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Phylodynamics of high pathogenicity avian influenza virus in Bangladesh identifying domestic ducks as the amplifying host reservoir

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journal contribution
posted on 2024-09-26, 04:52 authored by Ariful Islam, Michelle Wille, Mohammed Ziaur Rahman, Ashleigh F Porter, Mohammed Enayet Hosaain, Mohammad Mahmudul Hassan, Tahmina Shirin, Jonathan H Epstein, Marcel KlaassenMarcel Klaassen
High pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI) virus H5N1 first emerged in Bangladesh in 2007. Despite the use of vaccines in chickens since 2012 to control HPAI, HPAI H5Nx viruses have continued to infect poultry, and wild birds, resulting in notable mass mortalities in house crows (Corvus splendens). The first HPAI H5Nx viruses in Bangladesh belonged to clade 2.2.2, followed by clade 2.3.4.2 and 2.3.2.1 viruses in 2011. After the implementation of chicken vaccination in 2012, these viruses were mostly replaced by clade 2.3.2.1a viruses and more recently clade 2.3.4.4b and h viruses. In this study, we reconstruct the phylogenetic history of HPAI H5Nx viruses in Bangladesh to evaluate the role of major host species in the maintenance and evolution of HPAI H5Nx virus in Bangladesh and reveal the role of heavily impacted crows in virus epidemiology. Epizootic waves caused by HPAI H5N1 and H5N6 viruses amongst house crows occurred annually in winter. Bayesian phylodynamic analysis of clade 2.3.2.1a revealed frequent bidirectional viral transitions between domestic ducks, chickens, and house crows that was markedly skewed towards ducks; domestic ducks might be the source, or reservoir, of HPAI H5Nx in Bangladesh, as the number of viral transitions from ducks to chickens and house crows was by far more numerous than the other transitions. Our results suggest viral circulation in domestic birds despite vaccination, with crow epizootics acting as a sentinel. The vaccination strategy needs to be updated to use more effective vaccinations, assess vaccine efficacy, and extension of vaccination to domestic ducks, the key reservoir.

History

Journal

Emerging Microbes and Infections

Volume

13

Article number

2399268

Location

Oxford, Eng.

Open access

  • Yes

ISSN

2222-1751

eISSN

2222-1751

Language

eng

Publication classification

C1.1 Refereed article in a scholarly journal

Issue

1

Publisher

Taylor and Francis Group