mBio (Aug 2024)
Avian influenza viruses in wild birds in Canada following incursions of highly pathogenic H5N1 virus from Eurasia in 2021–2022
- Jolene A. Giacinti,
- Anthony V. Signore,
- Megan E. B. Jones,
- Laura Bourque,
- Stéphane Lair,
- Claire Jardine,
- Brian Stevens,
- Trent Bollinger,
- Dayna Goldsmith,
- Margo Pybus,
- Iga Stasiak,
- Richard Davis,
- Neil Pople,
- Larissa Nituch,
- Rodney W. Brook,
- Davor Ojkic,
- Ariane Massé,
- Gabrielle Dimitri-Masson,
- Glen J. Parsons,
- Meghan Baker,
- Carmencita Yason,
- Jane Harms,
- Naima Jutha,
- Jon Neely,
- Yohannes Berhane,
- Oliver Lung,
- Shannon K. French,
- Lawrna Myers,
- Jennifer F. Provencher,
- Stephanie Avery-Gomm,
- Gregory J. Robertson,
- Tatsiana Barychka,
- Kirsty E. B. Gurney,
- Jordan Wight,
- Ishraq Rahman,
- Kathryn Hargan,
- Andrew S. Lang,
- William A. Montevecchi,
- Tori V. Burt,
- Michael G. C. Brown,
- Cynthia Pekarik,
- Trevor Thompson,
- Angela McLaughlin,
- Megan Willie,
- Laurie Wilson,
- Scott A. Flemming,
- Megan V. Ross,
- Jim Leafloor,
- Frank Baldwin,
- Chris Sharp,
- Hannah Lewis,
- Matthieu Beaumont,
- Al Hanson,
- Robert A. Ronconi,
- Eric Reed,
- Margaret Campbell,
- Michelle Saunders,
- Catherine Soos
Affiliations
- Jolene A. Giacinti
- National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Government of Canada, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
- Anthony V. Signore
- Ecotoxicology and Wildlife Health Division, Science and Technology Branch, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Government of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Megan E. B. Jones
- Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative, Atlantic Veterinary College, University of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada
- Laura Bourque
- Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative, Atlantic Veterinary College, University of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada
- Stéphane Lair
- Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative, Faculté de médecine vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, St-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada
- Claire Jardine
- Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
- Brian Stevens
- Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
- Trent Bollinger
- Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
- Dayna Goldsmith
- Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Margo Pybus
- Alberta Environment and Parks, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Iga Stasiak
- Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
- Richard Davis
- Manitoba Department of Natural Resources and Northern Development, Wildlife Branch, Dauphin, Manitoba, Canada
- Neil Pople
- Veterinary Diagnostic Services, Manitoba Department of Agriculture, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
- Larissa Nituch
- Wildlife Research and Monitoring Section, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
- Rodney W. Brook
- Wildlife Research and Monitoring Section, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
- Davor Ojkic
- Animal Health Laboratory, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
- Ariane Massé
- Ministère de l’Environnement, de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques, de la Faune et des Parcs du Québec, Québec City, Québec, Canada
- Gabrielle Dimitri-Masson
- Ministère de l’Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l’Alimentation du Québec, Québec City, Québec, Canada
- Glen J. Parsons
- Wildlife Division, Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources and Renewables, Kentville, Nova Scotia, Canada
- Meghan Baker
- Animal Health Division, Department of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
- Carmencita Yason
- AVC Diagnostic Services, Atlantic Veterinary College, University of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada
- Jane Harms
- Animal Health Unit, Environment Yukon, Government of Yukon, Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada
- Naima Jutha
- Wildlife Management Division, Department of Environment and Climate Change, Government of the Northwest Territories, Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada
- Jon Neely
- Wildlife Operations Division, Department of Environment, Government of Nunavut, Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada
- Yohannes Berhane
- Ecotoxicology and Wildlife Health Division, Science and Technology Branch, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Government of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Oliver Lung
- Ecotoxicology and Wildlife Health Division, Science and Technology Branch, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Government of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Shannon K. French
- Animal Health Strategic Planning and Research, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Lawrna Myers
- Animal Health Strategic Planning and Research, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Jennifer F. Provencher
- National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Government of Canada, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
- Stephanie Avery-Gomm
- Wildlife Research Division, Science and Technology Branch, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Government of Canada, Mount Pearl, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
- Gregory J. Robertson
- Wildlife Research Division, Science and Technology Branch, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Government of Canada, Mount Pearl, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
- Tatsiana Barychka
- Wildlife Research Division, Science and Technology Branch, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Government of Canada, Mount Pearl, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
- Kirsty E. B. Gurney
- Ecotoxicology and Wildlife Health Division, Science and Technology Branch, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Government of Canada, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
- Jordan Wight
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
- Ishraq Rahman
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
- Kathryn Hargan
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
- Andrew S. Lang
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
- William A. Montevecchi
