title: Isolation and characterization of influenza A viruses from environmental water at an overwintering site of migratory birds in Japan.
abstract: The Izumi plain in Kagoshima prefecture, Japan, is an overwintering site of more than 10,000 cranes. The wet paddy areas are artificially created to provide roosting sites for the cranes every winter. Since wild ducks, known to be a natural reservoir of influenza A viruses, also overwinter in this area, the cranes' roost water likely serves as a source of influenza A virus infection. To assess this potential risk, we collected 126 water samples from the cranes' roost in the 2012/2013 winter season for virus isolation. We isolated six influenza viruses of three subtypes (H3N8, H4N6, and H4N8) from the water samples collected in the months of November and December. Genetic analysis of our isolates indicated that these viruses were genetically similar to the low-pathogenic avian influenza viruses circulating among Eurasian waterfowl. These findings suggest the possibility of the cranes becoming infected with the avian influenza viruses that are present in their roost water.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Animal Hygiene, Joint Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kagoshima University, 1-21-24 Korimoto, Kagoshima, 890-0065, Japan.
authors.forename: Kosuke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Okuya
authors.affiliation: Transboundary Animal Diseases Center, Joint Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Japan.
authors.forename: Toshiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kawabata
authors.affiliation: Transboundary Animal Diseases Center, Joint Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Japan.
authors.forename: Kiori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nagano
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Animal Hygiene, Joint Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kagoshima University, 1-21-24 Korimoto, Kagoshima, 890-0065, Japan.|Transboundary Animal Diseases Center, Joint Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Japan.
authors.forename: Kyoko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tsukiyama-Kohara
authors.affiliation: Kagoshima Crane Conservation Committee, Izumi, Kagoshima, Japan.
authors.forename: Isamu
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kusumoto
authors.affiliation: Transboundary Animal Diseases Center, Joint Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Japan.|Laboratory of Animal Microbiology, Joint Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Japan.
authors.forename: Kozo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takase
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Animal Hygiene, Joint Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kagoshima University, 1-21-24 Korimoto, Kagoshima, 890-0065, Japan. mozawa@vet.kagoshima-u.ac.jp.|Transboundary Animal Diseases Center, Joint Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Japan. mozawa@vet.kagoshima-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ozawa
mesh_terms: D025041:Animal Migration; D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild / Q000821:virology; D001717:Birds / Q000502:physiology / Q000821:virology; D005618:Fresh Water / Q000821:virology*; D009980:Influenza A virus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005585:Influenza in Birds / Q000821:virology*; D007564:Japan; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D012621:Seasons