Dead Birds Research Articles

Reframing Humanist Tragedy in The Tiniest Thing

Tragedy is defined by Aristotle as a self-fulfilling prophecy, inciting fear and pity in an audience through a hero’s error of judgement, or hamartia. Anthropocentric climate change may likewise be viewed in similar terms, born out of the limitations of the humanist paradigm. Yet in an age of climate catastrophe, how might theatre represent this reality without reinforcing the same humanist logic of privileging human suffering? As a playwright, I have long grappled with how best to dramatise climate change: a phenomenon that seems beyond the scope of human-centred drama. At the same time, the Anthropocene is by definition a human-created problem, and the emotional impact of our doom-laden future bears a tangible human effect. When choosing a form, then, for my own new play about this topic, something of a balance seemed important to me: a human-centred approach that might nonetheless recontextualise human suffering within a more earthly timescale. My resulting new play, The Tiniest Thing, is a middle-class Australian family drama that is rudely interrupted by the natural world. As a forest emerges from a pantry, long grass appears beneath the living room carpet, and dead birds begin to fall from the ceiling, the human characters refuse to see what is right in front of their eyes – until one character, Susan, begins to let the outside world in. Ultimately concerned with the politics of perception, The Tiniest Thing asks: is it possible for humans to perceive an objective reality, or do we always choose what we want to believe? And how might rigid ideologies become our own hamartia in the face of climate catastrophe? I view these questions within the context of bringing an eco-critical dramaturgy to my playwriting, primarily through my use of structure, contrasting deep ‘planetary’ time with the ‘human’ time of the unfolding plot, inspired by the Arctic Cycle plays of Chantal Bilodeau. By seeking to show two different realities at once, I hope to evoke a world on stage in which the same phenomena are perceived by the human characters in vastly different ways, reframing their suffering within a wider ecological context.

Evaluation of the use of alternative sample types for mosquito-borne flavivirus surveillance: Using Usutu virus as a model

Wild birds are reservoirs of several zoonotic arboviruses including West Nile virus (WNV) and Usutu virus (USUV), and are often monitored as indicators for virus introduction and spread. To optimize the bird surveillance for arboviruses in the Netherlands and to explore the possibilities for citizen science in surveillance, we investigated the suitability of using alternative sample types from live and dead birds. The sensitivity of molecular detection via RT-PCR of viral RNA in feather, heart, lung, throat and cloaca swabs from dead birds, and serum, dried blood spots (DBS) and throat and cloaca swabs from live birds were compared. IgY antibody detection was also assessed from DBS relative to serum on protein-microarray and virus neutralization test. Feathers showed a high detection sensitivity for USUV RNA in both live and dead birds, and no significant decrease was observed in the RNA loads in the feathers after being stored dry at room temperature for 43 days. Additionally, viral RNAs extracted from feathers of day 0 and 43 were successfully sequenced. The results indicated no statistical significant difference in sensitivity and viral loads detection in heart, spleen, and lung relative to corresponding brain samples in dead birds. In live birds, viral RNA loads did not differ between throat and cloaca swabs. This study identified less-invasive sample types that allows involvement of citizens in collecting samples from wild birds for arbovirus surveillance. Sensitivity and specificity of DBS-based antibody detections were significantly lower and therefore need optimization.

Two New Sources for Frederic Tubach’s Index Exemplorum 639 and Further Justification for Robert Holcot as a Source of A Christian Mannes Bileeve

