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, 232 Elizabeth Avenue, St. John's, NL, Canada A1B 3X9.
authors.forename: Yanyan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, 232 Elizabeth Avenue, St. John's, NL, Canada A1B 3X9.
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wille
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, 232 Elizabeth Avenue, St. John's, NL, Canada A1B 3X9.
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Benkaroun
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, 232 Elizabeth Avenue, St. John's, NL, Canada A1B 3X9.
authors.forename: Hannah
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Munro
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, 232 Elizabeth Avenue, St. John's, NL, Canada A1B 3X9.
authors.forename: Alexander L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Bond
authors.affiliation: Newfoundland and Labrador Department of Natural Resources, P.O. Box 7400, St. John's, NL, Canada A1E 3Y5.
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Fifield
authors.affiliation: Wildlife Research Division, Environment Canada, 6 Bruce St., Mount Pearl, NL, Canada A1N 4T3.
authors.forename: Gregory J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Robertson
authors.affiliation: Animal Health Laboratory, University of Guelph, Box 3612, Guelph, ON, Canada N1H 6R8.
authors.forename: Davor
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ojkic
authors.affiliation: Newfoundland and Labrador Department of Natural Resources, P.O. Box 7400, St. John's, NL, Canada A1E 3Y5.
authors.forename: Hugh
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Whitney
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, 232 Elizabeth Avenue, St. John's, NL, Canada A1B 3X9. Electronic address: aslang@mun.ca.
authors.forename: Andrew S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Lang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D046091:Charadriiformes / Q000821:virology*; D014644:Genetic Variation; D009980:Influenza A virus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005585:Influenza in Birds / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009656:North America / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D016865:Reassortant Viruses / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral
keywords: Gulls; Laridae; Phylogenetics; Prevalence; Seroprevalence; Virus sequencing