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Teitelbaum CS, Ackerman JT, Hill MA, Satter JM, Casazza ML, De La Cruz SEW, Boyce WM, Buck EJ, Eadie JM, Herzog MP, Matchett EL, Overton CT, Peterson SH, Plancarte M, Ramey AM, Sullivan JD, Prosser DJ. Avian influenza antibody prevalence increases with mercury contamination in wild waterfowl. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20221312. [PMID: 36069010 PMCID: PMC9449466 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.1312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2022] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Environmental contamination is widespread and can negatively impact wildlife health. Some contaminants, including heavy metals, have immunosuppressive effects, but prior studies have rarely measured contamination and disease simultaneously, which limits our understanding of how contaminants and pathogens interact to influence wildlife health. Here, we measured mercury concentrations, influenza infection, influenza antibodies and body condition in 749 individuals from 11 species of wild ducks overwintering in California. We found that the odds of prior influenza infection increased more than fivefold across the observed range of blood mercury concentrations, while accounting for species, age, sex and date. Influenza infection prevalence was also higher in species with higher average mercury concentrations. We detected no relationship between influenza infection and body fat content. This positive relationship between influenza prevalence and mercury concentrations in migratory waterfowl suggests that immunotoxic effects of mercury contamination could promote the spread of avian influenza along migratory flyways, especially if influenza has minimal effects on bird health and mobility. More generally, these results show that the effects of environmental contamination could extend beyond the geographical area of contamination itself by altering the prevalence of infectious diseases in highly mobile hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire S. Teitelbaum
- Akima Systems Engineering, Herndon, VA, USA
- Contractor to U.S. Geological Survey Eastern Ecological Science Center, Laurel, MD, USA
| | - Joshua T. Ackerman
- U.S. Geological Survey Western Ecological Research Center, Dixon Field Station, Dixon, CA, USA
| | - Mason A. Hill
- U.S. Geological Survey Western Ecological Research Center, San Francisco Bay Estuary Field Station, Moffett Field, CA, USA
| | - Jacqueline M. Satter
- UC Davis College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Michael L. Casazza
- U.S. Geological Survey Western Ecological Research Center, Dixon Field Station, Dixon, CA, USA
| | - Susan E. W. De La Cruz
- U.S. Geological Survey Western Ecological Research Center, San Francisco Bay Estuary Field Station, Moffett Field, CA, USA
| | | | - Evan J. Buck
- U.S. Geological Survey Eastern Ecological Science Center, Laurel, MD, USA
| | - John M. Eadie
- UC Davis College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Mark P. Herzog
- U.S. Geological Survey Western Ecological Research Center, Dixon Field Station, Dixon, CA, USA
| | - Elliott L. Matchett
- U.S. Geological Survey Western Ecological Research Center, Dixon Field Station, Dixon, CA, USA
| | - Cory T. Overton
- U.S. Geological Survey Western Ecological Research Center, Dixon Field Station, Dixon, CA, USA
| | - Sarah H. Peterson
- U.S. Geological Survey Western Ecological Research Center, Dixon Field Station, Dixon, CA, USA
| | | | - Andrew M. Ramey
- U.S. Geological Survey Alaska Science Center, Anchorage, AK, USA
| | | | - Diann J. Prosser
- U.S. Geological Survey Eastern Ecological Science Center, Laurel, MD, USA
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Gorsich EE, Webb CT, Merton AA, Hoeting JA, Miller RS, Farnsworth ML, Swafford SR, DeLiberto TJ, Pedersen K, Franklin AB, McLean RG, Wilson KR, Doherty PF. Continental-scale dynamics of avian influenza in U.S. waterfowl are driven by demography, migration, and temperature. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2021; 31:e2245. [PMID: 33098602 PMCID: PMC7988533 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2020] [Revised: 06/20/2020] [Accepted: 08/16/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Emerging diseases of wildlife origin are increasingly spilling over into humans and domestic animals. Surveillance and risk assessments for transmission between these populations are informed by a mechanistic understanding of the pathogens in wildlife reservoirs. For avian influenza viruses (AIV), much observational and experimental work in wildlife has been conducted at local scales, yet fully understanding their spread and distribution requires assessing the mechanisms acting at both local, (e.g., intrinsic epidemic