Highly pathogenic and low pathogenic avian influenza H5 subtype viruses in wild birds in Ukraine

Authors: MUZYKA, DENYS - NATIONAL SCIENTIFIC CENTER; RULA, OLEKSANDR - NATIONAL SCIENTIFIC CENTER; TKACHENKO, SEMEN - NATIONAL SCIENTIFIC CENTER; MUZYKA, NATALIA - NATIONAL SCIENTIFIC CENTER; KOTHE, SUSANNE - FRIEDRICH-LOEFFLER-INSTITUT; STEGNIY, BORYS - NATIONAL SCIENTIFIC CENTER; PANTIN JACKWOOD, MARY; BEER, MARTIN - FRIEDRICH-LOEFFLER-INSTITUT

Submitted to: Avian Diseases
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/9/2018
Publication Date: 3/15/2019
Citation: Muzyka, D., Rula, O., Tkachenko, S., Muzyka, N., Kothe, S., Stegniy, B., Pantin Jackwood, M.J., Beer, M. 2019. Highly pathogenic and low pathogenic avian influenza H5 subtype viruses in wild birds in Ukraine. Avian Diseases. 63(1):219-229. https://doi.org/10.1637/11879-042718-ResNote.1.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1637/11879-042718-ResNote.1

Interpretive Summary: Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) continues to pose a serious threat for human and animal wellbeing. Ukraine is one of the European countries recently affected by HPAI. Outbreaks of H5N1 HPAI among poultry and wild birds were reported in 2006-2008, and more recent H5N8 HPAI viruses caused several outbreaks in 2016-2017. Wide wild bird surveillance for AIV was conducted from 2006 to 2016 in Ukraine regions suspected of being intercontinental (North-South and East-West) flyways. A total of 20,236 samples were collected from 98 species of wild birds. Eighty-two low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) viruses were isolated from wild birds, including one H5N2 LPAI virus in 2010. Two H5N8 AIV and two H5N2 AIV were isolated from live wild birds and environmental samples during surveillance before the outbreak in poultry. Ukrainian H5N1, H5N8 HPAI and H5N2 LPAI viruses belong to different phylogenetic groups. Our results demonstrate the great diversity of AI viruses in wild birds in Ukraine, as well as the importance of this region for studying the ecology of avian influenza.

Technical Abstract: There have been three waves of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreaks in commercial, backyard poultry and wild birds in Ukraine. The first (2005-2006) and the second (2008) waves were caused by H5N1 HPAI virus, with 45 outbreaks among commercial poultry (chickens) and backyard fowl (chickens, ducks, and geese) in four regions of Ukraine (AR Crimea, Kherson, Odesa, Sumy Oblast). H5N1 HPAIV was isolated from dead wild birds [Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) and Great Crested Grebe (Podiceps cristatus)] in 2006 and 2008. The third HPAI wave consisted of nine outbreaks of H5N8 HPAI in wild and domestic birds, beginning in November 2016 in the Central and South Regions (Kherson, Odesa, Chernivtsi, Ternopil, Mykolaiv Oblast). H5N8 HPAIV was detected in dead Mute Swan (Cygnus olor), Peacocks (Pavo cristatus) (in a zoo), Ruddy Shelduck (Tadorna ferruginea), White-fronted Goose (Anser albifrons) and from environmental samples in 2016 and 2017. Wide wild bird surveillance for AIV was conducted from 2006 to 2016 in Ukraine regions suspected of being intercontinental (North-South and East-West) flyways. A total of 20,236 samples were collected from 98 species of wild birds representing 27 families and 11 orders. Eighty-two low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) viruses were isolated (including one H5N2 LPAI virus in 2010) from wild birds with a total of 23 hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) combinations. Fifteen of 16 known avian HA subtypes were isolated. Two H5N8 AIV and two H5N2 AIV were isolated from live wild birds and environmental samples (fresh bird’s feces) during surveillance before the outbreak in poultry. Ukrainian H5N1, H5N8 HPAI and H5N2 LPAI viruses belong to different phylogenetic groups. Our results demonstrate the great diversity of AI viruses in wild birds in Ukraine, as well as the importance of this region for studying the ecology of avian influenza.