tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Animals (Basel)
. 2024 Mar 27;14(7):1018.
doi: 10.3390/ani14071018. Genetic Diversity of Avian Influenza Viruses Detected in Waterbirds in Northeast Italy Using Two Different Sampling Strategies
Giulia Graziosi[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Caterina Lupini[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Federica Gobbo[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Bianca Zecchin[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Giulia Quaglia[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Sara Pedrazzoli[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Gabriele Lizzi[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Geremia Dosa[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Gabriella Martini[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Calogero Terregino[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Elena Catelli[SUP] 1 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Avian influenza viruses (AIVs), which circulate endemically in wild aquatic birds, pose a significant threat to poultry and raise concerns for their zoonotic potential. From August 2021 to April 2022, a multi-site cross-sectional study involving active AIV epidemiological monitoring was conducted in wetlands of the Emilia-Romagna region, northern Italy, adjacent to densely populated poultry areas. A total of 129 cloacal swab samples (CSs) and 407 avian faecal droppings samples (FDs) were collected, with 7 CSs (5.4%) and 4 FDs (1%) testing positive for the AIV matrix gene through rRT-PCR. A COI-barcoding protocol was applied to recognize the species of origin of AIV-positive FDs. Multiple low-pathogenic AIV subtypes were identified, and five of these were isolated, including an H5N3, an H1N1, and three H9N2 in wild ducks. Following whole-genome sequencing, phylogenetic analyses of the hereby obtained strains showed close genetic relationships with AIVs detected in countries along the Black Sea/Mediterranean migratory flyway. Notably, none of the analyzed gene segments were genetically related to HPAI H5N1 viruses of clade 2.3.4.4b isolated from Italian poultry during the concurrent 2021-2022 epidemic. Overall, the detected AIV genetic diversity emphasizes the necessity for ongoing monitoring in wild hosts using diverse sampling strategies and whole-genome sequencing.
Keywords: avian faecal droppings; avian influenza; cloacal swabs; wetlands; whole-genome sequencing; wild birds.
. 2024 Mar 27;14(7):1018.
doi: 10.3390/ani14071018. Genetic Diversity of Avian Influenza Viruses Detected in Waterbirds in Northeast Italy Using Two Different Sampling Strategies
Giulia Graziosi[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Caterina Lupini[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Federica Gobbo[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Bianca Zecchin[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Giulia Quaglia[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Sara Pedrazzoli[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Gabriele Lizzi[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Geremia Dosa[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Gabriella Martini[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Calogero Terregino[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Elena Catelli[SUP] 1 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 38612257
- PMCID: PMC11010841
- DOI: 10.3390/ani14071018
Avian influenza viruses (AIVs), which circulate endemically in wild aquatic birds, pose a significant threat to poultry and raise concerns for their zoonotic potential. From August 2021 to April 2022, a multi-site cross-sectional study involving active AIV epidemiological monitoring was conducted in wetlands of the Emilia-Romagna region, northern Italy, adjacent to densely populated poultry areas. A total of 129 cloacal swab samples (CSs) and 407 avian faecal droppings samples (FDs) were collected, with 7 CSs (5.4%) and 4 FDs (1%) testing positive for the AIV matrix gene through rRT-PCR. A COI-barcoding protocol was applied to recognize the species of origin of AIV-positive FDs. Multiple low-pathogenic AIV subtypes were identified, and five of these were isolated, including an H5N3, an H1N1, and three H9N2 in wild ducks. Following whole-genome sequencing, phylogenetic analyses of the hereby obtained strains showed close genetic relationships with AIVs detected in countries along the Black Sea/Mediterranean migratory flyway. Notably, none of the analyzed gene segments were genetically related to HPAI H5N1 viruses of clade 2.3.4.4b isolated from Italian poultry during the concurrent 2021-2022 epidemic. Overall, the detected AIV genetic diversity emphasizes the necessity for ongoing monitoring in wild hosts using diverse sampling strategies and whole-genome sequencing.
Keywords: avian faecal droppings; avian influenza; cloacal swabs; wetlands; whole-genome sequencing; wild birds.