Pandemic Influenza Plan - Questar III

Section 12: H5N1 in Non-Human Animals
Captive waterfowl, exhibition gamefowl, and poultry flocks reared on backyard premises
have been used previously as sentinels for active surveillance for avian diseases (e.g., West
Nile virus, St. Louis encephalitis virus, and other diseases). Use of sentinel species is under
consideration as part of the national surveillance plan and may be used in key areas such as
Alaska where bird migratory pathways from Asia and the United States overlap.
B. Surveillance in Wild (Free-Ranging) Birds
Multiple free-ranging wild bird species in Asia and Europe have been shown to have
clinical disease associated with naturally acquired HPAI H5N1 infection. The majority of
these cases have reportedly occurred as isolated instances, involving small numbers of
animals from a limited number of species, and primarily in areas with pre-existing
widespread poultry infection. While exact numbers and species are not always known,
species with confirmed H5N1 infection include grey herons, little egrets, tree sparrows,
pigeons, peregrine falcons and unspecified crow and magpie species. In addition, there
was a large die-off involving multiple waterfowl species at a lake in China during 2005.
The species affected in this large outbreak included bar-headed geese, brown-headed
gulls, great black-headed gulls, ruddy shelducks and great cormorants. While not
apparently involved in any outbreak situations as of yet, Whooper swans and mallards
seem to have been affected at multiple sites and in larger numbers than many other
species.
The possibility for bird mortality in other species is unknown at this time. Wild birds are
collected nationally for many government-agency and university-sponsored research studies.
Collection of samples specifically for AI surveillance may soon be enhanced due to the risk
of introduction of H5N1 into this hemisphere. Attention is being focused on the West Coast
and Alaska where, it is believed, migratory birds may carry the virus into the United States
from Asia and Russia. With this increased attention, more cases of low pathogenicity AI in
wild birds are being reported, including H5N1 recently in Canada (unrelated to the HPAI
H5N1 strains in Asia and Europe). Additional information is available from the National
Wildlife Health Center (including guidance for people handling wild birds) at
http://www.nwhc.usgs.gov/research/avian_influenza/avian_influenza.html.
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s Wildlife Pathology
Unit (WPU) is responsible for wild (free-ranging) bird disease surveillance. Wild birds
die of many more likely causes than AI, and the WPU can assess those causes. With no
HPAI H5N1 in the U.S., there is no systematic wild bird AI surveillance in NY at this
time, although systems for targeted surveillance are under consideration. Surveillance of
waterfowl through hunter check stations is under consideration at the national level for
key early detection areas such as Alaska. This type of surveillance may be considered in
NYS depending on availability of resources.
Previously in 2005, some birds were submitted by the WPU to the USDA National
Veterinary Services Laboratory (NVSL) for AI testing, and no HPAI was reported. In
addition, the New York State Department of Health’s (NYSDOH) Wadsworth Center is
conducting influenza research on wild birds in collaboration with the WPU and will be
conducting AI testing on some samples submitted by the WPU as part of WNV, botulism,
February 7, 2006 12-4