Genotypic Clustering of H5N1 Avian Influenza Viruses in North America Evaluated by Ordination Analysis.

The introduction of HPAI H5N1 clade 2.3.4.

H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza clade 2.3.4.4b in wild and domestic birds: Introductions into the United States and reassortments, December 2021-April 2022.

Highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses (HPAIVs) of the A/goose/Guangdong/1/1996 lineage H5 clade 2.3.4.

Waterfowl show spatiotemporal trends in influenza A H5 and H7 infections but limited taxonomic variation.

Influenza A viruses in wild birds pose threats to the poultry industry, wild birds, and human health under certain conditions. Of particular importance are wild waterfowl, which are the primary reservoir of low-pathogenicity influenza viruses that ultimately cause high-pathogenicity outbreaks in poultry farms. Despite much work on the drivers of influenza A virus prevalence, the underlying viral subtype dynamics are still mostly unexplored.

Accelerated evolution of SARS-CoV-2 in free-ranging white-tailed deer.

While SARS-CoV-2 has sporadically infected a wide range of animal species worldwide1, the virus has been repeatedly and frequently detected in white-tailed deer in North America2â€"7. The zoonotic origins of this pandemic virus highlight the need to fill the vast gaps in our knowledge of SARS-CoV-2 ecology and evolution in non-human hosts. Here, we detected SARS-CoV-2 was introduced from humans into white-tailed deer more than 30 times in Ohio, USA during November 2021-March 2022.

Spatiotemporal changes in influenza A virus prevalence among wild waterfowl inhabiting the continental United States throughout the annual cycle.

Avian influenza viruses can pose serious risks to agricultural production, human health, and wildlife. An understanding of viruses in wild reservoir species across time and space is important to informing surveillance programs, risk models, and potential population impacts for vulnerable species. Although it is recognized that influenza A virus prevalence peaks in reservoir waterfowl in late summer through autumn, temporal and spatial variation across species has not been fully characterized.

Optimising response to an introduction of African swine fever in wild pigs.

African swine fever virus (ASFv) is a virulent pathogen that threatens domestic swine industries globally and persists in wild boar populations in some countries. Persistence in wild boar can challenge elimination and prevent disease-free status, making it necessary to address wild swine in proactive response plans. In the United States, invasive wild pigs are abundant and found across a wide range of ecological conditions that could drive different epidemiological dynamics among populations.

Adaptive risk-based targeted surveillance for foreign animal diseases at the wildlife-livestock interface.

Animal disease surveillance is an important component of the national veterinary infrastructure to protect animal agriculture and facilitates identification of foreign animal disease (FAD) introduction. Once introduced, pathogens shared among domestic and wild animals are especially challenging to manage due to the complex ecology of spillover and spillback. Thus, early identification of FAD in wildlife is critical to minimize outbreak severity and potential impacts on animal agriculture as well as potential impacts on wildlife and biodiversity.

Intercontinental Movement of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A(H5N1) Clade 2.3.4.4 Virus to the United States, 2021.

We detected Eurasian-origin highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) virus belonging to the Gs/GD lineage, clade 2.3.4.

Plague risk in the western United States over seven decades of environmental change.

After several pandemics over the last two millennia, the wildlife reservoirs of plague (Yersinia pestis) now persist around the world, including in the western United States. Routine surveillance in this region has generated comprehensive records of human cases and animal seroprevalence, creating a unique opportunity to test how plague reservoirs are responding to environmental change. Here, we test whether animal and human data suggest that plague reservoirs and spillover risk have shifted since 1950.

Plague Exposure in Mammalian Wildlife Across the Western United States.

Plague is caused by a bacterial pathogen () that can infect a wide range of mammal species, but its presence in wildlife is often underappreciated. Using a large-scale data set ( = 44,857) that details the extent of exposure in wildlife, we document exposure in 18 wildlife species, including coyotes (), bobcats (), and black bears (). Evidence of plague activity is widespread, with seropositive animals detected in every western state in the contiguous United States.

Influenza A virus surveillance, infection and antibody persistence in snow geese (Anser caerulescens).

Some snow geese (Anser caerulescens) migrate between Eurasia and North America and exhibit high seroprevalence for influenza A viruses (IAVs). Hence, these birds might be expected to play a role in intercontinental dispersal of IAVs. Our objective in this manuscript was to characterize basic incidence and infection characteristics for snow geese to assess whether these birds are likely to significantly contribute to circulation of IAVs.

