• FluTrackers.com Inc. does not provide medical advice. Information on this web site is collected from various internet resources, and the FluTrackers board of directors makes no warranty to the safety, efficacy, correctness or completeness of the information posted on this site by any author or poster. The information collated here is for instructional and/or discussion purposes only and is NOT intended to diagnose or treat any disease, illness, or other medical condition. Every individual reader or poster should seek advice from their personal physician/healthcare practitioner before considering or using any interventions that are discussed on this website. By continuing to access this website you agree to consult your personal physican before using any interventions posted on this website, and you agree to hold harmless FluTrackers.com Inc., the board of directors, the members, and all authors and posters for any effects from use of any medication, supplement, vitamin or other substance, device, intervention, etc. mentioned in posts on this website, or other internet venues referenced in posts on this website.
  • We are not asking for any donations. Do not donate to any entity who says they are raising funds for us.

Impact of body condition on influenza A virus infection dynamics in mallards following a secondary exposure

tetano

Editor, Senior Moderator
PLoS One. 2017 Apr 19;12(4):e0175757. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0175757. eCollection 2017.
[h=1]Impact of body condition on influenza A virus infection dynamics in mallards following a secondary exposure.[/h] Dannemiller NG[SUP]1,[/SUP][SUP]2[/SUP], Webb CT[SUP]3[/SUP], Wilson KR[SUP]1[/SUP], Bentler KT[SUP]2[/SUP], Mooers NL[SUP]2[/SUP], Ellis JW[SUP]2[/SUP], Root JJ[SUP]2[/SUP], Franklin AB[SUP]2[/SUP], Shriner SA[SUP]2[/SUP].
[h=3]Author information[/h]

[h=3]Abstract[/h] Migratory waterfowl are often viewed as vehicles for the global spread of influenza A viruses (IAVs), with mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) implicated as particularly important reservoir hosts. The physical demands and energetic costs of migration have been shown to influence birds' body condition; poorer body condition may suppress immune function and affect the course of IAV infection. Our study evaluated the impact of body condition on immune function and viral shedding dynamics in mallards naturally exposed to an H9 IAV, and then secondarily exposed to an H4N6 IAV. Mallards were divided into three treatment groups of 10 birds per group, with each bird's body condition manipulated as a function of body weight by restricting food availability to achieve either a -10%, -20%, or control body weight class. We found that mallards exhibit moderate heterosubtypic immunity against an H4N6 IAV infection after an infection from an H9 IAV, and that body condition did not have an impact on shedding dynamics in response to a secondary exposure. Furthermore, body condition did not affect aspects of the innate and adaptive immune system, including the acute phase protein haptoglobin, heterophil/lymphocyte ratios, and antibody production. Contrary to recently proposed hypotheses and some experimental evidence, our data do not support relationships between body condition, infection and immunocompetence following a second exposure to IAV in mallards. Consequently, while annual migration may be a driver in the maintenance and spread of IAVs, the energetic demands of migration may not affect susceptibility in mallards.


PMID: 28423047 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0175757
Free full text
 
Back
Top Bottom