Varying impacts of natural infection with 2.3.4.4 highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza virus on Snow Geese movement ecology

Despite the significance of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) to both wild waterfowl and domestic poultry, there is little data available on how infection impacts the movement ecology of wild birds. Here we present data showing the variable response of Snow Geese to infection with HPAI. On one end of the response spectrum we report telemetry data from a single goose actively infected with HPAI at the time of marking which reduced movements during the infectious period compared to non-infected conspecifics, but recovered and migrated normally. Conversely, we also present serology data showing high antibody prevalence to HPAI H5N1 in Snow Geese that failed to leave their wintering areas, along with telemetry data from two birds that expressed delayed migration and a single bird that never migrated. Necropsy data from these non-migratory birds will also be presented. We will discuss the potential implications of observed movement patterns on HPAI transmission dynamics, as well as why the impacts of infection may vary across individuals within a species.

Jeffery D. Sullivan - U.S. Geological Survey, Eastern Ecological Science Center Michael L. Casazza - U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center Rebecca L. Poulson - Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study Elliott L. Matchett - U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center Cory T. Overton - U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center Mike Carpenter - U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center Mike Derico - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge Elizabeth W. Howerth - Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study David E. Stallknecht - Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study Diann J. Prosser - U.S. Geological Survey, Eastern Ecological Science Center

Notable outbreaks, field and molecular epidemiology, and surveillance in wild birds