Abstract
In November 2014, a Eurasian strain H5N8 highly pathogenic avian influenza virus was detected in poultry in Canada. Introduced viruses were soon detected in the United States and within six months had spread to 21 states with more than 48 million poultry affected. In an effort to study potential mechanisms of spread of the Eurasian H5 virus, the United States Department of Agriculture coordinated several epidemiologic investigations at poultry farms. As part of those efforts, we sampled synanthropic birds and mammals at five infected and five uninfected poultry farms in northwest Iowa for exposure to avian influenza viruses. Across all farms, we collected 2,627 samples from 648 individual birds and mammals. House mice were the most common mammal species captured while house sparrows, European starlings, rock pigeons, swallows, and American robins were the most commonly captured birds. A single European starling was positive for Eurasian H5 viral RNA and seropositive for antibodies reactive to the Eurasian H5 virus. Two American robins were also seropositive. No mammal species showed evidence of infection. These results indicate synanthropic species merit further scrutiny to better understand potential biosecurity risks. We propose a set of management practices aimed at reducing wildlife incursions.
Highlights
In November 2014, two poultry farms in the Fraser Valley of British Columbia, Canada[1] were the first of hundreds of farms in North America to be confirmed with H5 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) during a seven-month period
Surveillance efforts continued to identify the Eurasian H5 icA viruses in wild birds in a number of western states (Washington, Oregon, California, Utah, Idaho)[4] and less than two months after the first detection in the United States (US), H5N8 HPAI virus (HPAIV) was detected in a commercial turkey flock in California, followed by a second detection in a commercial chicken flock approximately three weeks later
We did identify the presence of viral RNA associated with the highly pathogenic Eurasian origin H5 outbreak virus in a single synanthropic bird associated with a poultry farm in northwest Iowa
Summary
In November 2014, two poultry farms (chickens and turkeys) in the Fraser Valley of British Columbia, Canada[1] were the first of hundreds of farms in North America to be confirmed with H5 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) during a seven-month period. Surveillance efforts continued to identify the Eurasian H5 icA viruses in wild birds in a number of western states (Washington, Oregon, California, Utah, Idaho)[4] and less than two months after the first detection in the US, H5N8 HPAIV was detected in a commercial turkey flock in California, followed by a second detection in a commercial chicken flock approximately three weeks later. Outbreaks of HPAI have been relatively rare in the US; emergency response efforts need to include proactive epidemiological investigations that investigate the patterns and determinants of an outbreak, and gather real-time data that can be used to assess risk and inform management practices to improve biosafety protocols As part of these efforts, we sampled wild synanthropic birds and mammals associated with egg-layer chicken farms in northwest Iowa for exposure to influenza A viruses (IAVs, Fig. 2). Field assessments of these species on farms are rare[33,34,35]
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