In the introduction to the edition of the Middle English explanation of the Apostles’ Creed, known as A Christian Mannes Bileeve (hereafter CMB), I note that Robert Holcot’s Convertimini, a compilation of examples used by preachers, stands as the source for the exemplum of birds dying in the woods during the Passion week.1 This example is catalogued as entry 639, ‘Birds die in Passion Week’, in Frederic Tubach’s Index Exemplorum, a handbook of 5,400 religious exempla culled from thirty-seven different medieval collections.2 There, Tubach describes a Saracen leading an Englishman to a wood where they witness dead birds that will resurrect at Easter. He cross-references J. A. Herbert’s Catalogue of Romances in the Department of Manuscripts in the British Museum to provide only two sources of that avian story: Holcot’s Convertimini and John Mirk’s ‘Sermon on Corpus Christi’ from his collection of homilies known as the Festial.3 This note adds two additional instances of this same example to Tubach, thus bringing the total number of medieval texts using the reference to birds dying in the woods during the Passion to four. The first of these new sources is CMB, a 12,000-word Middle English explanation of the Apostles’ Creed dating from the late fourteenth century, which uses the example in CMB’s section on the fourth article of the faith, Passus sub Pontio Pilato, crucifixus, mortuus et sepultus [He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and buried] to foreshadow the miracle of Christ’s resurrection.4 The second is British Library MS Harley 2247, a fifteenth-century collection of Temporale sermons that includes a revised version of Mirk’s Corpus Christi sermon. There the homilist positions the exemplum as a mnemonic device to encourage heartfelt remembrance of Christ’s crucifixion.5 This note also provides additional clarification that the example in Holcot’s Convertimini—and not Mirk’s Corpus Christi sermon or its revision in Harley 2247 (both identified in the edition, and the latter not named in Tubach)—is the ultimate source of the exemplum as it appears in CMB.

Effect of Lactobacillus acidophilus (LB) and Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Yeast) fermentation on nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium level of poultry farm waste

Present work was carried out in the Department of LPM, FVSc and AH (SKUAST- Kashmir) to assess the change in values of minerals like Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium due to Lactic Acid and Yeast Fermentation of poultry waste under the temperate climate of Kashmir Valley. Poultry waste in the form of dead birds and litter manure was used for this study. Nine groups with four replicates each were formulated as: G1: Dead birds; Poultry litter, G2: Dead birds; Litter manure; LB @1.0 per cent G3: Dead birds; Litter manure; LB @0.5 per cent G4: Dead birds; Litter manure; Yeast @1.0 per cent G5: Dead birds; Litter manure; Yeast @0.5 per cent G6: Dead birds; Litter manure; LB@ 1 per cent; Yeast @ 0.5 per cent G7: Dead birds; Litter manure; LB @ 1 per cent; Yeast @ 1per cent G8: Dead birds; Litter manure; LB @ 0.5 per cent; Yeast @ 0.5 per cent T9: Dead birds; Litter manure; LB @ 0.5per cent; Yeast @1per cent. At final stage of work it was recorded significantly highest (P0.05) nitrogen level of 18.2 g/kg during winter and highest nitrogen level of 17.8 g/Kg during summer in G2 group (LB@ 1%). In the final product of fermentation significantly highest (P0.05) highest phosphorus level of 0.85 g/Kg in G7 (in which LB@ 1% and Yeast@ 1% was added) during winter season and the significantly (P0.05) highest P level of 0.85 g/Kg in G5 and G6during summer season was observed. Similarly significantly (P0.05) highest potassium level observed in the final product of fermentation was 7.0 g/Kg in G7 (in which LB@ 1% and Yeast@ 1% was added) during winter season and significantly (P0.05) highest K level of 8.0 g/Kg in G3 group (in which LB@ 0.5% was added) during summer season was observed. There was a significant increase in the nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium level in the final product of lactic acid and yeast fermentation of poultry waste.

Patterns and risk factors of avian influenza A(H5) and A(H9) virus infection in pigeons and quail at live bird markets in Bangladesh, 2017-2021.

