Skip to main content
ARS Home » Plains Area » Sidney, Montana » Northern Plains Agricultural Research Laboratory » Pest Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #381369
Research Project: Forecasting, Outbreak Prevention, and Ecology of Grasshoppers and Other Rangeland and Crop Insects in the Great Plains

Location: Pest Management Research

Title: The spatial-temporal relationship of blue-winged teal to domestic poultry: Movement state modeling of a highly mobile avian influenza host

Author
item Humphreys Jr, John
item DOUGLAS, DAVID - Us Geological Survey (USGS)
item RAMEY, ANDREW - Us Geological Survey (USGS)
item MULLINAX, JENNIFER - University Of Maryland
item SOOS, CATHERINE - Environment Canada
item LINK, PAUL - Louisiana Department Of Wildlife
item WALTHER, PATRICK - Us Fish And Wildlife Service
item PROSSER, DIANN - Us Geological Survey (USGS)

Submitted to: Journal of Applied Ecology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/26/2021
Publication Date: 8/9/2021
Citation: Humphreys Jr., J.M., Douglas, D.C., Ramey, A.M., Mullinax, J.M., Soos, C., Link, P., Walther, P., Prosser, D.J. 2021. The spatial-temporal relationship of blue-winged teal to domestic poultry: Movement state modeling of a highly mobile avian influenza host. Journal of Applied Ecology. 58(10):2040-2052. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2664.13963.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2664.13963

Interpretive Summary: Avian influenza viruses are globally distributed, may produce highly contagious poultry disease, economically impact both large-scale and backyard poultry producers, and raise the specter of a human epidemic or pandemic. To help minimize adverse economic impacts and better anticipate the locations and times most susceptible to poultry outbreaks, we modeled the movement and behavior of a duck species that transports and transmits avian influenza viruses (AIV).

Technical Abstract: 1. Migratory waterfowl facilitate long-distance dispersal of zoonotic pathogens and are increasingly recognized as contributing to the geographic spread of avian influenza viruses (AIV). Avian influenza viruses are globally distributed, produce highly contagious poultry disease, economically impact both large-scale and backyard poultry producers, and raise the specter of human epidemic or pandemic. 2. Because migratory waterfowl behavior varies across multiple spatial and temporal scales, the timing and distribution of wild bird AIV introductions are also heterogeneous in time and space. To help reduce economic impacts to the poultry industry and enable poultry producers to better anticipate when and where poultry outbreaks may occur, it is critically important to consider the movement ecology of the waterfowl species that transport and transmit AIV. 3. We used high-resolution telemetry for a geographically widespread and common AIV host, blue-winged teal (BWTE) to model reservoir host movement states with respect to backyard and commercial poultry facilities in the United States. Our novel modeling framework enabled us to estimate wild bird proximity to poultry facilities while concurrently assessing the reciprocal correspondence of poultry facilities with BWTE movement. Our primary objective was to appraise the likelihood of duck and poultry contact by estimating when and where BWTE were geographically closest to poultry. 4. Our results indicate that BWTE proximity to poultry facilities varies by season, the poultry type produced (e.g., turkey, chicken), and if the facility is a commercial or backyard operation. These findings are broadly applicable to disease ecology research and can be applied by poultry producers to improve bio-security, enhance poultry management, and prioritize disease surveillance efforts.