Speaker
Description
Low Pathogenicity Avian Influenza (LPAI) viruses may serve as precursors and reassortment partners of High Pathogenicity Avian Influenza (HPAI) viruses, highlighting the importance of LPAI surveillance.
We developed a non-invasive “3W” approach, in which mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) are attracted to baited water bins, allowing collection of water samples potentially containing avian influenza viruses (AIV).
Between June 2022 and December 2023, 243 Virocult® swab samples collected from feed-baited bins in the Greifswalder Bodden area (Germany) were analyzed by generic and subtype-specific Influenza A RT-qPCR. Twelve samples (5%) tested positive, yielding subtypes H3N8, H11N9 and H5Nx. However, viral loads were insufficient for sequencing or virus isolation.
To improve sensitivity and increase virus loads for diagnosis, five virus recovery methods were compared experimentally using series of each 40 mL H4N6-spiked (10², 103, 10⁴ TCID₅₀) tap and Bodden water samples, with and without wheat to mimic field sampling conditions. Across all conditions, activated carbon/polyethylene glycol precipitation (ACPEG) and electronegative membrane adsorption (EM) yielded the lowest Ct values, whereas simple swab samples performed worst.
These findings demonstrate the potential of the 3W strategy to non-invasively detect AIV from wild waterfowl in water samples. Enrichment methods, in particular ACPEG and EM, may improve detection sensitivity and facilitate virus characterization.
Keywords
Avian influenza virus; environmental surveillance; mallard (Anas platyrhynchos); virus concentration methods
| Registration ID | Inf26-0040 |
|---|---|
| Professional status of the speaker | PhD student |
| Junior scientist status | Yes, I am a junior scientist. |
Author
Co-authors
External references
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