We investigated avian influenza infections in wild birds, poultry, and humans at Eastern Dongting Lake, China. We analyzed 6,621 environmental samples, including fresh fecal and water samples, from wild birds and domestic ducks that were collected from the Eastern Dongting Lake area from November 2011 to April 2012. We also conducted two cross-sectional serological studies in November 2011 and April 2012, with 1,050 serum samples collected from people exposed to wild birds and/or domestic ducks. Environmental samples were tested for the presence of avian influenza virus (AIV) using quantitative PCR assays and virus isolation techniques. Hemagglutination inhibition assays were used to detect antibodies against AIV H5N1, and microneutralization assays were used to confirm these results. Among the environmental samples from wild birds and domestic ducks, AIV prevalence was 5.19 and 5.32%, respectively. We isolated 39 and 5 AIVs from the fecal samples of wild birds and domestic ducks, respectively. Our analysis indicated 12 subtypes of AIV were present, suggesting that wild birds in the Eastern Dongting Lake area carried a diverse array of AIVs with low pathogenicity. We were unable to detect any antibodies against AIV H5N1 in humans, suggesting that human infection with H5N1 was rare in this region.
National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Key Laboratory for Medical Virology, National Health and Family Plan Commission, Beijing, China;Hunan Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Changsha, China;National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Key Laboratory for Medical Virology, National Health and Family Plan Commission, Beijing, China;National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Key Laboratory for Medical Virology, National Health and Family Plan Commission, Beijing, China;Hunan Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Changsha, China;National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Key Laboratory for Medical Virology, National Health and Family Plan Commission, Beijing, China;Hunan Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Changsha, China;Hunan Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Changsha, China;Yueyang City Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Yueyang, China;Yueyang City Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Yueyang, China;Hunan East Dongting Lake National Nature Reserve, Yueyang, China;National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Key Laboratory for Medical Virology, National Health and Family Plan Commission, Beijing, China;University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, United States of America;National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Key Laboratory for Medical Virology, National Health and Family Plan Commission, Beijing, China
Recommended Citation:
Jinghong Shi,Lidong Gao,Yun Zhu,et al. Investigation of Avian Influenza Infections in Wild Birds, Poultry and Humans in Eastern Dongting Lake, China[J]. PLOS ONE,2014-01-01,9(4)