HPAI H5N2 In Wild Mallard Near Fairbanks Alaska

[niman]

The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has confirmed the presence of highly pathogenic H5N2 avian influenza (HPAI) in a wild mallard duck from a state wildlife refuge near Fairbanks, Alaska. 

Edited August 28, 2016 by niman

[niman]

NOTICE: USDA Confirms Highly Pathogenic H5N2 Avian Influenza in a Wild Mallard Duck in Alaska

USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service sent this bulletin at 08/26/2016 01:05 PM EDT

The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has confirmed the presence of highly pathogenic H5N2 avian influenza (HPAI) in a wild mallard duck from a state wildlife refuge near Fairbanks, Alaska. CDC considers the risk to the general public from these HPAI H5 infections to be low.  No human infections with Eurasian H5 viruses have occurred in the United States. As a reminder, the proper handling and cooking of poultry and eggs to an internal temperature of 165˚F kills bacteria and viruses, including HPAI.

H5N2 HPAI has NOT been found in the U.S. – in either wild or commercial birds – since June 2015. However, anyone involved with poultry production from the small backyard to the large commercial producer should review their biosecurity activities to assure the health of their birds. To facilitate such a review, a biosecurity self-assessment and educational materials can be found at http://www.uspoultry.org/animal_husbandry/intro.cfm. 

The United States has the strongest AI surveillance program in the world, and USDA is working with its partners to actively look for the disease in commercial poultry operations, live bird markets and in migratory wild bird populations. The wild mallard duck was captured and a sample tested as part of ongoing wild bird surveillance. Since July 1, 2016, USDA and its partners have tested approximately 4,000 samples, with a goal to collect approximately 30,000 samples before July 1, 2017. Approximately 45,500 samples were tested during wild bird surveillance from July 1, 2015-June 30, 2016.

Since wild birds can be infected with these viruses without appearing sick, people should minimize direct contact with wild birds by using gloves. If contact occurs, wash your hands with soap and water and change clothing before having any contact with healthy domestic poultry and birds. Hunters should dress game birds in the field whenever possible and practice good biosecurity to prevent any potential disease spread. Biosecurity information is available at:https://www.aphis.usda.gov/publications/animal_health/2015/fsc_hpai_hunters.pdf.

In addition to practicing good biosecurity, all bird owners should prevent contact between their birds and wild birds and report sick birds or unusual bird deaths to State/Federal officials, either through their state veterinarian or through USDA’s toll-free number at 1-866-536-7593.  Additional information on biosecurity for backyard flocks can be found at http://healthybirds.aphis.usda.gov.

Additional background

Avian influenza (AI) is caused by an influenza type A virus which can infect poultry (such as chickens, turkeys, pheasants, quail, domestic ducks, geese and guinea fowl) and is carried by free flying waterfowl such as ducks, geese and shorebirds. AI viruses are classified by a combination of two groups of proteins: hemagglutinin or “H” proteins, of which there are 16 (H1–H16), and neuraminidase or “N” proteins, of which there are 9 (N1–N9). Many different combinations of “H” and “N” proteins are possible. Each combination is considered a different subtype, and can be further broken down into different strains. AI viruses are further classified by their pathogenicity (low or high)—the ability of a particular virus strain to produce disease in domestic chickens.

 

https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDAAPHIS/bulletins/15fbc68

Edited August 28, 2016 by niman

[niman]

[niman]

LOCUS       KX838899                1744 bp    cRNA    linear   VRL 08-OCT-2016
DEFINITION  Influenza A virus (A/mallard/Alaska/AH0088535/2016(H5N2)) segment 4
            hemagglutinin (HA) gene, complete cds.
ACCESSION   KX838899
VERSION     KX838899.1
KEYWORDS    .
SOURCE      Influenza A virus (A/mallard/Alaska/AH0088535/2016(H5N2))
  ORGANISM  Influenza A virus (A/mallard/Alaska/AH0088535/2016(H5N2))
            Viruses; ssRNA viruses; ssRNA negative-strand viruses;
            Orthomyxoviridae; Influenzavirus A.
REFERENCE   1  (bases 1 to 1744)
  AUTHORS   Killian,M.L.
  TITLE     Direct Submission
  JOURNAL   Submitted (12-SEP-2016) Diagnostic Virology Laboratory, National
            Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL), USDA APHIS VS, 1920 Dayton
            Avenue, Ames, IA 50010, USA
COMMENT     GenBank Accession Numbers KX838896-KX838903 represent sequences
            from the 8 segments of Influenza A virus
            (A/mallard/Alaska/AH0088535/2016(H5N2)).
            