The avian influenza virus (AIV) impacts poultry production, food security, livelihoods, and the risk of transmission to humans. Poultry, like pigeons and quail farming, is a growing sector in Bangladesh. However, the role of pigeons and quails in AIV transmission is not fully understood. Hence, we conducted this study to investigate the prevalence and risk factors of AIV subtypes in pigeons and quails at live bird markets (LBMs) in Bangladesh. We collected oropharyngeal and cloacal swab samples from 626 birds in 8 districts of Bangladesh from 2017 to 2021. We tested the swab samples for the matrix gene (M gene) followed by H5, H7, and H9 subtypes using real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR). We then used exploratory analysis to investigate the seasonal and temporal patterns of AIV and a mixed effect logistic model to identify the variable that influences the presence of AIV in pigeons and quails. The overall prevalence of AIV was 25.56%. We found that the prevalence of AIV in pigeons is 17.36%, and in quail is 38.75%. The prevalence of A/H5, A/H9, and A/H5/H9 in quail is 4.17, 17.92, and 1.67%, respectively. Furthermore, the prevalence of A/H5, A/H9, and A/H5/H9 in pigeons is 2.85, 2.59, and 0.26%. We also found that the prevalence of AIV was higher in the dry season than in the wet season in both pigeons and quail. In pigeons, the prevalence of A/untyped (40%) increased considerably in 2020. In quail, however, the prevalence of A/H9 (56%) significantly increased in 2020. The mixed-effect logistic regression model showed that the vendors having waterfowl (AOR: 2.13; 95% CI: 1.04-4.33), purchasing birds from the wholesale market (AOR: 2.96; 95% CI: 1.48-5.92) instead of farms, mixing sick birds with the healthy ones (AOR: 1.60; 95% CI: 1.04-2.45) and mingling unsold birds with new birds (AOR: 3.07; 95% CI: 2.01-4.70) were significantly more likely to be positive for AIV compared with vendors that did not have these characteristics. We also found that the odds of AIV were more than twice as high in quail (AOR: 2.57; 95% CI: 1.61-4.11) as in pigeons. Furthermore, the likelihood of AIV detection was 4.19 times higher in sick and dead birds (95% CI: 2.38-7.35) than in healthy birds. Our study revealed that proper hygienic practices at the vendors in LBM are not maintained. We recommend improving biosecurity practices at the vendor level in LBM to limit the risk of AIV infection in pigeons and quail in Bangladesh.

Evidence for overwintering and autochthonous transmission of Usutu virus to wild birds following its redetection in the United Kingdom.

Usutu virus (USUV) is an emerging zoonotic arbovirus in Europe, where it primarily impacts Eurasian blackbirds (Turdus merula). For mosquito-borne viruses to persist in temperate areas, transovarial transmission in vectors or overwintering in either hosts or diapausing vectors must occur to facilitate autochthonous transmission. We undertook surveillance of hosts and vectors in 2021 to elucidate whether USUV had overwintered in the United Kingdom (UK) following its initial detection there in 2020. From 175 dead bird submissions, we detected 1 case of USUV infection, in a blackbird, from which a full USUV genome was derived. Using a molecular clock analysis, we demonstrate that the 2021 detection shared a most recent common ancestor with the 2020 Greater London, UK, USUV sequence. In addition, we identified USUV-specific neutralizing antibodies in 10 out of 86 serum samples taken from captive birds at the index site, demonstrating in situ cryptic infection and potential sustained transmission. However, from 4966 mosquitoes, we detected no USUV RNAsuggesting that prevalence in the vector community was absent or low during sampling. Combined, these results suggest that USUV overwintered in the UK, thus providing empirical evidence for the continued northward expansion of this vector-borne viral disease. Currently, our detection indicates geographically restricted virus persistence. Further detections over time will be required to demonstrate long-term establishment. It remains unclear whether the UK, and by extension other high-latitude regions, can support endemic USUV infection.

Assessment of poultry rearing practices and risk factors of H5N1 and H9N2 virus circulating among backyard chickens and ducks in rural communities.

