Department of Pathobiology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada.
Department of Pathobiology, Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada.
Transbound Emerg Dis. 2018 Aug;65(4):1098-1102. doi: 10.1111/tbed.12832. Epub 2018 Feb 18.
Avian metapneumovirus (aMPV) is an emerging poultry pathogen that has a significant economic impact on poultry production worldwide. The geographic range of the virus continues to expand, and wild birds have been implicated as reservoirs of aMPV that have the potential to spread the virus over long distances. Our objective was to determine the apparent prevalence of aMPV subtype C in wild waterfowl in Ontario, Canada. Wild waterfowl were captured in August and September, 2016 as part of routine migratory waterfowl population monitoring by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry. Oropharyngeal and cloacal swabs were collected from each bird and placed together for aMPV testing using real-time RT-PCR. A total of 374 live wild birds from 23 lakes were sampled and tested for aMPV. Among all ducks tested, 84 (22%) were positive for aMPV. The proportion of samples that tested positive ranged from 0% in ring-necked ducks (Aythya collaris) and green-winged teal (Anas carolinensis) to 44% (8 of 18) in American black ducks (A. rubripes). Waterfowl positive for aMPV were found at 14 of 23 lakes in the study area and the percent positive at these 14 lakes ranged between 5% and 84%. Although subtype C aMPV has been detected in a variety of wild birds in North America, this is the first report of aMPV in wild ducks in Ontario, Canada. The high apparent prevalence, particularly in mallards and American black ducks (37 and 44%, respectively), suggests that these species may be important reservoirs of aMPV. Given the potential impact of aMPV on domestic poultry and the potential role of wild birds as reservoirs of the virus, further investigation of the geographic distribution, risk factors associated with aMPV carriage in wild waterfowl and potential role of other birds in the epidemiology of aMPV in Canada is warranted.
禽偏肺病毒（aMPV）是一种新兴的家禽病原体，对全球家禽生产造成了重大的经济影响。该病毒的地理范围继续扩大，野生鸟类被认为是 aMPV 的储存宿主，它们有可能远距离传播病毒。我们的目标是确定加拿大安大略省野生水禽中 aMPV 亚型 C 的明显流行率。2016 年 8 月和 9 月，安大略省自然资源和林业部作为常规迁徙水禽种群监测的一部分，捕获了野生水禽。从每只鸟身上采集了口咽和泄殖腔拭子，并将其放在一起，通过实时 RT-PCR 检测 aMPV。从 23 个湖泊中采集了 374 只活野生鸟类进行 aMPV 检测。在所测试的所有鸭子中，有 84 只（22%）对 aMPV 呈阳性。阳性样本的比例从环颈鸭（Aythya collaris）和绿翅鸭（Anas carolinensis）的 0%到美洲黑鸭（A. rubripes）的 44%（18 只中的 8 只）不等。在研究区域的 23 个湖泊中发现了 14 个携带 aMPV 的水禽，这些湖泊的阳性率在 5%到 84%之间不等。尽管在北美的各种野生鸟类中已经检测到了亚型 C aMPV，但这是在加拿大安大略省首次报道野生鸭中存在 aMPV。高的明显流行率，特别是在野鸭和美洲黑鸭中（分别为 37%和 44%），表明这些物种可能是 aMPV 的重要储存宿主。鉴于 aMPV 对家禽的潜在影响以及野生鸟类作为病毒储存宿主的潜在作用，需要进一步调查 aMPV 在野生水禽中的地理分布、与 aMPV 携带相关的风险因素以及其他鸟类在加拿大 aMPV 流行病学中的潜在作用。
