Abstract
Long lived wild species which breed in colonies have been particularly affected by the recent highly pathogenic avian influenza (HP AI) panzootic. Such species may have evolved particular life histories and immune responses compared to more classically studied host species of avian influenza viruses. This may require a new look at important issues potentially driving the ecology and evolution of host-pathogen interactions. Seabird species are important to study as many of their populations are threatened, but they represent also original models in which individuals can be resampled over long time periods. From studies conducted at large seabird colonies in Europe and in the Southern Indian Ocean, we report original results on range of issues. We found strong inter-year persistence of anti-NP and anti-H5 antibody levels in northern gannet (Morus bassanus) breeding adults using ELISA and seroneutralization assays. We also found patterns of differential history of exposure to H5 AI virus within subantarctic seabird communities (based on the sampling of 2318 individuals from 18 species of 5 widely scattered islands), suggesting a key role for host ecology. Finally, we present insight into the dynamics of antibody levels following field vaccination of young king penguins (Aptenodytes patagonicus) against H5 protein. The results add to the knowledge already available on the particularity of the humoral immune responses of long-lived seabirds to infectious agents. The work outlines the importance of combining basic and applied approaches to address questions of high relevance in the current HP AI panzootic context.
Co-Author(s)
Thierry Boulinier (CEFE CNRS, Université Montpellier, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France), Mathilde Lejeune (CEFE CNRS, Université Montpellier, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France), Augustin Clessin (CEFE CNRS, Université Montpellier, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France), Tristan Bralet (CEFE CNRS, Université Montpellier, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France and Anses - French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health Safety, Laboratoire de Santé Animale, Zoonotic Bacteria Unit, Maisons-Alfort, France), Maelle Connan (Institute for Coastal and Marine Research, Nelson Mandela University, Gqeberha, South Africa), Peter Ryan (FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, University of Cape Town, South Africa), David Gremillet (CEFE CNRS, Université Montpellier, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France), Amandine Gamble (Department of Public & Ecosystem Health, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA), Antoine Stier (Université de Strasbourg, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien UMR 7178, Strasbourg, France), Vincent Viblanc (Université de Strasbourg, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien UMR 7178, Strasbourg, France), Pascale Massin (Anses - French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health Safety, Ploufragan-Plouzané Laboratory, Avian and Rabbit Virology, Immunology, and Parasitology Unit, Ploufragan, France), Audrey Schmitz (Anses - French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health Safety, Ploufragan-Plouzané Laboratory, Avian and Rabbit Virology, Immunology, and Parasitology Unit, Ploufragan, France), Eric Niqueux (Anses - French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health Safety, Ploufragan-Plouzané Laboratory, Avian and Rabbit Virology, Immunology, and Parasitology Unit, Ploufragan, France), Pascal Provost (LPO, Réserve des Sept-îles, îles Grande, France), Beatrice Grasland (Anses - French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health Safety, Ploufragan-Plouzané Laboratory, Avian and Rabbit Virology, Immunology, and Parasitology Unit, Ploufragan, France), Jérémy Tornos (CEFE CNRS, Université Montpellier, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France)
Abstract Category
Notable outbreaks, field and molecular epidemiology, and surveillance in wild birds