Remigio Martínez, Irene Agulló-Ros, Moisés Gonzá. Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A (H5N1) Infection in Bearded Vultures in Spain. Zoonoses and Public Health
We report mortality in bearded vultures (Gypaetus barbatus) associated with highly pathogenic avian influenza HPAI A H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b, responsible for the current HPAI panzootic. Between April and May 2022, a total of five bearded vultures from Spain, four free-ranging and one captive individual, were found dead in their nest or with acute symptoms of disease. Complete necropsies were performed and histopathological, immunohistochemistry and molecular analyses were carried out. The presence of the HPAI H5N1 virus was confirmed in different organs, oropharyngeal and cloacal swabs and feathers from the affected individuals. The complete viral genome was obtained from three of the affected bearded vultures. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that the sequences obtained from the free-ranging individuals and the captive specimen belonged to the clade 2.3.4.4b and clustered separately. Furthermore, it supports that direct or indirect contact with other sympatric wild birds could be the most likely source of infection. This research highlights the susceptibility of the endangered bearded vulture to HPAI H5N1, thereby contributing to the broader understanding of the virus´s host range.
See Also:
Latest articles in those days:
- Generation of Nasal Cell-Derived Human Alveolar Organoids and Organoid-Macrophage Assembloids for in Vitro Lung Modeling 3 hours ago
- Determinants of the Seasonal Influenza Vaccination Uptake Among People Aged 50 Years or Above During and After the Pandemic: A Systematic Review 15 hours ago
- [preprint]A GIS-based framework for standardized environmental characterization in One-Health surveillance: a case study of HPAI monitoring in wetlands 16 hours ago
- First detection and transatlantic introduction of Influenza A(H3N2) subclade K (J.2.4.1) into Ecuador: insights from genomic sentinel surveillance 16 hours ago
- Assessment of influenza virus and coronavirus tropism, replication competence and disease severity in ex vivo and in vitro cultures of the human respiratory tract 2 days ago
[Go Top] [Close Window]


