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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Athens, Georgia » U.S. National Poultry Research Center » Exotic & Emerging Avian Viral Diseases Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #348080
Research Project: Intervention Strategies to Prevent and Control Disease Outbreaks Caused by Emerging Strains of Avian Influenza Viruses

Location: Exotic & Emerging Avian Viral Diseases Research

Title: Previous exposure to homo- or heterosubtypic low pathogenic avian influenza protects mallards from infection against H5N8 HPAI clade 2.3.4.4

Author
item Kapczynski, Darrell
item CHRZASTEK, KLAUDIA - Orise Fellow
item SEGOVIA, KAREN - Orise Fellow
item LATORRE-MARGALEF, NEUS - University Of Georgia
item FRANCA, MONIQUE - University Of Georgia
item STALLKNECHT, DAVID - University Of Georgia

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/8/2018
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Mallard ducks are widely recognized as reservoirs for low pathogenic avian influenza viruses (AIV) in nature and differences in prevalence of viral subtypes are likely influenced by flock immunity in these birds. Heterosubtypic immunity (HSI) refers to the ability of one subtype of AIV to protect against different subtype. Under experimental conditions, we assessed the protection of the HSI induced by live virus infection with H3N8, H4N6, H5N2, H6N2, H10N7 or H14N5 low pathogenic (LP) AIV in mallards from challenge with A/Gyrfalcon/Washington/40188-6/2014 highly pathogenic (HP) AIV clade 2.3.4.4. Furthermore, we evaluated if subsequent inoculations with different AIV subtypes would have a boosting effect in the magnitude of HSI as well as antibody titers. Here, we demonstrate that previous exposure to LPAIV induced protective immunity and resulted in decreased or no infection of mallard ducks following challenge. In addition, the magnitude of heterosubtypic immunity was increased with multiple subsequent infections. Interestingly, antibody titers were not detected against the HPAI virus prior to challenge in mallards receiving heterosubtypic strains, yet few of these birds became infected. Our findings provide further information and understanding on the contributions of HSI and implicate a potential role for cellular immunity in protection of birds previously exposed to LPAIV in the field.