BackgroundThe avian influenza virus (AIV) causes significant economic losses by infecting poultry and occasional spillover to humans. Backyard farms are vulnerable to AIV epidemics due to poor health management and biosecurity practices, threatening rural households’ economic stability and nutrition. We have limited information about the risk factors associated with AIV infection in backyard poultry in Bangladesh. Hence, we conducted a cross-sectional survey comprising epidemiological and anthropological investigations to understand the poultry rearing practices and risk factors of AIV circulation among backyard poultry in selected rural communities.MethodsWe sampled 120 poultry from backyard farms (n = 30) of the three selected communities between February 2017 and January 2018. We tested swab samples for the matrix gene (M gene) followed by H5, H7, and H9 subtypes using real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR). We applied multivariable logistic regression for risk factor analysis. Furthermore, we conducted an observational study (42 hours) and informal interviews (n = 30) with backyard farmers to record poultry-raising activities in rural communities.ResultsWe detected that 25.2% of the backyard poultry tested positive for AIV, whereas 5% tested positive for H5N1 and 10.8% tested positive for H9N2. Results showed that scavenging in both household garden and other crop fields has higher odds of AIV than scavenging in the household garden (AOR: 24.811; 95% CI: 2.11–292.28), and keeping a cage inside the house has higher odds (AOR:14.5; 95% CI: 1.06–198.51) than keeping it in the veranda, cleaning the cage twice a week or weekly has a higher risk than cleaning daily (AOR: 34.45; 95% CI: 1.04–1139.65), dumping litter or droppings (AOR: 82.80; 95% CI: 3.91–1754.59) and dead birds or wastage (AOR: 109.92, 95% CI: 4.34–2785.29) near water bodies and bushes have a higher risk than burring in the ground, slaughtering and consuming sick birds also had a higher odd of AIV (AOR: 73.45, 95% CI: 1.56–3457.73) than treating the birds. The anthropological investigation revealed that household members had direct contact with the poultry in different ways, including touching, feeding, slaughtering, and contacting poultry feces. Poultry is usually kept inside the house, sick poultry are traditionally slaughtered and eaten, and most poultry raisers do not know that diseases can transmit from backyard poultry to humans.ConclusionsThis study showed the circulation of H5N1 and H9N2 virus in backyard poultry in rural communities; associated with species, scavenging area of the poultry, location of the poultry cage, the practice of litter, wastage, droppings, and dead bird disposal, and practice of handling sick poultry. We suggest improving biosecurity practices in backyard poultry and mass awareness campaigns to reduce incidences of AIV in household-level poultry farms in rural communities in Bangladesh.

Antimicrobial Resistance and Virulence Genes in Staphylococci Isolated from Aviary Capercaillies and Free-living Birds in South-eastern Poland.

The current study characterises Staphylococcus bacteria recovered from dead free-living birds and captive capercaillies kept in south-eastern Poland. The results provide novel information about the antimicrobial resistance phenotype/genotype and the virulence profile of these bacteria. Samples of internal organs were taken from dead birds. Staphylococcus strains were identified by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation-time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Susceptibility to 13 antibiotics was tested using a standard disc diffusion method on Mueller-Hinton agar. All isolates were screened for the presence of antibiotic resistance genes and staphylococcal enterotoxins (A to E), toxic shock syndrome toxin 1, exfoliative toxins A and B and Panton-Valentine leukocidin. A total of 129 bacterial strains belonging to 19 species of the Staphylococcus genus were isolated. A relatively high percentage of them resisted fluoroquinolones, tetracyclines, macrolides and β-lactams to a significant degree and harboured the tetK, tetM, ermC, mphC and mecA genes. Strains of the coagulase-negative S. sciuri, S. xylosus and S. cohnii were isolated with genes encoding enterotoxin A and toxic shock syndrome toxin. Both coagulase-positive and coagulase-negative staphylococci isolated from aviary capercaillies and free-living birds have significant pathogenic potential, and greater attention must be paid to the coagulase-negative species, which are still often considered mere contaminants. Virulence factors associated with resistance to antimicrobials, this being multiple in some strains, seem most important because they can be easily transferred between animals, especially those living in a given area.

First detection and characterisation of sub-genotype XIII.2.1 Newcastle disease virus isolated from backyard chickens in Iran.

Newcastle disease (ND) is an economically significant poultry disease worldwide. During field surveillance for ND in 2010 in Iran, a backyard chicken flock showed clinical signs of ND with 100% mortality. We aimed to characterise genetically, biologically and epidemiologically an exotic virulent ND virus (NDV) detected in Iran. After observing high mortality, dead birds were sampled and then disposed of by burial, and the chicken house was disinfected. Tissue samples were molecularly tested for NDV. The genetic homogeneity of the isolate RT30/2010 was tested by plaque assay, and then a large virus plaque was used for the second step of plaque purification. Fusion and matrix complete genes were sequenced and used for genotyping and epidemiological tracing. We tested biological pathotypes using mean death time (MDT) and intracerebral pathogenicity index (ICPI) assays. The isolate formed heterogeneous plaques in chicken embryo fibroblast cells. The second step of plaque purification produced homogeneous and large plaques. Phylogenetic analysis using both genes classified the virus into sub-genotype XIII.2.1. Nucleic acid and amino acid identities of RT30/2010 fusion gene with the closest available isolate SPVC/Karachi/NDV/43 are 97.95% and 98.73%, respectively. Isolate has 112 RRRKRF117 motif at the fusion cleavage site, and pathogenicity tests showed MDT of 56.4 h and ICPI of 1.85. This study presents the first detection and characterisation of a velogenic NDV of sub-genotype XIII.2.1 from Iran. Our follow-up surveillance for ND shows that timely virus detection and carcass management have led to the cessation of virus transmission in Iran.

