Tissue tropism and pathology of natural influenza virus infection in black-headed gulls (Chroicocephalus ridibundus).
Avian Pathol
; 41(6): 547-53, 2012 Dec.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-23237367
ABSTRACT
Black-headed gulls (Chroicocephalus ridibundus) are a suitable host species to study the epidemiology of low-pathogenic avian influenza virus (LPAIV) infection in wild waterbirds because they are a common colony-breeding species in which LPAIV infection is detected frequently, limited mainly to the H13 and H16 subtypes. However, the sites of virus replication and associated lesions are poorly understood. We therefore performed virological and pathological analyses on tissues of black-headed gulls naturally infected with LPAIV. We found that 24 of 111 black-headed gulls collected from breeding colonies were infected with LPAIV (10 birds with H16N3, one bird with H13N8, 13 birds undetermined), based on virus and viral genome detection in pharyngeal and cloacal swabs. Of these 24 gulls, 15 expressed virus antigen in their tissues. Virus antigen expression was limited to epithelial cells of intestine and cloacal bursa. No histological lesions were detected in association with virus antigen expression. Our findings show that LPAIV replication in the intestinal tract of black-headed gulls is mainly a superficial infection in absence of detectable lesions, as determined recently for natural LPAIV infection in free-living mallards (Anas platyrhynchos). These findings imply that LPAIV in black-headed gulls has adapted to minimal pathogenicity to its host and that potentially the primary transmission route is faecal-oral.
Texto completo:
1
Colección:
01-internacional
Banco de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Virus de la Influenza A
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Charadriiformes
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Gripe Aviar
Límite:
Animals
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Female
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Humans
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Male
País/Región como asunto:
Europa
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Avian Pathol
Año:
2012
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
España