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Abstract Title
Species-Specific Differences in Innate Immune Responses of Chicken and Duck Embryonic Fibroblasts to Avian Influenza Virus Infections
Abstract
This study investigates species-specific responses to avian influenza virus (AIV) infection comparing in vitro (chicken DF-1 and duck CCL-141 embryonic fibroblasts) and in ovo (embryonated hen and duck eggs) systems. Two virus strains were used: a low pathogenicity A/turkey/England/198/09 (H6N1) and a genetically modified H5N1 virus (GM-AIV09), derived from a highly pathogenic A/chicken/Scotland/054477/2021 strain.
Viral replication and host viability were monitored over a 72-hour period. Chicken cells and embryonated eggs supported sustained viral replication with moderate cell death, while duck cells showed faster loss of viability. However, duck embryos maintained higher survival rates than chicken embryos throughout infection. These findings demonstrate that cell culture models may not fully represent species-specific responses to AIV. In contrast, the embryonated egg model better reflects in vivo resistance, preserving key aspects of host complexity.
This work supports the use of in ovo systems as a more physiologically relevant platform for evaluating host-pathogen interactions and assessing the threat posed by emerging AIV strains, particularly important during ongoing outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza with zoonotic potential.
Viral replication and host viability were monitored over a 72-hour period. Chicken cells and embryonated eggs supported sustained viral replication with moderate cell death, while duck cells showed faster loss of viability. However, duck embryos maintained higher survival rates than chicken embryos throughout infection. These findings demonstrate that cell culture models may not fully represent species-specific responses to AIV. In contrast, the embryonated egg model better reflects in vivo resistance, preserving key aspects of host complexity.
This work supports the use of in ovo systems as a more physiologically relevant platform for evaluating host-pathogen interactions and assessing the threat posed by emerging AIV strains, particularly important during ongoing outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza with zoonotic potential.
Co-Author(s)
Lamyaa Al-Dalawi, Adam Blanchard, Michael Clark, Leah V. Goulding and Kin-Chow Chang
Abstract Category
Notable outbreaks, field and molecular epidemiology, and surveillance in poultry