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Alkie TN, Byrne AMP, Jones MEB, Mollett BC, Bourque L, Lung O, James J, Yason C, Banyard AC, Sullivan D, Signore AV, Lang AS, Baker M, Dawe B, Brown IH, Berhane Y. Recurring Trans-Atlantic Incursion of Clade 2.3.4.4b H5N1 Viruses by Long Distance Migratory Birds from Northern Europe to Canada in 2022/2023. Viruses 2023; 15:1836. [PMID: 37766243 PMCID: PMC10536465 DOI: 10.3390/v15091836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2023] [Revised: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
In December 2022 and January 2023, we isolated clade 2.3.4.4b H5N1 high-pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI) viruses from six American crows (Corvus brachyrhynchos) from Prince Edward Island and a red fox (Vulpes vulpes) from Newfoundland, Canada. Using full-genome sequencing and phylogenetic analysis, these viruses were found to fall into two distinct phylogenetic clusters: one group containing H5N1 viruses that had been circulating in North and South America since late 2021, and the other one containing European H5N1 viruses reported in late 2022. The transatlantic re-introduction for the second time by pelagic/Icelandic bird migration via the same route used during the 2021 incursion of Eurasian origin H5N1 viruses into North America demonstrates that migratory birds continue to be the driving force for transcontinental dissemination of the virus. This new detection further demonstrates the continual long-term threat of H5N1 viruses for poultry and mammals and the subsequent impact on various wild bird populations wherever these viruses emerge. The continual emergence of clade 2.3.4.4b H5Nx viruses requires vigilant surveillance in wild birds, particularly in areas of the Americas, which lie within the migratory corridors for long-distance migratory birds originating from Europe and Asia. Although H5Nx viruses have been detected at higher rates in North America since 2021, a bidirectional flow of H5Nx genes of American origin viruses to Europe has never been reported. In the future, coordinated and systematic surveillance programs for HPAI viruses need to be launched between European and North American agencies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamiru N. Alkie
- National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Winnipeg, MB R3E 3R2, Canada; (T.N.A.); (O.L.); (D.S.); (A.V.S.)
| | - Alexander M. P. Byrne
- Department of Virology, Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA-Weybridge), Woodham Lane, 10 Addlestone, Surrey KT15 3NB, UK; (A.M.P.B.); (B.C.M.); (J.J.); (A.C.B.)
| | - Megan E. B. Jones
- Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative, Atlantic Region, Charlottetown, PE C1A 4P3, Canada; (M.E.B.J.); (L.B.)
- Atlantic Veterinary College, University of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown, PE C1A 4P3, Canada;
| | - Benjamin C. Mollett
- Department of Virology, Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA-Weybridge), Woodham Lane, 10 Addlestone, Surrey KT15 3NB, UK; (A.M.P.B.); (B.C.M.); (J.J.); (A.C.B.)
| | - Laura Bourque
- Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative, Atlantic Region, Charlottetown, PE C1A 4P3, Canada; (M.E.B.J.); (L.B.)
| | - Oliver Lung
- National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Winnipeg, MB R3E 3R2, Canada; (T.N.A.); (O.L.); (D.S.); (A.V.S.)
| | - Joe James
- Department of Virology, Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA-Weybridge), Woodham Lane, 10 Addlestone, Surrey KT15 3NB, UK; (A.M.P.B.); (B.C.M.); (J.J.); (A.C.B.)
- WOAH/FAO International Reference Laboratory for Avian Influenza, Animal and Plant Health 12 Agency (APHA-Weybridge), Woodham Lane, Addlestone, Surrey KT15 3NB, UK
| | - Carmencita Yason
- Atlantic Veterinary College, University of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown, PE C1A 4P3, Canada;
| | - Ashley C. Banyard
- Department of Virology, Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA-Weybridge), Woodham Lane, 10 Addlestone, Surrey KT15 3NB, UK; (A.M.P.B.); (B.C.M.); (J.J.); (A.C.B.)