            ##Assembly-Data-START##
            Assembly Method       :: SeqMan NGen v. 12
            Sequencing Technology :: IonTorrent
            ##Assembly-Data-END##
FEATURES             Location/Qualifiers
     source          1..1744
                     /organism="Influenza A virus
                     (A/mallard/Alaska/AH0088535/2016(H5N2))"
                     /mol_type="viral cRNA"
                     /strain="A/mallard/Alaska/AH0088535/2016"
                     /serotype="H5N2"
                     /isolation_source="oropharyngeal/cloacal swab pool from
                     individual bird"
                     /host="mallard; live bird surveillance"
                     /db_xref="taxon:1899328"
                     /segment="4"
                     /country="USA: Alaska, Fairbanks North Star Borough"
                     /collection_date="12-Aug-2016"
                     /collected_by="Alaska Department of Fish and Game"
                     /note="NVSL 16-027072 original swab; Eurasian origin
                     (EA-H5 clade 2.3.4.4)-North American reassortant"
     gene            17..1720
                     /gene="HA"
     CDS             17..1720
                     /gene="HA"
                     /function="receptor binding and fusion protein"
                     /codon_start=1
                     /product="hemagglutinin"
                     /protein_id="AOT22442.1"
                     /translation="MEKIVLLFAVISLVKSDQICIGYHANNSTKQVDTIMEKNVTVTH
                     AQDILEKTHNGKLCDLNGVKPLILKDCSVAGWLLGNPMCDEFIRVPEWSYIVERANPA
                     NDLCYPGTLNDYEELKHLLSRINHFEKTLIIPRSSWPNHETSLGVSAACPYQGASAFF
                     RNVVWLIKKNDAYPTIKISYNNTNREDLLILWGIHHSNNAAEQTNLYKNPDTYVSVGT
                     STLNQRLVPKIATRSQVNGQSGRMDFFWTILKPNDAIHFESNGNFIAPEYAYKIVKKG
                     DSTIMKSEMEYGHCNTKCQTPIGAINSSMPFHNIHPLTIGECPKYVKSNKLVLATGLR
                     NSPLRERRRKRGLFGAIAGFIEGGWQGMVDGWYGYHHSNEQGSGYAADKESTQKAIDG
                     VTNKVNSIIDKMNTQFEAVGREFNNLERRIENLNKKMEDGFLDVWTYNAELLVLMENE
                     RTLDFHDSNVRNLYDKARLQLRDNAKELGNGCFEFYHKCDNECMESVRNGTYDYPKYS
                     EEAILKREEISGVKLESIGTYQILSIYSTVASSLALAIIVAGLSLWMCSNGSLQCRIC
                     I"
     sig_peptide     17..64
                     /gene="HA"
     mat_peptide     65..1051
                     /gene="HA"
                     /product="HA1"
     mat_peptide     1052..1717
                     /gene="HA"
                     /product="HA2"
ORIGIN      
        1 ggttcaatct gtcaaaatgg agaaaatagt gcttcttttt gcagtgatta gccttgtcaa
       61 aagcgaccag atttgcattg gttaccatgc aaacaactca acaaagcagg ttgacacgat
      121 aatggagaaa aacgtcactg ttacacatgc ccaagacata ctggaaaaga cacacaacgg
      181 gaagctctgc gatcttaatg gagtgaagcc cctgattcta aaggattgta gcgtagctgg
      241 gtggctcctt ggaaatccaa tgtgcgacga gttcatcagg gtaccggaat ggtcttacat
      301 cgtggagagg gctaacccag ccaacgatct ctgttaccca gggaccctca atgactatga
      361 ggaactgaaa cacctattga gcagaataaa tcattttgag aaaactctga tcatccccag
      421 gagttcttgg cccaatcatg aaacatcatt aggggtgagc gcagcatgtc cataccaggg
      481 agcatccgca tttttcagaa atgtggtatg gctcatcaaa aagaacgatg catacccgac
      541 aataaagata agctacaata ataccaatcg ggaagatctt ttgatactgt gggggattca
      601 tcattccaac aatgcagcag agcagacaaa tctctataaa aacccagaca cttatgtttc
      661 cgttgggaca tcaacattaa accagagatt ggtgccaaaa atagctacta gatcccaagt
      721 aaacgggcag agtggaagaa tggatttctt ctggacaatt ttaaaaccga atgatgcaat
      781 ccactttgag agtaatggaa atttcattgc tccagaatat gcatacaaaa ttgtcaagaa
      841 aggggactca acaattatga aaagtgaaat ggagtatggc cactgcaaca ccaaatgtca
      901 aactccaata ggggcgataa actctagcat gccattccac aatatacacc ctctcaccat
      961 aggggaatgc cccaaatacg tgaagtcaaa caaattagtc cttgcgactg ggctcagaaa
     1021 tagtcctcta agagaaagaa gaagaaaaag aggactattt ggagctatag cagggtttat
     1081 agagggagga tggcagggaa tggtagacgg ttggtatggg tatcatcata gcaatgagca
     1141 ggggagtggg tacgctgcag acaaagaatc aacccaaaag gcaatagatg gagttaccaa
     1201 taaggtcaac tcaatcattg acaaaatgaa cactcaattt gaggccgttg gaagggagtt
     1261 taataactta gaaaggagaa tagagaattt aaacaagaaa atggaagacg gattcctaga
     1321 tgtctggact tataatgctg aacttttagt tctcatggaa aatgagagaa ctctagattt
     1381 ccatgactca aatgtcagaa acctttacga caaagcccga ctacagctta gggataatgc
     1441 aaaggagctg ggtaatggtt gtttcgagtt ctatcacaaa tgtgataacg aatgtatgga
     1501 gagcgtaaga aatgggacgt atgactaccc taagtattca gaagaagcaa tattaaaaag
     1561 agaagaaata agcggagtga aattagaatc aataggaact taccagatac tgtcaattta
     1621 ttcaacagtg gcgagttccc tagcactggc aatcatagtg gctggtctat ctttatggat
     1681 gtgctctaat gggtcgttac aatgcagaat ttgcatctaa atttgtgagc tcagattgta
     1741 atta