dynamics), and continental scales, (e.g., long-distance migration). Here, we combined a large, continental-scale data set on low pathogenic, Type A AIV in the United States with a novel network-based application of bird banding/recovery data to investigate the migration-based drivers of AIV and their relative importance compared to well-characterized local drivers (e.g., demography, environmental persistence). We compared among regression models reflecting hypothesized ecological processes and evaluated their ability to predict AIV in space and time using within and out-of-sample validation. We found that predictors of AIV were associated with multiple mechanisms at local and continental scales. Hypotheses characterizing local epidemic dynamics were strongly supported, with age, the age-specific aggregation of migratory birds in an area and temperature being the best predictors of infection. Hypotheses defining larger, network-based features of the migration processes, such as clustering or between-cluster mixing explained less variation but were also supported. Therefore, our results support a role for local processes in driving the continental distribution of AIV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin E. Gorsich
- School of Life SciencesUniversity of WarwickCoventryCV4 7ALUnited Kingdom
- The Zeeman Institute: Systems Biology and Infectious Disease Epidemiology Research (SBIDER)University of WarwickCoventryCV4 7ALUnited Kingdom
- Department of BiologyColorado State UniversityFort CollinsColorado80521USA
- Graduate Degree Program in EcologyColorado State UniversityFort CollinsColorado80521USA
| | - Colleen T. Webb
- Department of BiologyColorado State UniversityFort CollinsColorado80521USA
- Graduate Degree Program in EcologyColorado State UniversityFort CollinsColorado80521USA
| | - Andrew A. Merton
- Department of StatisticsColorado State UniversityFort CollinsColorado80521USA
| | - Jennifer A. Hoeting
- Department of StatisticsColorado State UniversityFort CollinsColorado80521USA
| | - Ryan S. Miller
- Centers for Epidemiology and Animal HealthUSDA APHIS Veterinary ServicesFort CollinsColorado80526USA
| | - Matthew L. Farnsworth
- Centers for Epidemiology and Animal HealthUSDA APHIS Veterinary ServicesFort CollinsColorado80526USA
| | - Seth R. Swafford
- National Wildlife Disease ProgramUSDA APHIS Wildlife ServicesFort CollinsColorado80521USA
- National Wildlife Refuge SystemUS Fish and Wildlife ServiceYazoo CityMississippi39194USA
| | - Thomas J. DeLiberto
- National Wildlife Disease ProgramUSDA APHIS Wildlife ServicesFort CollinsColorado80521USA
| | - Kerri Pedersen
- National Wildlife Disease ProgramUSDA APHIS Wildlife ServicesFort CollinsColorado80521USA
- USDA APHIS Wildlife ServicesRaleighNorth Carolina27606USA
| | - Alan B. Franklin
- National Wildlife Research CenterUSDA APHIS Wildlife ServicesFort CollinsColorado80521USA
| | - Robert G. McLean
- National Wildlife Research CenterUSDA APHIS Wildlife ServicesFort CollinsColorado80521USA
| | - Kenneth R. Wilson
- Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation BiologyColorado State UniversityFort CollinsColorado80521USA
| | - Paul F. Doherty
- Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation BiologyColorado State UniversityFort CollinsColorado80521USA
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Darolová A, Poláček M, Krištofík J, Lukasch B, Hoi H. First Evidence of a Relationship Between Female Major Histocompatibility Complex Diversity and Eggshell Bacteria in House Sparrows (Passer domesticus). Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.615667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacteria are known to exert positive and negative influences on animals’ health and fitness. Bacteria, in particular those inhabiting the skin and inner organs of vertebrates, are horizontally or vertically transmitted. Specifically, mothers of bird species can transfer bacterial strains to their offspring when the egg is passing the reproductive tract, as the eggshell rubs against the wall of the uterus. In this context, the female immune system might play an important role in influencing the vertical transmission of bacteria. Here, we investigate the relationship between the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) and cultivable eggshell bacteria originating putatively from the female urogenital tract in a captive population of house sparrows (Passer domesticus). We predict that females with a more variable MHC will transfer fewer bacteria onto the eggshells. Our results show a negative relationship between the number of functional MHC class I alleles and bacteria originating in the urinary tract and growing on a selective medium. This is the first study to find a correlation between female MHC diversity and eggshell bacteria.
