USGS National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America.
PLoS One. 2009 Oct 22;4(10):e7555. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0007555.
Several species of wild raptors have been found in Eurasia infected with highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) subtype H5N1. Should HPAIV (H5N1) reach North America in migratory birds, species of raptors are at risk not only from environmental exposure, but also from consuming infected birds and carcasses. In this study we used American kestrels as a representative species of a North American raptor to examine the effects of HPAIV (H5N1) infection in terms of dose response, viral shedding, pathology, and survival. Our data showed that kestrels are highly susceptible to HPAIV (H5N1). All birds typically died or were euthanized due to severe neurologic disease within 4-5 days of inoculation and shed significant amounts of virus both orally and cloacally, regardless of dose administered. The most consistent microscopic lesions were necrosis in the brain and pancreas. This is the first experimental study of HPAIV infection in a North American raptor and highlights the potential risks to birds of prey if HPAIV (H5N1) is introduced into North America.
几种野生猛禽在欧亚大陆被发现感染了高致病性禽流感病毒（HPAIV）亚型 H5N1。如果高致病性禽流感病毒（H5N1）在候鸟中传播到北美洲，猛禽物种不仅面临环境暴露的风险，还面临食用感染鸟类和尸体的风险。在这项研究中，我们使用红隼作为北美的猛禽代表物种，研究了高致病性禽流感病毒（H5N1）感染的剂量反应、病毒脱落、病理学和存活率。我们的数据表明，红隼对高致病性禽流感病毒（H5N1）高度易感。所有鸟类在接种后 4-5 天内通常因严重的神经疾病而死亡或被安乐死，无论给予的剂量如何，它们都会通过口腔和泄殖腔大量排出病毒。最一致的显微镜病变是脑和胰腺坏死。这是对北美的猛禽进行高致病性禽流感病毒感染的首次实验研究，强调了如果高致病性禽流感病毒（H5N1）传入北美洲，对猛禽的潜在风险。
