Experimental infection with highly pathogenic H5N8 avian influenza viruses in the Mandarin duck ( Aix galericulata ) and domestic pigeon ( Columba livia domestica )

Disentangling the role of Africa in the global spread of H5 highly pathogenic avian influenza

“…We obtained such results by enforcing host species transitions from wild to domestic birds, as being the most likely mode of transmission during a transcontinental AI virus spread 25,27,[29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36] . Detections of HPAI H5 viruses in clinically healthy migratory birds 27,34,[52][53][54] and experimental infection data 52,[55][56][57][58] indicated that several waterfowl species can spread HPAI H5 during the period of asymptomatic infection, making migratory birds potential candidates for the intercontinental spread of the virus. The key role of long-distance migrants in the dispersal of HPAI H5 viruses has been suggested by several authors based on phylogenetic analyses, epidemiological investigations and on the timing and direction of the intercontinental spreads, which coincided with fall bird migrations 25,[28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36] .…”

Shedding of clade 2.3.4.4 H5N8 and H5N2 highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses in peridomestic wild birds in the U.S.

“…Different clade 2.3.4.4 HP H5N8 viruses isolated in Korea were recently evaluated in rock pigeons (Kwon et al., ). Unlike the current study, pigeons infected with the Korean viruses did shed virus, sometimes to relatively high titres, although shedding was not detected in some birds and the time period in which virus was shed was brief (Kwon et al., ). In this study, none of the rock pigeons shed virus orally or cloacally following infection, but the majority seroconverted.…”

Avian influenza overview September – November 2017

“…Absence of clinical signs but replication of A(H5N8) strains isolated in Korea in 2014 was reported in pigeons. Transmission to contact birds was not observed (Kwon et al, 2017a).…”

“…However, domestic Pekin ducks and white Chinese geese inoculated with the same virus isolate had <2 to 3.0 log10 BID 50 , underscoring susceptibility similar to those for the tested gallinaceous species listed above. Kwon et al (2017a) inoculated two other HPAIV A(H5N8) isolates from the 2014/2015 outbreak into domestic pigeons (Columba livia domestica): A/baikal teal/Korea/2406/2014, which was isolated from a swab sample taken from an affected baikal teal carcass from the 2014 outbreak in Korea, or A/Mallard/Korea/KU3-2/2015, which was isolated from the fecal sample of a mallard duck from the 2015 outbreak in Korea. The viruses were detected in three out of the five birds inoculated with teal isolate and two out of the five birds inoculated with the mallard isolate.…”

“…The A(H5N8) clade 2.3.4.4 (2014/2015) was detected from a variety of wild bird species in Asia/North America but few studies have addressed the pathogenicity of the isolates for wild birds in the experimental setting. In one of these, the absence of clinical signs but efficient replication and transmission to co-housed birds was reported after experimental infection of Mandarin ducks (Aix galericulata) with a South Korean A(H5N8) isolate (Kwon et al, 2017a . Since then, further A(H5N8) clade 2.3.4.4 B reassortants have been identified across Europe and Asia.…”