Epidemiology of Influenza A Virus among Black-headed Gulls, the Netherlands, 2006–2010

Abstract

We sampled 7,511 black-headed gulls for influenza virus in the Netherlands during 2006–2010 and found that subtypes H13 and H16 caused annual epidemics in fledglings on colony sites. Our findings validate targeted surveillance of wild waterbirds and clarify underlying factors for influenza virus emergence in other species.

Keywords

• influenza A virus
• viruses
• Charadriiformes
• epidemiology
• epidemics
• virulence