AVIAN INFLUENZA



 AVIAN INFLUENZA

 

Avian influenza (AI) is highly contagious disease caused by influenza virus A.

 

Most viruses cause only mild disease in poultry, and are called low pathogenic avian influenza viruses.

 

Highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses can develop from certain LPAI viruses, can kill up to 90-100% of the flock, and cause epidemics that may spread rapidly, devastate the poultry industry and result in severe trade restrictions.

 

Also known as Grippe Aviaire and Fowl Plague

 

OIE listed diseases

 

ETIOLOGY:

Influenza A virus10 : SS –ve, RNA virus

 

Family: Orthomyxoviridae

 

The surface of the virus is covered by two types of glycoprotein projections:

 

1) Hemagglutinin (HA) - rod-shaped trimers

 

A total 16 hemagglutinin (H1-16) subtypes are identified based on hemagglutinin inhibition tests

 

Primary determinant of high pathogenicity in chickens

 

Responsible for attachment of the virus to cell receptors and eventually for the fusion of the virus and cell membranes

 

This allow the virus genome to enter the cell and replication to take place

 

2) Neuraminidase (NA) - mushroom-shaped tetramers

 

A total 9 neuraminidase (N1-9) subtypes are identified based on neuraminidase inhibition tests

 

Responsible for release of virus by cells via action on neuraminic acid

 

The highly lethal systemic disease caused by AI viruses is referred as Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), while milder infection caused by AI viruses is referred as Low Pathogenic Avian Influenza (LPAI).

 

A virus is defined as HPAI or LPAI by its ability to cause severe disease in intravenously inoculated young chickens in the laboratory, or by its possession of certain genetic features that have been associated with high virulence in HPAI viruses.

 

 

All HPAI viruses are notifiable AI viruses

 

All H5 and H7 LPAI viruses are notifiable because these subtypes can mutate to the highly pathogenic virus when allowed to circulate in poultry populations.

 

Antigenic Drift and Shift

 

Antigenic Drift

 

Antigenic drift in influenza viruses arises from point mutations in the HA and/or NA genes that results in minor antigenic changes in the coding proteins

 

Antigenic Shift

 

Antigenic shift arises from genetic re-assortment between the gene segments of two influenza viruses that infect the same cell and result in the acquisition of novel HA and/or NA antigen combinations in a virus that can infect a population with no pre-existing immunity

 

H5, H7 and H9 subtypes of avian influenza A viruses are known to infect both birds and people and associated with most HPAI outbreaks.

 

HOST

 

Wide variety of wild and domestic birds

 

Hong Kong (1997): First documented case of direct human infection with avian influenza virus (H5N1);

 

Asian outbreak of HPAI H5N1; 79 human fatalities in 2006

 

TRANSMISSION

 

Virus excreted from respiratory tract, conjunctiva, feces

 

Direct and indirect contact (aerosol, contaminated fomites)

 

Wild birds (esp. ducks) are the primary source for domestic poultry

 

PATHOGENESIS

 

Following aerosol infection virus entry in to the body

 

With help of HA virus binding to host-cell receptors

 

Following binding, the virus is internalized by endocytosis

 

Acidification of the endosome environment induces conformational changes in the HA trimer

 

Mediating fusion between the viral envelope and the endosomal membrane

 

Which allows delivery of the viral ribonucleoprotein into host cells

 

Virus genome enters the cell and replication begin

 

To become infectious virus particle, the cleavage of the HA protein into the HA1 and HA2 proteins is essential

 

The cleavage of the HA protein is depend on number of basic amino acids in the HA1 near the cleavage site

LPAI are released from the host cell with an uncleaved HA protein and they are not infectious → HA of LPAI viruses have only two non-consecutive basic amino acids at the carboxy-terminus of the HA1 that is only cleavable by trypsin-like proteases found in respiratory and intestinal epithelial cells → so cleavage HA occurs only respiratory and intestinal epithelial cells → virus replication occurs only in limited organs → virus replication induced necrosis of apoptosis of infected cells → limited organs affected → lower virulence

HA of HPAI virus have multiple basic amino acids at cleavage site → so cleaved intracellularly by ubiquitous furin-like proteases found in most host tissues → HA is cleaved inside the cell before virus assembly and is infectious when it is released from the host cells → so virus can attached to most cells of the body tissue → virus can replicate in the most of the body tissue → virus replication induced necrosis of apoptosis of infected cells → produced lesions in most body tissue → high mortality

 

CLINICAL SIGNS

Clinical signs of disease are extremely variable and depend on other factors including host species,

Age,

Sex,

Concurrent infections,

Acquired immunity, and

Environmental factors.

 

Low Pathogenic Avian Influenza (LPAI)

 

Wild birds produce no clinical signs

In chickens and turkeys, clinical signs reflect abnormalities in the respiratory, digestive, urinary, and reproductive organs. 

Mild to severe respiratory signs such as coughing, sneezing, rales, and excessive lacrimation.

Ruffled feathers, listlessness, decreased activity, lethargy, decreased feed and water consumption, and occasionally diarrhea

Decreased egg production

 

High Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI)


Sudden death without signs of illness 

Nervous disorders (i.e., head and neck tremors, inability to stand, torticollis, opisthotonus)

Respiratory signs

Oedema of the head and face

Subcutaneous haemorrhage with cyanosis of the skin, particularly of the head and wattles

Diarrhoea

 

Macroscopic Pathology

Highly variable

Low Pathogenic Avian Influenza (LPAI)

Catarrhal to fibrinous sinusitis,

Tracheitis, 

Air sacculitis,

Peritonitis and enteritis,

Oophoritis and

Salpingitis

 

High Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI)

Edema of the head and sinusitis

Cyanotic, congested and hemorrhagic wattles, combs, conjunctiva and legs

Petechiae on the inside of the keel, abdominal fat, serosal surfaces and peritoneum

Hemorrhage in lung, ovary, intestinal mucosa, and proventricular mucosa

Necrotic foci in pancreas, spleen, and heart, and occasionally in liver and kidney.

 

Microscopic Pathology

 

Edema, congestion, hemorrhage, perivascular lymphoid cuffing, and necrosis in the myocardium, spleen, lungs, brain, wattles, liver, kidney, pancreas, skeletal muscle, and lymphoid necrosis

 

DIAGNOSIS 

Based on clinical signs

Gross and microscopic lesions

Samples to be collected: tracheal, oropharyngeal, or cloacal swabs of either live or dead birds

RT-PCR

Virus isolation

Serological test includes

         Agar Gel Immuno - Diffusion (AGID)

         ELISA


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Sources: 

https://books.google.com/books?id=QN0h7-MGKy8Chttps://lib.dr.iastate.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1009&context=cfsph_factsheetshttps://www.coursehero.com/file/28665437/influenzaapdf/https://scholar.cu.edu.eg/?q=mmamer/files/1-avian_influenza.doc https://www.nature.com/articles/nrmicro1208

https://science.vla.gov.uk/flu-lab-net/about_AI.html


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