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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Athens, Georgia » U.S. National Poultry Research Center » Exotic & Emerging Avian Viral Diseases Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #390373
Research Project: Control Strategies to Prevent and Respond to Diseases Outbreaks Caused by Avian Influenza Viruses

Location: Exotic & Emerging Avian Viral Diseases Research

Title: Zoonotic potential of influenza A viruses of poultry and other avian species

Author
item Spackman, Erica
item Swayne, David

Submitted to: Council for Agricultural Science and Technology Issue Paper
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/1/2022
Publication Date: 11/1/2022
Citation: Spackman, E., Swayne, D.E. 2022. Zoonotic potential of influenza A viruses of poultry and other avian species. Council for Agricultural Science and Technology Issue Paper. SP33:23-25.

Interpretive Summary: Human influenza A viruses originate from viruses of aquatic birds, but the pathway to becoming a pandemic human strain is complex and is not fully understood. Sporadically, avian influenza virus (AIV) direct infect humans mostly through contact with infected poultry in low income countries and not through food consumption. Airborne avian influenza virus is the method of exposure and infection.

Technical Abstract: Multiple genes from H1, H2 and H3 human influenza A viruses originate from influenza A viruses of aquatic birds. Human influenza A pandemics were reported in 1918 (H1N1), 1957 (H2N2), 1968 (H3N2) and 2009 (pH1N1). However, the pathway to becoming a pandemic strain is complex, involving influenza A virus genes transmitted across birds, mammals and humans, and is not fully understood. Sporadically, direct avian influenza virus (AIV) infection of humans has occurred, resulting in high fatality rates with some viruses. Such human infections are primarily associated with exposure to infected poultry in live poultry markets (LPMs) of low income countries or during stamping-out activities of high pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI) outbreaks. Epidemiological studies have not linked AIV human infection to food consumption. Airborne AIV has been recovered from samples in LPMs in Asia. Experimental studies on the slaughter process with asymptomatic infected chickens and ducks have isolated HPAIV from air samples and demonstrated transmission to ferrets (eg. animal model for human transmission and infection) housed within the same air space. AIV infections from direct exposure to wild aquatic birds are rare. However, antibodies to strains associated with wild birds have been found in asymptomatic duck hunters and wildlife professionals.