1. Pathology of natural highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 infection in wild tufted ducks (Aythya fuligula).
- Author
-
Bröjer C, Agren EO, Uhlhorn H, Bernodt K, Mörner T, Jansson DS, Mattsson R, Zohari S, Thorén P, Berg M, and Gavier-Widén D
- Subjects
- Animals, Animals, Wild virology, Antigens, Viral analysis, Brain pathology, Brain virology, Cloaca pathology, Cloaca virology, Ducks virology, Immunohistochemistry, Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype genetics, Influenza in Birds epidemiology, Influenza in Birds pathology, Liver pathology, Liver virology, Neurons pathology, Neurons virology, Polymerase Chain Reaction, RNA, Viral genetics, RNA, Viral isolation & purification, Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction, Sweden epidemiology, Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype pathogenicity, Influenza in Birds virology
- Abstract
Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) subtype H5N1 is an infectious systemic viral disease that results in high morbidity and mortality in poultry, and has been reported in a wide range of wild bird species during the last few years. An outbreak of HPAI H5N1 occurred in wild birds in Sweden in 2006 that affected several duck species, geese, swans, gulls, and raptors. Tufted ducks (Aythya fuligula) accounted for the largest number of positive cases and, therefore, were selected for more in-depth histologic and immunohistochemical evaluations. The main histologic lesions associated with the presence of avian influenza antigen were found in the brain, pancreas, and upper respiratory tract. Other tissues in which influenza antigen was variably found included liver, lung, adrenal glands, kidneys, and peripheral nerve ganglia. The current study describes the pathology and viral tissue targeting of H5N1 by using histology, polymerase chain reaction, and immunohistochemistry, and highlights the range and variation in the presentation of the natural disease in tufted ducks.
- Published
- 2009
- Full Text
- View/download PDF