Apoptosis in field and experimental cases of avian influenza H9N2 infection in broiler chickens in Iran.

Avian influenza virus subtype H9N2 is widely circulating around the globe affecting many species of animal including mammals and birds as well as human beings. The virus has pandemic potential due to segmented nature of the viral genome. Ultra-structural features of apoptosis in field and experimental infection of H9N2 avian influenza virus were studied. Freshly dead birds from affected broiler farms and experimentally infected broiler chickens with H9N2 subtypes were subjected to routine necropsy. Post-mortem findings in different organs were recorded. Appropriate specimens from the trachea were taken for electron microscopy studies. In electron microscopy study, frequent apoptotic bodies were observed in the epithelial cells of the trachea. Increase of antibody titer to H9N2 virus following challenge with the virus in experimental group indicates that the infectious cycle has been initiated in the affected birds.

Current Status of Multidrug Resistance of Ornithobacterium rhinotracheale from Avian Host

Resistance of Ornithobacterium rhinotracheale (ORT) to antibiotics involves a decrease in antibiotic efficacy against the organisms. ORT causes an acute bacterial disease that affects the respiratory system of chickens. This disease results in severe issues of intensive poultry products and public health concern. Therefore, isolation, identification, investigation on antibacterial sensitivity and multidrug resistance patterns of ORT isolates were the main aims of this study. Tracheal samples (n=200) were collected from freshly dead birds with postmortem lesions of respiratory illness. ORT was isolated and identified by classical cultural and molecular methods. Antibacterial sensitivity testing of isolated organisms was carried out by disc diffusion method against seven antibacterial agents. The incidence values of ORT by cultural method were 20.0 and 3.0% from the tracheal samples of dead birds <18 and <18 days old, respectively. Out of 23 cultural positive samples, 15(65.21%) were found positive for the presence of 16S rRNA (625 bp) by PCR. The results of antibiotic sensitivity revealed that 66.6% of isolates were sensitive to amoxicillin, while 60.0 and 46.6% of isolates were sensitive to erythromycin and florfenicol, respectively. For difloxacine and doxycycline, the frequency of sensitive samples was 33.3 and 13.3%, respectively. The highest antimicrobial resistance of QRT isolates was seen against gentamycin and colistin (100%), followed by doxycycline (86.6%) and difloxacine (66.6%). In conclusion, it is very important to update the baseline resistance pattern data for this organism.

Silent Infection of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Virus (H5N1) Clade 2.3.4.4b in a Commercial Chicken Broiler Flock in Italy.

From October 2021 to January 2022, different incursions of clade 2.3.4.4b H5N1 HPAIV (Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Virus) occurred in several Italian regions with its main diffusion in Densely Poultry Populated Areas (DPPAs) of north-eastern Italy. Monitoring and control activities applied in the affected area clearly evidenced that turkeys and broilers were the most affected species, although several flocks of broilers at times resulted HPAIV H5N1 infected in absence of increased mortality and/or clinical signs. Thus, an approach based on sampling dead birds was adopted in the broiler sector to improve the early detection of infection; this protocol allowed us to confirm that 15 farms were HPAIV-infected with birds ready to be delivered to the slaughterhouse. The aim of this report is to describe the results of the diagnostic activities carried out in one HPAIV H5N1-infected broiler farm, three days after laboratory confirmation during the pre-movement testing without showing increased mortality or clinical signs. Thus, clinical signs, daily cumulative mortality rate (CMR), virus shedding, seroconversion, pathobiology of clade 2.3.4.4b H5N1 HPAIV as well as Avian Influenza Viruses (AIVs) environmental contamination were thoroughly examined in the infected holding. Such in-depth investigation demonstrated low infection prevalence in live birds, low environmental contamination, no seroconversion for AIVs, gross and microscopic findings compatible with systemic infection with peracute death in H5N1 HPAIV-infected birds.