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van Dijk JGB, Verhagen JH, Hegemann A, Tolf C, Olofsson J, Järhult JD, Waldenström J. A Comparative Study of the Innate Humoral Immune Response to Avian Influenza Virus in Wild and Domestic Mallards. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:608274. [PMID: 33329501 PMCID: PMC7733965 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.608274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2020] [Accepted: 11/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Domestic mallards (Anas platyrhynchos domesticus) are traditionally used as a model to investigate infection dynamics and immune responses to low pathogenic avian influenza viruses (LPAIVs) in free-living mallards. However, it is unclear whether the immune response of domestic birds reflects the response of their free-living counterparts naturally exposed to these viruses. We investigated the extent to which the innate humoral immune response was similar among (i) wild-type domestic mallards in primary and secondary infection with LPAIV H4N6 in a laboratory setting (laboratory mallards), (ii) wild-type domestic mallards naturally exposed to LPAIVs in a semi-natural setting (sentinel mallards), and (iii) free-living mallards naturally exposed to LPAIVs. We quantified innate humoral immune function by measuring non-specific natural antibodies (agglutination), complement activity (lysis), and the acute phase protein haptoglobin. We demonstrate that complement activity in the first 3 days after LPAIV exposure was higher in primary-exposed laboratory mallards than in sentinel and free-living mallards. LPAIV H4N6 likely activated the complement system and the acute phase response in primary-exposed laboratory mallards, as lysis was higher and haptoglobin lower at day 3 and 7 post-exposure compared to baseline immune function measured prior to exposure. There were no differences observed in natural antibody and haptoglobin concentrations among laboratory, sentinel, and free-living mallards in the first 3 days after LPAIV exposure. Our study demonstrates that, based on the three innate humoral immune parameters measured, domestic mallards seem an appropriate model to investigate innate immunology of their free-living counterparts, albeit the innate immune response of secondary-LPAIV exposed mallards is a better proxy for the innate immune response in pre-exposed free-living mallards than that of immunologically naïve mallards.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacintha G B van Dijk
- Centre for Ecology and Evolution in Microbial Model Systems, Linnaeus University, Kalmar, Sweden
| | - Josanne H Verhagen
- Centre for Ecology and Evolution in Microbial Model Systems, Linnaeus University, Kalmar, Sweden
| | - Arne Hegemann
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Ecology Building, Lund, Sweden
| | - Conny Tolf
- Centre for Ecology and Evolution in Microbial Model Systems, Linnaeus University, Kalmar, Sweden
| | - Jenny Olofsson
- Centre for Ecology and Evolution in Microbial Model Systems, Linnaeus University, Kalmar, Sweden
| | - Josef D Järhult
- Zoonosis Science Center, Department of Medical Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Jonas Waldenström
- Centre for Ecology and Evolution in Microbial Model Systems, Linnaeus University, Kalmar, Sweden
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Innate Immune Responses to Avian Influenza Viruses in Ducks and Chickens. Vet Sci 2019; 6:vetsci6010005. [PMID: 30634569 PMCID: PMC6466002 DOI: 10.3390/vetsci6010005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2018] [Revised: 12/26/2018] [Accepted: 01/04/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Mallard ducks are important natural hosts of low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) viruses and many strains circulate in this reservoir and cause little harm. Some strains can be transmitted to other hosts, including chickens, and cause respiratory and systemic disease. Rarely, these highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) viruses cause disease in mallards, while chickens are highly susceptible. The long co-evolution of mallard ducks with influenza viruses has undoubtedly fine-tuned many immunological host–pathogen interactions to confer resistance to disease, which are poorly understood. Here, we compare innate responses to different avian influenza viruses in ducks and chickens to reveal differences that point to potential mechanisms of disease resistance. Mallard ducks are permissive to LPAI replication in their intestinal tissues without overtly compromising their fitness. In contrast, the mallard response to HPAI infection reflects an immediate and robust induction of type I interferon and antiviral interferon stimulated genes, highlighting the importance of the RIG-I pathway. Ducks also appear to limit the duration of the response, particularly of pro-inflammatory cytokine expression. Chickens lack RIG-I, and some modulators of the signaling pathway and may be compromised in initiating an early interferon response, allowing more viral replication and consequent damage. We review current knowledge about innate response mediators to influenza infection in mallard ducks compared to chickens to gain insight into protective immune responses, and open questions for future research.
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Abstract
Waterbirds are the main reservoir for low pathogenic avian influenza A viruses (LPAIV), from which occasional spillover to poultry occurs. When circulating among poultry, LPAIV may become highly pathogenic avian influenza A viruses (HPAIV). In recent years, the epidemiology of HPAIV viruses has changed drastically. HPAIV H5N1 are currently endemic among poultry in a number of countries. In addition, global spread of HPAIV H5Nx viruses has resulted in major outbreaks among wild birds and poultry worldwide. Using data collected during these outbreaks, the role of migratory birds as a vector became increasingly clear. Here we provide an overview of current data about various aspects of the changing role of wild birds in the epidemiology of avian influenza A viruses.
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