Abstract
Ducks and seabirds are natural hosts for influenza A viruses (IAV). On oceanic islands, the ecology of IAV could be affected by the relative diversity, abundance and density of seabirds and ducks. Seabirds are the most abundant and widespread avifauna in the Western Indian Ocean and, in this region, oceanic islands represent major breeding sites for a large diversity of potential IAV host species. Based on serological assays, we assessed the host range of IAV and the virus subtype diversity in terns of the islands of the Western Indian Ocean. We further investigated the spatial variation in virus transmission patterns between islands and identified the origin of circulating viruses using a molecular approach. Our findings indicate that terns represent a major host for IAV on oceanic islands, not only for seabird-related virus subtypes such as H16, but also for those commonly isolated in wild and domestic ducks (H3, H6, H9, H12 subtypes). We also identified strong species-associated variation in virus exposure that may be associated to differences in the ecology and behaviour of terns. We discuss the role of tern migrations in the spread of viruses to and between oceanic islands, in particular for the H2 and H9 IAV subtypes.
Highlights
Spatial isolation represents a major barrier to the introduction and transmission of infectious agents on oceanic islands
Avian influenza viruses circulate in wild birds, worldwide, in particular in ducks and seabirds from which a large diversity of viruses have been described
The funding agencies did not have any involvement in the study design, implementation, or publishing of this study and the research presented represents the opinions of the authors, but not necessarily the opinions of the funding agencies
Summary
Spatial isolation represents a major barrier to the introduction and transmission of infectious agents on oceanic islands. Animal migration is a key mechanism for the dispersal of infectious agents over long distances [1] and could play an important role in the spread of pathogens to island ecosystems. The emergence of the H5N1, H7N9, and H9N2 virus subtypes in domestic birds in southeastern Asia, as well as the introduction of the swine-origin H1N1 virus in human populations, have demonstrated the ability of IAV to spread beyond species barriers and to adapt rapidly to new hosts and environmental conditions [7,8,9]. Other groups of birds, such as shorebirds and seabirds, are often infected with IAV, but the epidemiological position that these hosts occupy between wild ducks, domestic birds and humans is not well understood [10]
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