Anatidae Migration in the Western Palearctic and Spread of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N1 Virus

• Published in: Emerging infectious diseases Vol. 12; no. 11; pp. 1650 - 1656
• Main Authors: Gilbert, Marius, Xiao, Xiangming, Domenech, Joseph, Lubroth, Juan, Martin, Vincent, Slingenbergh, Jan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: U.S. National Center for Infectious Diseases 01-11-2006; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Subjects: Avian influenza; Behavior; Causes of; Development and progression; Disease Ecology; Environmental aspects; Epidemiology; Health aspects; Migration; Migratory birds; perspective
• ISSN: 1080-6040; 1080-6059
• DOI: 10.3201/eid1211.060223

Anatids may have spread the virus along their autumn migration routes.
During the second half of 2005, highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 virus spread rapidly from central Asia to eastern Europe. The relative roles of wild migratory birds and the poultry trade are still unclear, given that little is yet known about the range of virus hosts, precise movements of migratory birds, or routes of illegal poultry trade. We document and discuss the spread of the HPAI H5N1 virus in relation to species-specific flyways of Anatidae species (ducks, geese, and swans) and climate. We conclude that the spread of HPAI H5N1 virus from Russia and Kazakhstan to the Black Sea basin is consistent in space and time with the hypothesis that birds in the Anatidae family have seeded the virus along their autumn migration routes.