Spillover of SARS-CoV-2 into novel wild hosts in North America: A conceptual model for perpetuation of the pathogen.

There is evidence that the current outbreak of the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19, is of animal origin. As with a number of zoonotic pathogens, there is a risk of spillover into novel hosts. Here, we propose a hypothesized conceptual model that illustrates the mechanism whereby the SARS-CoV-2 could spillover from infected humans to naive wildlife hosts in North America.

Validation of a screening method for the detection of colistin-resistant E. coli containing mcr-1 in feral swine feces.

A method was developed and validated for the detection of colistin-resistant Escherichia coli containing mcr-1 in the feces of feral swine. Following optimization of an enrichment method using EC broth supplemented with colistin (1 μg/mL) and vancomycin (8 μg/mL), aliquots derived from 100 feral swine fecal samples were spiked with of one of five different mcr-1 positive E. coli strains (between 10 and 10 CFU/g), for a total of 1110 samples tested.

Predicting the initial spread of novel Asian origin influenza A viruses in the continental USA by wild waterfowl.

Using data on waterfowl band recoveries, we identified spatially explicit hotspots of concentrated waterfowl movement to predict occurrence and spatial spread of a novel influenza A virus (clade 2.3.4.

Spillover of Swine Coronaviruses, United States.

Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus, a pathogen first detected in US domestic swine in 2013, has rapidly spilled over into feral swine populations. A better understanding of the factors associated with pathogen emergence is needed to better manage, and ultimately prevent, future spillover events from domestic to nondomestic animals.

Effects of Low-level Brodifacoum Exposure on the Feline Immune Response.

Anticoagulant rodenticides have been implicated as a potential inciting factor in the development of mange in wild felids, but a causative association between anticoagulant rodenticide exposure and immune suppression has not been established. Specific-pathogen-free domestic cats were exposed to brodifacoum over a 6-week period to determine whether chronic, low-level exposure altered the feline immune response. Cats were vaccinated with irrelevant antigens at different points during the course of the experiment to assess recall and direct immune responses.

A Bead-Based Flow Cytometric Assay for Monitoring Yersinia pestis Exposure in Wildlife.

is the causative agent of plague and is considered a category A priority pathogen due to its potential for high transmissibility and the significant morbidity and mortality it causes in humans. is endemic to the western United States and much of the world, necessitating programs to monitor for this pathogen on the landscape. Elevated human risk of plague infection has been spatially correlated with spikes in seropositive wildlife numbers, particularly rodent-eating carnivores, which are frequently in contact with the enzootic hosts and the associated arthropod vectors of In this study, we describe a semiautomated bead-based flow cytometric assay developed for plague monitoring in wildlife called the F1 Luminex plague assay (F1-LPA).

A Review of Classical Swine Fever Virus and Routes of Introduction into the United States and the Potential for Virus Establishment.

Classical swine fever (CSF) is caused by CSF virus (CSFV) which can be the source of substantial morbidity and mortality events in affected swine. The disease can take one of several forms (acute, chronic, or prenatal) and depending on the virulence of the inoculating strain may result in a lethal infection irrespective of the form acquired. Because of the disease-free status of the United States and the high cost of a viral incursion, a summary of US vulnerabilities for viral introduction and persistence is provided.

A Review of African Swine Fever and the Potential for Introduction into the United States and the Possibility of Subsequent Establishment in Feral Swine and Native Ticks.

African swine fever (ASF) is caused by African swine fever virus (ASFV), which can cause substantial morbidity and mortality events in swine. The virus can be transmitted direct and indirect contacts with infected swine, their products, or competent vector species, especially ticks. Africa and much of Eastern Europe are endemic for ASF; a viral introduction to countries that are currently ASF free could have severe economic consequences due to the loss of production from infected animals and the trade restrictions that would likely be imposed as a result of an outbreak.

Correction to: A review of virulent Newcastle disease viruses in the United States and the role of wild birds in viral persistence and spread.

After publication of the article [1], it has been brought to our attention that Newcastle disease virus was incorrectly labeled as a Tier 1 USDA Select Agent. Newcastle disease virus is a USDA Select Agent but it is not a Tier 1 agent.