- WOAH/FAO International Reference Laboratory for Avian Influenza, Animal and Plant Health 12 Agency (APHA-Weybridge), Woodham Lane, Addlestone, Surrey KT15 3NB, UK
| | - Daniel Sullivan
- National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Winnipeg, MB R3E 3R2, Canada; (T.N.A.); (O.L.); (D.S.); (A.V.S.)
| | - Anthony V. Signore
- National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Winnipeg, MB R3E 3R2, Canada; (T.N.A.); (O.L.); (D.S.); (A.V.S.)
| | - Andrew S. Lang
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, NL A1C 5S7, Canada;
| | - Meghan Baker
- Animal Health Division, Department of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, Provincial Agriculture Building, 204 Brookfield Road, St. John’s, NL A1E 0B2, Canada; (M.B.); (B.D.)
| | - Beverly Dawe
- Animal Health Division, Department of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, Provincial Agriculture Building, 204 Brookfield Road, St. John’s, NL A1E 0B2, Canada; (M.B.); (B.D.)
| | - Ian H. Brown
- Department of Virology, Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA-Weybridge), Woodham Lane, 10 Addlestone, Surrey KT15 3NB, UK; (A.M.P.B.); (B.C.M.); (J.J.); (A.C.B.)
- WOAH/FAO International Reference Laboratory for Avian Influenza, Animal and Plant Health 12 Agency (APHA-Weybridge), Woodham Lane, Addlestone, Surrey KT15 3NB, UK
| | - Yohannes Berhane
- National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Winnipeg, MB R3E 3R2, Canada; (T.N.A.); (O.L.); (D.S.); (A.V.S.)
- Department of Veterinary Pathology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5B4, Canada
- Department of Animal Science, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada
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Pendergraft LT, Marzluff JM, Cross DJ, Shimizu T, Templeton CN. American Crow Brain Activity in Response to Conspecific Vocalizations Changes When Food Is Present. Front Physiol 2021; 12:766345. [PMID: 34867472 PMCID: PMC8637333 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2021.766345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Social interaction among animals can occur under many contexts, such as during foraging. Our knowledge of the regions within an avian brain associated with social interaction is limited to the regions activated by a single context or sensory modality. We used 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) to examine American crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) brain activity in response to conditions associated with communal feeding. Using a paired approach, we exposed crows to either a visual stimulus (the sight of food), an audio stimulus (the sound of conspecifics vocalizing while foraging) or both audio/visual stimuli presented simultaneously and compared to their brain activity in response to a control stimulus (an empty stage). We found two regions, the nucleus taenia of the amygdala (TnA) and a medial portion of the caudal nidopallium, that showed increased activity in response to the multimodal combination of stimuli but not in response to either stimulus when presented unimodally. We also found significantly increased activity in the lateral septum and medially within the nidopallium in response to both the audio-only and the combined audio/visual stimuli. We did not find any differences in activation in response to the visual stimulus by itself. We discuss how these regions may be involved in the processing of multimodal stimuli in the context of social interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- LomaJohn T Pendergraft
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - John M Marzluff
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Donna J Cross
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Toru Shimizu
- Department of Psychology, College of Arts and Sciences, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States