Reconstruction of epizootic outbreak provoked the largescale death of Rhinoceros auklet on the coast of the Japan Sea in the Southern part of Primorsky Krai (July, 2021)

Introduction. In July 2021, a mass mortality of seabirds of unclear etiology occurred on the coast of the Sea of Japan in the Khasansky district of Primorsky Krai. According to the Department for Protection of Wildlife and Specially Protected Natural Territories of Primorsky Krai, over a thousand dead birds were found on the coast. The main case occurred in the population of birds Rhinoceros auklets (Cerorhinca monocerata, Alcidae), also among the dead birds were found several dozens of gulls (Larus spp.) and terns (Sterna spp.), single individuals of other species. The peak of mortality in bird populations occurred on July 13–17, 2021. This territory is a recreational area, in the summer months a large number of people rest there. The current situation has caused increased attention of the entire scientific community, as well as organizations that protect the citizens health and the environment. The aim. To establish possible etiology of the epizootic outbreak and describe the cause of birds’ death.Materials and methods. Comprehensive examination using classical methods of virology, microbiology and toxicology, as well as the most modern research methods such as MALDI TOF-mass spectrometry and NGS.Conclusion. As a result of the studies, it was determined that the cause of birds’ death was infectious peritonitis with endogenous intoxication syndrome induced by a complex of pathogenic microorganisms, such as enteropathogenic Escherichia coli, Proteus vulgaris, Proteus mirabilis, Proteus pennery, Enterococcus faecalis and Wickerhamomyces anomalus, related to Candida pelliculosa.

Molecular and epidemiological surveillance of Plasmodium spp. during a mortality event affecting Humboldt penguins (Spheniscus humboldti) at a zoo in the UK.

In 2017, a mortality event affected Humboldt penguins at Chester Zoo (UK), which coincided with the diagnosis of avian malaria (AM) in some birds. AM is found worldwide wherever a competent mosquito vector is present, but the disease is particularly severe in penguins and other species that originate from non-endemic regions. To better understand the role of AM and manage its threat to penguin collections, Plasmodium was surveyed through PCR at Chester Zoo in mosquitoes, penguins, and dead free-living wild birds during and around the mortality event. Additional sequences were obtained from penguin fatalities from four other UK zoological collections. All sequences were integrated into phylogenetic analyses to determine parasite species and lineages. In total, 753/6459 positive mosquitoes were recorded (11.7% prevalence), reaching a weekly peak of 30% prevalence in mid-summer. Among penguin fatalities at Chester Zoo, several penguins presented signs and lesions compatible with AM; nevertheless, exoerythrocytic meronts were identified in only one case and Plasmodium spp. was identified in 5/22 birds. Phylogenetic analysis revealed at least five parasite cytb lineages of three Plasmodium species (P. matutinum, P. relictum and P. vaughani) circulating in mosquitoes at Chester Zoo; however, infections in free-living wild birds and penguins were only from P. matutinum. Plasmodium matutinum was confirmed as the cause of death of one penguin and was highly suspected to be the cause of death of another three. The lineage LINN1 was associated with 4/5 penguin infections. AM had a key role in the penguin multicausal mortality event. Understanding the risk of AM to penguin collections at Chester Zoo and elsewhere requires long-term surveillance to examine the association between Plasmodium infection and penguin mortality and the variability in parasite virulence. Surveillance of Plasmodium spp. in mosquitoes and local birds provides information about the parasite's transmission cycle locally, and could warn about infection risks to species of interest, which is essential for efficient disease control and prevention.

Disease surveillance in England and Wales, June 2022.

Disease surveillance in England and Wales, June 2022.

Surveillance of the spread of avian influenza virus type A in live bird markets in Tripoli, Libya, and determination of the associated risk factors.

