Susceptibility of Canada Geese (Branta canadensis) to Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Virus (H5N1)

• Main Authors: John Pasick, Yohannes Berhane, Carissa Embury-hyatt, Helen Kehler, Katherine H, Shawn Babiuk, Kathleen Hooper-mcgrevy, Yan Li, Quynh Mai Le, Song Lien Phuong
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Subjects: Canada; Olor; Branta canadensis
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.170.7565; http://www.cdc.gov/eid/content/13/12/pdfs/1821.pdf

Migratory birds have been implicated in the long-range spread of highly pathogenic avian infl uenza (HPAI) A virus (H5N1) from Asia to Europe and Africa. Although sampling of healthy wild birds representing a large number of species has not identified possible carriers of infl uenza virus (H5N1) into Europe, surveillance of dead and sick birds has demonstrated mute (Cygnus olor) and whooper (C. cygnus) swans as potential sentinels. Because of concerns that migratory birds could spread H5N1 subtype to the Western Hemisphere and lead to its establishment within free-living avian populations, experimental studies have addressed the susceptibility of several indigenous North American duck and gull species. We examined the susceptibility of Canada geese (Branta canadensis) to HPAI virus (H5N1). Large populations of this species can be found in periagricultural and periurban settings and thus may be of potential epidemiologic importance if H5N1 subtype were to establish itself in North American wild bird populations. Wild aquatic birds belonging to the orders Anseriformes and Charadriiformes have long been recognized as the natural reservoirs for all influenza type A viruses (1). Spread from such wild birds to domestic poultry and various mammalian species occurs intermittently. Most viruses that initially infect domestic poultry will replicate only within respiratory or digestive tracts and cause