Pathogenesis in Eurasian tree sparrows inoculated with H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza virus and experimental virus transmission from tree sparrows to chickens.

Small wild birds that routinely enter poultry farms may be possible vectors of Asian lineage H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza virus. In this study, we conducted experimental infections using wild-caught Eurasian tree sparrows (Passer montanus) to evaluate their possible epidemiological involvement in virus transmission. When tree sparrows were intranasally inoculated with the virus at a low or high dose, all sparrows excluding euthanatized birds died within 11 days after inoculation. Viruses were frequently isolated from the drinking water, oral swabs, and visceral organs of the sparrows. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that the virus replicated strongly in the central nervous system, heart, and adrenal gland following primary infection in the upper respiratory tract and a probable subsequent viremic stage. In the contact infection study using virus-inoculated sparrows and untreated contact chickens, more than half of all chickens died from viral infection. In the virus transmission study in which chickens were given drinking water collected from virus-inoculated sparrows, mortality due to viral infection was observed in chickens. Our data suggest that Eurasian tree sparrows could be biological vectors of the H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza virus. In addition to frequent virus detection in the drinking water of sparrows, the results of the virus transmission study suggest that waterborne pathways could be important for viral transmission from tree sparrows to poultry.