Background and Aim:Studies on avian influenza virus (AIV) in Libya are few and limited. This study aimed to determine the presence of AIV in live bird markets (LBMs) in Tripoli and determine the risk factors associated with AIV spread .Materials and Methods:In total, 269 cloacal swabs were randomly collected from different bird species in 9 LBMs located in Tripoli and its surrounding regions. The target species were ducks, geese, local chickens, Australian chickens, Brahma chickens, turkeys, pigeons, quails, peacock broiler chicks, and pet birds. Total RNA was extracted from the swab samples and used for real-time polymerase chain reaction to detect AIV type A.Results:Of the 269 samples, 28 (10.41% of total samples) were positive for AIV type A. The LBMs with positive samples were Souq Aljumaa, Souq Alkhamees, Souq Althulatha, and Souq Tajoura. The highest percentage (35.71%) of AIV was recorded in Souq Aljumaa. Positive results for AIV type A were obtained primarily in three species of birds: Ducks (14/65; highest percentage: 21.5%), local chickens (12/98; 12.24%), and geese (2/28; 7.14%). Furthermore, the following three risk factors associated with the spread of AIV type A were identified: Time spent by breeders/vendors at the market (odds ratio [OR] = 11.181; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 3.827–32.669), methods used for disposing dead birds (OR = 2.356; 95% CI = 1.005–5.521), and last visited LBM (OR = 0.740; 95% CI = 0.580–0.944). Restricting the movement of poultry vendors from one market to another may protect against AIV spread.Conclusion:The findings of this study indicate the high risk of AIV spread in LBMs and highlight the need for continuous surveillance of LBMs across the country.

Film Review: Forsaken Fragments

Review| June 01 2022 Film Review: Forsaken Fragments Forsaken Fragments by Robert Gardner, 50 min., 2021. Scott MacDonald Scott MacDonald Scott MacDonald’s many books on independent cinema include collections of interviews with independent filmmakers, the five-volume Critical Cinema series from University of California Press, and more recently Avant-Doc: Intersections of Documentary and Avant-Garde Cinema (2014) and The Sublimity of Document: Cinema as Diorama (Avant-Doc 2) (2019)—as well as explorations of particular moving-image artists and films/videos, and of institutions that have kept independent media alive. He teaches film history and programs film events at Hamilton College in Clinton, New York. Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Afterimage (2022) 49 (2): 104–109. https://doi.org/10.1525/aft.2022.49.2.104 Views Icon Views Article contents Figures & tables Video Audio Supplementary Data Peer Review Share Icon Share Twitter LinkedIn Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Cite Icon Cite Search Site Citation Scott MacDonald; Film Review: Forsaken Fragments. Afterimage 1 June 2022; 49 (2): 104–109. doi: https://doi.org/10.1525/aft.2022.49.2.104 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentAfterimage Search In October 2009 Bard College honored Robert Gardner’s filmmaking career, which included remarkable, if now sometimes controversial, contributions to ethnographic cinema—Dead Birds (1963), Rivers of Sand (1974), Deep Hearts (1981), Forest of Bliss (1986), and Ika Hands (1988)—as well as dozens of episodes of Screening Room, a late-night, Boston-area TV interview show that focused on independent filmmakers. For the Bard event, Gardner put together a fifty-minute compilation titled “Nine Forsaken Fragments.” In his comments at Bard, Gardner was diffident about the individual fragments or the compilation being considered finished films. As time has passed—along with Gardner himself in 2014, and Peter Hutton, who had organized the Bard event, in 2016—Gardner’s “fragments” have become something more than a compilation for a one-time occasion. In 2021, Documentary Educational Resources, the distributor of much of Gardner’s work, released Forsaken Fragments: a compilation of fourteen short pieces that together can be... You do not currently have access to this content.

