title: Does influenza A virus infection affect movement behaviour during stopover in its wild reservoir host?
abstract: The last decade has seen a surge in research on avian influenza A viruses (IAVs), in part fuelled by the emergence, spread and potential zoonotic importance of highly pathogenic virus subtypes. The mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) is the most numerous and widespread dabbling duck in the world, and one of the most important natural hosts for studying IAV transmission dynamics. In order to predict the likelihood of IAV transmission between individual ducks and to other hosts, as well as between geographical regions, it is important to understand how IAV infection affects the host. In this study, we analysed the movements of 40 mallards equipped with GPS transmitters and three-dimensional accelerometers, of which 20 were naturally infected with low pathogenic avian influenza virus (LPAIV), at a major stopover site in the Northwest European flyway. Movements differed substantially between day and night, as well as between mallards returning to the capture site and those feeding in natural habitats. However, movement patterns did not differ between LPAIV infected and uninfected birds. Hence, LPAIV infection probably does not affect mallard movements during stopover, with high possibility of virus spread along the migration route as a consequence.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Ecology and Evolution in Microbial Model Systems (EEMiS) , Linnaeus University , Kalmar 391 82, Sweden.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bengtsson
authors.affiliation: Deparment of Migration and Immuno-Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Am Obstberg 1, Radolfzell 78315, Germany; Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz 78457, Germany.
authors.forename: Kamran
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Safi
authors.affiliation: Centre for Ecology and Evolution in Microbial Model Systems (EEMiS) , Linnaeus University , Kalmar 391 82, Sweden.
authors.forename: Alexis
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Avril
authors.affiliation: Deparment of Migration and Immuno-Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Am Obstberg 1, Radolfzell 78315, Germany; Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz 78457, Germany.
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Fiedler
authors.affiliation: Deparment of Migration and Immuno-Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Am Obstberg 1, Radolfzell 78315, Germany; Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz 78457, Germany.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wikelski
authors.affiliation: Division of Natural Sciences , Kristianstad University , Kristianstad 291 88, Sweden.
authors.forename: Gunnar
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gunnarsson
authors.affiliation: Division of Natural Sciences , Kristianstad University , Kristianstad 291 88, Sweden.
authors.forename: Johan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Elmberg
authors.affiliation: Centre for Ecology and Evolution in Microbial Model Systems (EEMiS) , Linnaeus University , Kalmar 391 82, Sweden.
authors.forename: Conny
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tolf
authors.affiliation: Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medical Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala 751 85, Sweden; Zoonosis Science Centre IMBIM, Uppsala University, Uppsala 751 23, Sweden.
authors.forename: Björn
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Olsen
authors.affiliation: Centre for Ecology and Evolution in Microbial Model Systems (EEMiS) , Linnaeus University , Kalmar 391 82, Sweden.
authors.forename: Jonas
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Waldenström
keywords: avian influenza A virus; effect of infection; mallard; movement; stopover; transmission