title: Widespread detection of highly pathogenic H5 influenza viruses in wild birds from the Pacific Flyway of the United States.
abstract: A novel highly pathogenic avian influenza virus belonging to the H5 clade 2.3.4.4 variant viruses was detected in North America in late 2014. Motivated by the identification of these viruses in domestic poultry in Canada, an intensive study was initiated to conduct highly pathogenic avian influenza surveillance in wild birds in the Pacific Flyway of the United States. A total of 4,729 hunter-harvested wild birds were sampled and highly pathogenic avian influenza virus was detected in 1.3% (n = 63). Three H5 clade 2.3.4.4 subtypes were isolated from wild birds, H5N2, H5N8, and H5N1, representing the wholly Eurasian lineage H5N8 and two novel reassortant viruses. Testing of 150 additional wild birds during avian morbidity and mortality investigations in Washington yielded 10 (6.7%) additional highly pathogenic avian influenza isolates (H5N8 = 3 and H5N2 = 7). The geographically widespread detection of these viruses in apparently healthy wild waterfowl suggest that the H5 clade 2.3.4.4 variant viruses may behave similarly in this taxonomic group whereby many waterfowl species are susceptible to infection but do not demonstrate obvious clinical disease. Despite these findings in wild waterfowl, mortality has been documented for some wild bird species and losses in US domestic poultry during the first half of 2015 were unprecedented.
authors.affiliation: US Department of Agriculture-National Wildlife Research Center, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA.
authors.forename: S N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Bevins
authors.affiliation: US Geological Survey-National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, Wisconsin, USA.
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Dusek
authors.affiliation: US Geological Survey-National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, Wisconsin, USA.
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: White
authors.affiliation: US Department of Agriculture-National Wildlife Research Center, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gidlewski
authors.affiliation: US Geological Survey-National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, Wisconsin, USA.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bodenstein
authors.affiliation: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Olympia, Washington, USA.
authors.forename: K G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Mansfield
authors.affiliation: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Olympia, Washington, USA.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: DeBruyn
authors.affiliation: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Olympia, Washington, USA.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kraege
authors.affiliation: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Olympia, Washington, USA.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rowan
authors.affiliation: Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Corvallis, Oregon, USA.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gillin
authors.affiliation: USDA Wildlife Services, Salem, Oregon, USA.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.affiliation: USDA Wildlife Services, Sacramento, California, USA.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chandler
authors.affiliation: US Department of Agriculture-National Wildlife Research Center, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Baroch
authors.affiliation: US Department of Agriculture-National Wildlife Research Center, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Schmit
authors.affiliation: US Department of Agriculture-National Wildlife Research Center, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA.
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Grady
authors.affiliation: USDA Veterinary Services, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA.
authors.forename: R S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.affiliation: Idaho Department of Fish and Game, Caldwell, Idaho, USA.
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Drew
authors.affiliation: USDA Wildlife Services, Boise, Idaho, USA.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Stopak
authors.affiliation: USDA Wildlife Services, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zscheile
authors.affiliation: USDA Wildlife Services, Reno, Nevada, USA.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bennett
authors.affiliation: USDA Wildlife Services, Reno, Nevada, USA.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sengl
authors.affiliation: California Waterfowl Association, Roseville, California, USA.
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Brady
authors.affiliation: US Geological Survey-National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, Wisconsin, USA.
authors.forename: H S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Ip
authors.affiliation: USDA ARS Southeast Poultry Research Laboratory, Athens, Georgia, USA.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Spackman
authors.affiliation: US Department of Agriculture, Ames, Iowa, USA.
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Killian
authors.affiliation: US Department of Agriculture, Ames, Iowa, USA.
authors.forename: M K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Torchetti
authors.affiliation: US Geological Survey-National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, Wisconsin, USA.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Sleeman
authors.affiliation: US Department of Agriculture-National Wildlife Research Center, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA.
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Deliberto
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild / Q000821:virology; D001717:Birds / Q000821:virology*; D002170:Canada; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D053124:Influenza A Virus, H5N1 Subtype / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D053125:Influenza A Virus, H5N2 Subtype / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005585:Influenza in Birds / Q000821:virology; D009656:North America; D011200:Poultry / Q000821:virology; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000821:virology; D016865:Reassortant Viruses / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014481:United States