Abstract
BackgroundAvian influenza viruses are known to productively infect a number of mammal species, several of which are commonly found on or near poultry and gamebird farms. While control of rodent species is often used to limit avian influenza virus transmission within and among outbreak sites, few studies have investigated the potential role of these species in outbreak dynamics.Methodology/Principal FindingsWe trapped and sampled synanthropic mammals on a gamebird farm in Idaho, USA that had recently experienced a low pathogenic avian influenza outbreak. Six of six house mice (Mus musculus) caught on the outbreak farm were presumptively positive for antibodies to type A influenza. Consequently, we experimentally infected groups of naïve wild-caught house mice with five different low pathogenic avian influenza viruses that included three viruses derived from wild birds and two viruses derived from chickens. Virus replication was efficient in house mice inoculated with viruses derived from wild birds and more moderate for chicken-derived viruses. Mean titers (EID50 equivalents/mL) across all lung samples from seven days of sampling (three mice/day) ranged from 103.89 (H3N6) to 105.06 (H4N6) for the wild bird viruses and 102.08 (H6N2) to 102.85 (H4N8) for the chicken-derived viruses. Interestingly, multiple regression models indicated differential replication between sexes, with significantly (p<0.05) higher concentrations of avian influenza RNA found in females compared with males.Conclusions/SignificanceAvian influenza viruses replicated efficiently in wild-caught house mice without adaptation, indicating mice may be a risk pathway for movement of avian influenza viruses on poultry and gamebird farms. Differential virus replication between males and females warrants further investigation to determine the generality of this result in avian influenza disease dynamics.
Highlights
The emergence of highly pathogenic Asian strain H5N1 avian influenza virus has led to increased scrutiny of avian influenza viruses and a better understanding of the frequency with which avian influenza viruses spill over into mammalian populations [1,2]
We evaluated the potential role of common wild mammals in avian influenza outbreaks on poultry facilities in two ways: 1) we surveyed synanthropic mammals at an avian influenza outbreak site, and 2) we experimentally infected wild-caught house mice with avian influenza viruses
This study provides evidence that avian influenza viruses may be naturally transmitted to mice at outbreak sites and that wild house mice can efficiently replicate avian influenza viruses without prior adaptation
Summary
The emergence of highly pathogenic Asian strain H5N1 avian influenza virus has led to increased scrutiny of avian influenza viruses and a better understanding of the frequency with which avian influenza viruses spill over into mammalian populations [1,2]. The discovery of a natural infection of seals with an avian-like virus prompted an investigation of the general susceptibility of mammals to avian influenza viruses [4]. This study showed avian influenza viruses could replicate efficiently in pigs, ferrets, and cats. Evidence of natural infection with avian influenza viruses has been found for a number of mammal species, including harbor seals [5,6], whales [7], mink [8,9], stone martens [10], raccoons [11], large wild cats [12,13], domestic cats [14,15,16,17,18,19], civets [20], domestic dogs [18,21], pigs [22,23], donkeys [24], and humans [25]. While control of rodent species is often used to limit avian influenza virus transmission within and among outbreak sites, few studies have investigated the potential role of these species in outbreak dynamics
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