Giuseppe
Emeritus
Research: Pathogenicity of Chinese H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses in pigeons - SpringerLink - Journal Article
Beibei Jia1, Jianzhong Shi1, Yanbing Li1, Kyoko Shinya2, 3, Yukiko Muramoto4, Xianying Zeng1, Guobin Tian1, Yoshihiro Kawaoka4, 5 and Hualan Chen1
Contact Information
(1) Animal Influenza Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture and National Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biotechnology, Harbin Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 427 Maduan Street, 150001 Harbin, People?s Republic of China
(2) The International Center for Medical Research and Treatment, Kobe University, 7-5-1, Kusunoki-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe 650-0017, Japan
(3) Faculty of Agriculture, Tottori University, Tottori 680-8553, Japan
(4) Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Tokyo, Tokyo 108-8639, Japan
(5) Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2015 Linden Drive, Madison, WI 53706, USA
Received: 18 June 2008
Accepted: 30 July 2008
Published online: 9 September 2008
Abstract
It has long been thought that pigeons are resistant against H5 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) viruses.
Recently, however, highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza viruses have demonstrated distinct biological properties that may be capable of causing disease in pigeons.
To examine the susceptibility of domestic pigeons to recent H5N1 viruses, we inoculated pigeons using H5N1 viruses isolated in China from 2002 to 2004.
Within 21 days following inoculation, all pigeons had survived and fully recovered from temporary clinical signs.
However, seroconversion assays demonstrated that several viruses did in fact establish infection in pigeons and caused a certain amount of viral shedding in the oropharynx and cloaca.
There was not, however, a definitive relationship between viral shedding and viral origin.
Viruses were also inconsistently isolated from various organs of pigeons in infected groups. Pathological examination revealed that the infection had started as respiratory inflammation and caused the most severe lesions in the brain in later stages.
These results indicate that pigeons are susceptible to the more recent Asian H5N1 HPAI and could be a source of infection to other animals, including humans.
<cite cite="http://www.springerlink.com/content/tt6381x466751614/">SpringerLink - Journal Article</cite>Contact Information
(1) Animal Influenza Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture and National Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biotechnology, Harbin Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 427 Maduan Street, 150001 Harbin, People?s Republic of China
(2) The International Center for Medical Research and Treatment, Kobe University, 7-5-1, Kusunoki-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe 650-0017, Japan
(3) Faculty of Agriculture, Tottori University, Tottori 680-8553, Japan
(4) Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Tokyo, Tokyo 108-8639, Japan
(5) Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2015 Linden Drive, Madison, WI 53706, USA
Received: 18 June 2008
Accepted: 30 July 2008
Published online: 9 September 2008
Abstract
It has long been thought that pigeons are resistant against H5 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) viruses.
Recently, however, highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza viruses have demonstrated distinct biological properties that may be capable of causing disease in pigeons.
To examine the susceptibility of domestic pigeons to recent H5N1 viruses, we inoculated pigeons using H5N1 viruses isolated in China from 2002 to 2004.
Within 21 days following inoculation, all pigeons had survived and fully recovered from temporary clinical signs.
However, seroconversion assays demonstrated that several viruses did in fact establish infection in pigeons and caused a certain amount of viral shedding in the oropharynx and cloaca.
There was not, however, a definitive relationship between viral shedding and viral origin.
Viruses were also inconsistently isolated from various organs of pigeons in infected groups. Pathological examination revealed that the infection had started as respiratory inflammation and caused the most severe lesions in the brain in later stages.
These results indicate that pigeons are susceptible to the more recent Asian H5N1 HPAI and could be a source of infection to other animals, including humans.