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Wheeler SS, Taff CC, Reisen WK, Townsend AK. Mosquito blood-feeding patterns and nesting behavior of American crows, an amplifying host of West Nile virus. Parasit Vectors 2021; 14:331. [PMID: 34158103 PMCID: PMC8220764 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-021-04827-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Although American crows are a key indicator species for West Nile virus (WNV) and mount among the highest viremias reported for any host, the importance of crows in the WNV transmission cycle has been called into question because of their consistent underrepresentation in studies of Culex blood meal sources. Here, we test the hypothesis that this apparent underrepresentation could be due, in part, to underrepresentation of crow nesting habitat from mosquito sampling designs. Specifically, we examine how the likelihood of a crow blood meal changes with distance to and timing of active crow nests in a Davis, California, population. Methods Sixty artificial mosquito resting sites were deployed from May to September 2014 in varying proximity to known crow nesting sites, and Culex blood meal hosts were identified by DNA barcoding. Genotypes from crow blood meals and local crows (72 nestlings from 30 broods and 389 local breeders and helpers) were used to match mosquito blood meals to specific local crows. Results Among the 297 identified Culex blood meals, 20 (6.7%) were attributable to crows. The mean percentage of blood meals of crow origin was 19% in the nesting period (1 May–18 June 2014), but 0% in the weeks after fledging (19 June–1 September 2014), and the likelihood of a crow blood meal increased with proximity to an active nest: the odds that crows hosted a Culex blood meal were 38.07 times greater within 10 m of an active nest than > 10 m from an active nest. Nine of ten crow blood meals that could be matched to a genotype of a specific crow belonged to either nestlings in these nests or their mothers. Six of the seven genotypes that could not be attributed to sampled birds belonged to females, a sex bias likely due to mosquitoes targeting incubating or brooding females. Conclusion Data herein indicate that breeding crows serve as hosts for Culex in the initial stages of the WNV spring enzootic cycle. Given their high viremia, infected crows could thereby contribute to the re-initiation and early amplification of the virus, increasing its availability as mosquitoes shift to other moderately competent later-breeding avian hosts.![]() Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13071-021-04827-x.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah S Wheeler
- Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito and Vector Control District, 8631 Bond Road, Elk Grove, CA, 95624, USA.
| | - Conor C Taff
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14850, USA
| | - William K Reisen
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Andrea K Townsend
- Department of Biology, Hamilton College, 198 College Hill Rd, Clinton, NY, 13323, USA
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Swift KN, Marzluff JM, Templeton CN, Shimizu T, Cross DJ. Brain activity underlying American crow processing of encounters with dead conspecifics. Behav Brain Res 2020; 385:112546. [PMID: 32035868 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2020.112546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2019] [Revised: 02/05/2020] [Accepted: 02/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Animals utilize a variety of auditory and visual cues to navigate the landscape of fear. For some species, including corvids, dead conspecifics appear to act as one such visual cue of danger, and prompt alarm calling by attending conspecifics. Which brain regions mediate responses to dead conspecifics, and how this compares to other threats, has so far only been speculative. Using 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) we contrast the metabolic response to visual and auditory cues associated with a dead conspecific among five a priori selected regions in the American crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) brain: the hippocampus, nidopallium caudolaterale, striatum, amygdala, and the septum. Using a repeated-measures, fully balanced approach, we exposed crows to four stimuli: a dead conspecific, a dead song sparrow (Melospiza melodia), conspecific alarm calls given in response to a dead crow, and conspecific food begging calls. We find that in response to observations of a dead crow, crows show significant activity in areas associated with higher-order decision-making (NCL), but not in areas associated with social behaviors or fear learning. We do not find strong differences in activation between hearing alarm calls and food begging calls; both activate the NCL. Lastly, repeated exposures to negative stimuli had a marginal effect on later increasing the subjects' brain activity in response to control stimuli, suggesting that crows might quickly learn from negative experiences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaeli N Swift
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, Seattle, WA, United States.