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
- Tori V. Burt
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
- Michael G. C. Brown
- Wildlife Management and Regulatory Affairs Division, Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Government of Canada, Gatineau, Québec, Canada
- Cynthia Pekarik
- Wildlife Management and Regulatory Affairs Division, Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Government of Canada, Gatineau, Québec, Canada
- Trevor Thompson
- Wildlife Management and Regulatory Affairs Division, Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Government of Canada, Gatineau, Québec, Canada
- Angela McLaughlin
- National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Government of Canada, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
- Megan Willie
- Pacific Region Wildlife and Habitat Assessment Section, Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Government of Canada, Delta, British Columbia, Canada
- Laurie Wilson
- Pacific Region Wildlife and Habitat Assessment Section, Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Government of Canada, Delta, British Columbia, Canada
- Scott A. Flemming
- Pacific Region Wildlife and Habitat Assessment Section, Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Government of Canada, Delta, British Columbia, Canada
- Megan V. Ross
- Pacific Region Wildlife and Habitat Assessment Section, Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Government of Canada, Delta, British Columbia, Canada
- Jim Leafloor
- Prairie Region Wildlife and Habitat Assessment Section, Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Government of Canada, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
- Frank Baldwin
- Prairie Region Wildlife and Habitat Assessment Section, Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Government of Canada, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
- Chris Sharp
- Ontario Region Wildlife and Habitat Assessment Section, Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Government of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Hannah Lewis
- Ontario Region Wildlife and Habitat Assessment Section, Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Government of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Matthieu Beaumont
- Quebec Region Wildlife and Habitat Assessment Section, Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Government of Canada, Québec, Québec, Canada
- Al Hanson
- Atlantic Region Wildlife and Habitat Assessment Section, Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Government of Canada, Sackville, New Brunswick, Canada
- Robert A. Ronconi
- Atlantic Region Wildlife and Habitat Assessment Section, Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Government of Canada, Sackville, New Brunswick, Canada
- Eric Reed
- Northern Region Wildlife and Habitat Assessment Section, Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Government of Canada, Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada
- Margaret Campbell
- Northern Region Wildlife and Habitat Assessment Section, Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Government of Canada, Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada
- Michelle Saunders
- Department of Lands and Natural Resources, Nunatsiavut Government, Nain, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
- Catherine Soos
- Ecotoxicology and Wildlife Health Division, Science and Technology Branch, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Government of Canada, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1128/mbio.03203-23
- Journal volume & issue
-
Vol. 15,
no. 8
Abstract
ABSTRACT Following the detection of novel highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b in Newfoundland, Canada, in late 2021, avian influenza virus (AIV) surveillance in wild birds was scaled up across Canada. Herein, we present the results of Canada’s Interagency Surveillance Program for Avian Influenza in Wild Birds during the first year (November 2021–November 2022) following the incursions of HPAIV from Eurasia. The key objectives of the surveillance program were to (i) identify the presence, distribution, and spread of HPAIV and other AIVs; (ii) identify wild bird morbidity and mortality associated with HPAIV; (iii) identify the range of wild bird species infected by HPAIV; and (iv) genetically characterize detected AIV. A total of 6,246 sick and dead wild birds were tested, of which 27.4% were HPAIV positive across 12 taxonomic orders and 80 species. Geographically, HPAIV detections occurred in all Canadian provinces and territories, with the highest numbers in the Atlantic and Central Flyways. Temporally, peak detections differed across flyways, though the national peak occurred in April 2022. In an additional 11,295 asymptomatic harvested or live-captured wild birds, 5.2% were HPAIV positive across 3 taxonomic orders and 19 species. Whole-genome sequencing identified HPAIV of Eurasian origin as most prevalent in the Atlantic Flyway, along with multiple reassortants of mixed Eurasian and North American origins distributed across Canada, with moderate structuring at the flyway scale. Wild birds were victims and reservoirs of HPAIV H5N1 2.3.4.4b, underscoring the importance of surveillance encompassing samples from sick and dead, as well as live and harvested birds, to provide insights into the dynamics and potential impacts of the HPAIV H5N1 outbreak. This dramatic shift in the presence and distribution of HPAIV in wild birds in Canada highlights a need for sustained investment in wild bird surveillance and collaboration across interagency partners.IMPORTANCEWe present the results of Canada’s Interagency Surveillance Program for Avian Influenza in Wild Birds in the year following the first detection of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) H5N1 on the continent. The surveillance program tested over 17,000 wild birds, both sick and apparently healthy, which revealed spatiotemporal and taxonomic patterns in HPAIV prevalence and mortality across Canada. The significant shift in the presence and distribution of HPAIV in Canada’s wild birds underscores the need for sustained investment in wild bird surveillance and collaboration across One Health partners.
Keywords
- avian influenza
- highly pathogenic avian influenza virus
- H5N1
- low pathogenicity avian influenza virus
- wild birds
- reservoir
