tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
J Wildl Dis
. 2025 Mar 19.
doi: 10.7589/JWD-D-24-00137. Online ahead of print. Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Virus Exposure and Infection in Free-Ranging Bobcats (Lynx rufus) in New York, USA
Haley M Turner[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Angela K Fuller[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Joshua P Twining[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Gavin R Hitchener[SUP] 4 5 [/SUP], Melissa A Fadden[SUP] 5 [/SUP], David E Stallknecht[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Rebecca L Poulson[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Deborah L Carter[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Mandy B Watson[SUP] 7 [/SUP], Krysten L Schuler[SUP] 5 8 [/SUP], Jennifer C Bloodgood[SUP] 5 8 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Highly pathogenic H5N1 influenza A virus (HP H5N1) cases in wild mammals have been increasing globally. Carnivora has been the most affected mammal order; however, the extent of morbidity and mortality in carnivores exposed to HP H5N1 remains undefined. We assessed the presence of antibodies to H5 and N1 in the sera of 16 live-captured bobcats (Lynx rufus) in New York State, USA; reported on postcapture outcomes of HP H5N1-exposed bobcats; and reported on a case of HP H5N1 infection in one bobcat. In 2024, 4/16 (25%) bobcats tested positive for antibodies to H5 and N1. Two were confirmed alive as of November 2024 according to GPS data; the other two were alive as of June 2024, when their GPS collars stopped communicating. Another bobcat, which was negative for HP H5N1 antibodies at capture, died from HP H5N1 infection within 5 wk of capture. Our results provide evidence of bobcats both surviving and succumbing to HP H5N1 infection and highlight the importance of focused health studies paired with monitoring data to better understand exposure, infection, and outcome for novel pathogens and species.
Keywords: Carnivore; H5N1; HPAI; emerging infectious disease; spillover; wildlife; zoonosis.
. 2025 Mar 19.
doi: 10.7589/JWD-D-24-00137. Online ahead of print. Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Virus Exposure and Infection in Free-Ranging Bobcats (Lynx rufus) in New York, USA
Haley M Turner[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Angela K Fuller[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Joshua P Twining[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Gavin R Hitchener[SUP] 4 5 [/SUP], Melissa A Fadden[SUP] 5 [/SUP], David E Stallknecht[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Rebecca L Poulson[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Deborah L Carter[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Mandy B Watson[SUP] 7 [/SUP], Krysten L Schuler[SUP] 5 8 [/SUP], Jennifer C Bloodgood[SUP] 5 8 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 40103422
- DOI: 10.7589/JWD-D-24-00137
Highly pathogenic H5N1 influenza A virus (HP H5N1) cases in wild mammals have been increasing globally. Carnivora has been the most affected mammal order; however, the extent of morbidity and mortality in carnivores exposed to HP H5N1 remains undefined. We assessed the presence of antibodies to H5 and N1 in the sera of 16 live-captured bobcats (Lynx rufus) in New York State, USA; reported on postcapture outcomes of HP H5N1-exposed bobcats; and reported on a case of HP H5N1 infection in one bobcat. In 2024, 4/16 (25%) bobcats tested positive for antibodies to H5 and N1. Two were confirmed alive as of November 2024 according to GPS data; the other two were alive as of June 2024, when their GPS collars stopped communicating. Another bobcat, which was negative for HP H5N1 antibodies at capture, died from HP H5N1 infection within 5 wk of capture. Our results provide evidence of bobcats both surviving and succumbing to HP H5N1 infection and highlight the importance of focused health studies paired with monitoring data to better understand exposure, infection, and outcome for novel pathogens and species.
Keywords: Carnivore; H5N1; HPAI; emerging infectious disease; spillover; wildlife; zoonosis.