| | - John M Marzluff
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, Seattle, WA, United States
| | | | - Toru Shimizu
- Department of Psychology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States
| | - Donna J Cross
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
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Swift K, Marzluff JM. Occurrence and variability of tactile interactions between wild American crows and dead conspecifics. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2018; 373:20170259. [PMID: 30012745 PMCID: PMC6053988 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2017.0259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/25/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Observations of some mammals and birds touching their dead provoke questions about the motivation and adaptive value of this potentially risky behaviour. Here, we use controlled experiments to determine if tactile interactions are characteristic of wild American crow responses to dead crows, and what the prevalence and nature of tactile interactions suggests about their motivations. In Experiment 1, we test if food or information acquisition motivates contact by presenting crows with taxidermy-prepared dead crows, and two species crows are known to scavenge: dead pigeons and dead squirrels. In Experiment 2, we test if territoriality motivates tactile interactions by presenting crows with taxidermy crows prepared to look either dead or upright and life-like. In Experiment 1, we find that crows are significantly less likely to make contact but more likely to alarm call and recruit other birds in response to dead crows than to dead pigeons and squirrels. In addition, we find that aggressive and sexual encounters with dead crows are seasonally biased. These findings are inconsistent with feeding or information acquisition-based motivation. In Experiment 2, we find that crows rarely dive-bomb and more often alarm call and recruit other crows to dead than to life-like crows, behaviours inconsistent with responses given to live intruders. Consistent with a danger response hypothesis, our results show that alarm calling and neighbour recruitment occur more frequently in response to dead crows than other stimuli, and that touching dead crows is atypical. Occasional contacts, which take a variety of aggressive and sexual forms, may result from an inability to mediate conflicting stimuli.This article is part of the theme issue 'Evolutionary thanatology: impacts of the dead on the living in humans and other animals'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaeli Swift
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington College of the Environment, Seattle, WA 98195-5350, USA
| | - John M Marzluff
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington College of the Environment, Seattle, WA 98195-5350, USA
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Hofmeister EK, Lund M, Shearn Bochsler V. West Nile Virus Infection in American Singer Canaries: An Experimental Model in a Highly Susceptible Avian Species. Vet Pathol 2018; 55:531-538. [PMID: 29506438 DOI: 10.1177/0300985818760377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
This study investigated the susceptibility of American singer canaries ( Serinus canaria) to West Nile virus (WNV) infection. Adult canaries were inoculated with 105, 102, and 101 plaque forming units (PFU) of WNV. All birds became infected and mortality occurred by 5 days postinoculation. The load of viral RNA as determined by RT-qPCR was dose dependent, and was higher at all doses than the level of viral RNA detected in American crows ( Corvus brachyrhynchos) challenged with 105 PFU of WNV. In a subset of birds, viremia was detected by virus isolation; canaries inoculated with 101 PFU of WNV developed viremia exceeding 1010 PFU/mL serum, a log higher than American crows inoculated with 105 PFU of virus. In canaries euthanized at 3 days postinoculation, WNV was isolated at >107 PFU of virus/100 mg of lung, liver, heart, spleen, and kidney tissues. Pallor of the liver and splenomegaly were the most common macroscopic observations and histologic lesions were most severe in liver, spleen, and kidney, particularly in canaries challenged with 102 and 101 PFU. Immunoreactivity to WNV was pronounced in the liver and spleen. IgG antibodies to WNV were detected in serum by enzyme immunoassay in 11 of 21 (52%) challenged canaries and, in 4 of 5 (20%) of these sera, neutralization antibodies were detected at a titer ≥ 1:20. American singer canaries provide a useful model as this bird species is highly susceptible to WNV infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik K Hofmeister
- 1 US Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Melissa Lund
- 1 US Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, WI, USA
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Dietrich EA, Bowen RA, Brault AC. An ex vivo avian leukocyte culture model for West Nile virus infection. J Virol Methods 2015; 218:19-22. [PMID: 25783683 DOI: 10.1016/j.jviromet.2015.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2014] [Revised: 02/20/2015] [Accepted: 03/06/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
West Nile virus (WNV) replicates in a wide variety of avian species, which act as amplification hosts. In particular, WNV generates high titers and elicits severe pathology in American crows (AMCRs; Corvus brachyrhynchos), a species that has been used as a sentinel for WNV transmission. Although the specific cellular targets of WNV replication in AMCRs are not well defined, preliminary evidence suggests that leukocytes may be an important target of early replication. Therefore, development of a protocol for ex vivo culture of AMCR leukocytes as a model for assessing differential avian host susceptibility is described herein. WNV growth in these cultures mirrored in vivo viremia profiles. These data indicate that ex vivo leukocyte cultures can be used for preliminary pathological assessment of novel WNV strains and potentially of other flaviviruses that use avian reservoir hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth A Dietrich
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3156 Rampart Road, Fort Collins, CO 80521, United States
| | - Richard A Bowen
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, 1683 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1683, United States
| | - Aaron C Brault
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3156 Rampart Road, Fort Collins, CO 80521, United States.
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