ETIDIOH - NEW

Abstract H4Nx avian influenza viruses (AIVs) have been isolated from wild birds and poultry and can also cross the species barrier to infect mammals ( pigs and muskrats ). The widespread presence of these viruses in wild birds and poultry and their ability to be transmitted interspecies make them an undeniable hazard to the poultry farming industry. In the present study, we collected fecal and swab samples from wild birds and poultry in Guangdong Province from January 2019 to March 2024, and various subtypes of AIVs were isolated, including 19 strains of H4 subtype AIVs . Further analysis was conducted on the internal genes of the 19 strains . These strains clustered together with high homology to highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV), suggesting that H4Nx AIV may be reassorted from HPAIV . Two H4N8 strains are phylogenetically related to the porcine H4N8 AIV. Molecular characterization revealed that all viruses in this study were less pathogenic but had potential mammalian-a...

Abstract Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) epizootics have caused repeated mass mortality events among wild birds . The effect of the infection is potentially detrimental for a variety of bird species, including the Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus). The numbers of wintering and breeding Peregrine Falcons in the Netherlands have recently declined . We investigated the changes in population trends in relation to HPAI H5 virus outbreaks. For this purpose, we analyzed variations in annual numbers of wintering and breeding birds, the virology of reported dead birds, and the presence of the HPAI H5 virus in unhatched eggs. We showed that significant mortalities of Peregrine Falcons had occurred in 2016–2017 and 2020–2023 , years of major HPAI H5 virus outbreaks. In particular, the highest rates of bird mortality and HPAI virus infection were reported in 2023 . In this year, over 80% (28/32) of the tested birds were positive for HPAI H5 virus. No HPAI H5 virus was present in the egg...