Molecular detection and epidemiological distribution of poultry respiratory viral pathogens in commercial chicken flocks in Bangladesh.

Respiratory viral infections have a considerable detrimental impact on animal health as well as significant financial consequences in the poultry industry. The primary aim of this study is to investigate the major pathogens involved in respiratory diseases of poultry, the co-infection rate, and their epidemiological distribution in commercial chicken farms in Bangladesh. From June 2022 to December 2023, 300 pooled samples (swabs from live birds, and respiratory tissues from dead birds) were collected from the selected poultry farms where respiratory outbreaks were noticed.

Gene flow and its sporadic spillover: H10 and N5 avian influenza viruses from wild birds and the H10N5 human cases in China.

On 30 January 2024, China announced the first human case of H10N5 influenza infection. Prior to this, human cases of H10N7 and H10N8 had been reported. It is now appropriate to re-examine the evolution and future epidemiological trends of the H10 and N5 subtypes of avian influenza viruses (AIVs).

Structural basis of different neutralization capabilities of monoclonal antibodies against H7N9 virus.

Neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) are important for the treatment of emerging viral diseases and for effective vaccine development. In this study, we generated and evaluated three nAbs (1H9, 2D7, and C4H4) against H7N9 influenza viruses and found that they differ in their ability to inhibit viral attachment, membrane fusion, and egress. We resolved the cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structures of H7N9 hemagglutinin (HA) alone and in complex with the nAb antigen-binding fragments (Fabs) and identified the HA head-located epitope for each nAb, thereby revealing the molecular basis and key residues that determine the differences in these nAbs in neutralizing H7N9 viruses.

Can eggshells indicate stressor exposure in free-range laying hens?

Finding effective ways to monitor laying hen welfare is challenging as UK flock sizes can reach 16,000 birds. Eggs provide potential for welfare monitoring, as they are a daily output with previous evidence of links to stress. We explored the associations between stressors and eggs using two complementary studies.

Surveillance Strategy in Duck Flocks Vaccinated against Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Virus.

Since 2016, epizootics of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus have threatened the poultry sector in Europe. Because conventional prevention and control measures alone were insufficient in some contexts, the European Commission authorized poultry vaccination in 2023. Subsequently, France launched a nationwide duck vaccination campaign combined with a comprehensive surveillance plan.

Revealing novel CD8 T-cell epitopes from the H5N1 avian influenza virus in HBW/B1 haplotype ducks.

The duck CD8 T-cell response effectively defends against H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) infection, but the recognized peptide is rarely identified. Here, we found that the ratio of CD8 T cells and the expression of IFN-γ and cytotoxicity-associated genes, including granzyme A/K, perforin and IL2, at 7 days post-infection in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from B1 haplotype ducks significantly increased in the context of defending against H5N1 AIV infection in vivo. Moreover, similar results were observed in cultured and sorted H5N1 AIV-stimulated duck CD8 T cells in vitro.

Are we cultivating the perfect storm for a human avian influenza pandemic?

The emergence of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A H5N1 virus in dairy cattle marks a troubling new chapter in the ongoing battle against zoonotic diseases. Since its initial detection in 1955, the H5N1 virus has primarily been associated with poultry, posing significant threats to both animal and human health. However, recent outbreaks in U.

The potential of remote sensing for improved infectious disease ecology research and practice.

Outbreaks of COVID-19 in humans, Dutch elm disease in forests, and highly pathogenic avian influenza in wild birds and poultry highlight the disruptive impacts of infectious diseases on public health, ecosystems and economies. Infectious disease dynamics often depend on environmental conditions that drive occurrence, transmission and outbreaks. Remote sensing can contribute to infectious disease research and management by providing standardized environmental data across broad spatial and temporal extents, often at no cost to the user.

Meta-Analysis of Seroprevalence and Prevalence of Influenza A Viruses (Subtypes H3N2, H3N8, and H1N1) in Dogs.

Influenza A is a zoonotic disease that affects dogs, pigs, horses, poultry, and birds. In this report, a meta-analysis according to PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) was conducted. Studies of influenza A viruses in dogs providing prevalence or seroprevalence in any location worldwide were included.

A Spatial Multi Criteria Decision Analysis (SMCDA) to map the risk of avian influenza in Lazio and Toscana (central Italy).

Avian influenza (AI) is a global concern, affecting wild and domestic bird populations worldwide. Environmental conditions facilitating the presence of wild birds and a consistent domestic bird population contribute to the introduction and spread of AI within a territory. This study focuses on the identification of major risk areas for AI in the Lazio and Toscana Regions of central Italy using Spatial Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (SMCDA).

Stochastic Models of Zoonotic Avian Influenza with Multiple Hosts, Environmental Transmission, and Migration in the Natural Reservoir.

Avian influenza virus type A causes an infectious disease that circulates among wild bird populations and regularly spills over into domesticated animals, such as poultry and swine. As the virus replicates in these intermediate hosts, mutations occur, increasing the likelihood of emergence of a new variant with greater transmission to humans and a potential threat to public health. Prior models for spread of avian influenza have included some combinations of the following components: multi-host populations, spillover into humans, environmental transmission, seasonality, and migration.

Expression and delivery of HA1-M2e antigen using an innovative attenuated Salmonella-mediated delivery system confers promising protection against H9N2 avian influenza challenge.

This study explores a dual expression vector system for delivering prokaryotic and eukaryotic antigens to improve conventional vaccination strategies. To enhance immune protection against H9N2 avian influenza virus (AIV), which threatens poultry and humans, we used the previously constructed pJHL270 and pJHL305 plasmids with the Ptrc and CMV promoters to stimulate MHC class II and I responses through exogenous and endogenous antigenic presentation. Salmonella Gallinarum (SG), a delivery vector, was engineered to have defective lipopolysaccharide structures through lon, pagL, and rfaL deletion.

Identification of risk areas for avian influenza outbreaks in domestic poultry in Mali using the GIS-MCDA approach.

Mali is a country where little information is known about the circulation of avian influenza viruses (AIVs) in poultry. Implementing risk-based surveillance strategies would allow early detection and rapid control of AIVs outbreaks in the country. In this study, we implemented a multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) method coupled with geographic information systems (GIS) to identify risk areas for AIVs occurrence in domestic poultry in Mali.