Detecting lymphoproliferative disease virus in wild turkeys using cloacal swabs

AbstractThe monitoring of infectious diseases in wildlife is crucial for assessing animal health, pathogen range expansion, and the risk of spillover to naive species, but may be resource and labor intensive. Lymphoproliferative disease virus (LPDV) is an avian oncogenic retrovirus that was first identified in wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) in 2009, though it historically caused mortality in domestic turkeys in Europe and Israel. Subsequent surveys detected a high prevalence and broad distribution throughout the eastern United States, warranting further research on LPDV in wild turkey populations. Current LPDV diagnostics require the collection of tissues, such as bone marrow from dead birds or blood during live capture. In our study, we assessed the sensitivity (true positive) and specificity (true negative) of cloacal swab samples as an alternative LPDV detection method. We compared results from cloacal swab samples with both postmortem detection from bone marrow and antemortem detection from blood, using a multi‐tube PCR approach with 3 replicates. Swab samples collected from live‐captured turkeys had a greater sensitivity (88%) than swabs collected from hunter‐harvested turkeys (31%), whereas specificity was similar for both collection approaches (live‐capture swabs = 75%, n = 85; hunter‐harvest swabs = 80%, n = 54). In live‐captured turkeys, the estimated LPDV prevalence using cloacal swab samples (73%) was not significantly different from the true prevalence determined using coupled blood samples (76%). However, in hunter‐harvested turkeys, the estimated prevalence using cloacal swab samples (28%) was different from the true prevalence estimated using coupled bone marrow samples (72%). In summary, cloacal swab samples can be used to reliably detect LPDV infection in live‐captured wild turkeys but should not be used for LPDV detection in hunter‐harvested wild turkeys.

Evaluation of the effectiveness of the California mosquito-borne virus surveillance & response plan, 2009-2018.

Local vector control and public health agencies in California use the California Mosquito-Borne Virus Surveillance and Response Plan to monitor and evaluate West Nile virus (WNV) activity and guide responses to reduce the burden of WNV disease. All available data from environmental surveillance, such as the abundance and WNV infection rates in Culex tarsalis and the Culex pipiens complex mosquitoes, the numbers of dead birds, seroconversions in sentinel chickens, and ambient air temperatures, are fed into a formula to estimate the risk level and associated risk of human infections. In many other areas of the US, the vector index, based only on vector mosquito abundance and infection rates, is used by vector control programs to estimate the risk of human WNV transmission. We built models to determine the association between risk level and the number of reported symptomatic human disease cases with onset in the following three weeks to identify the essential components of the risk level and to compare California’s risk estimates to vector index. Risk level calculations based on Cx. tarsalis and Cx. pipiens complex levels were significantly associated with increased human risk, particularly when accounting for vector control area and population, and were better predictors than using vector index. Including all potential environmental components created an effective tool to estimate the risk of WNV transmission to humans in California.

Prevalence of Newcastle Disease Virus in Wild and Migratory Birds in Haryana, India.

Newcastle disease virus (NDV) can infect approximately 250 avian species and causes highly contagious Newcastle disease (ND) in domestic poultry, leading to huge economic losses. There are three different pathotypes of NDV, i.e., lentogenic, mesogenic, and velogenic. Wild resident (wild) and migratory birds are natural reservoirs of NDV and are believed to play a key role in transmitting the virus to domestic poultry. The present study was conducted to determine the prevalence of NDV in wild and migratory birds in the state of Haryana, India, during two migratory seasons (2018-19 and 2019-20). In total 1379 samples (1368 choanal swabs and 11 tissue samples) were collected from live (n = 1368) or dead birds (n = 4) belonging to 53 different avian species. These samples belonged to apparently healthy (n = 1338), sick (n = 30), and dead (n = 4) birds. All samples were tested for NDV by real-time reverse transcription-PCR using M gene specific primers and probe. Of the 1379 samples, 23 samples from wild birds [Columba livia domestica (n = 12, 52.17%), Pavo cristatus (n = 9, 39.13%), and Psittaciformes (n = 2, 8.69%)] were found positive for NDV. Only one of the 23 samples (from P. cristatus) was positive for F gene, indicating it to be a mesogenic/velogenic strain. These results indicate that both lentogenic and velogenic strains of NDV are circulating in wild birds in Haryana and that further studies are needed to characterize NDV strains from wild/migratory birds and domestic poultry to determine the extent of virus transmission among these populations. This study considers the disease transmission risk from domestic pigeons and parrots to commercial poultry and vice versa, and the results emphasize the need for strict biosecurity strategies to protect commercial poultry in the region.