Title
Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Virus among wild birds in Mongolia
Author(s)
Gilbert, M.;Jambal, L.;Karesh, W. B.;Fine, A.;Shiilegdamba, E.;Dulam, P.;Sodnomdarjaa, R.;Ganzorig, K.;Batchuluun, D.;Tseveenmyadag, N.;Bolortuya, P.;Cardona, C.;Leung, C.;Peiris, J. S.;Spackman, E.;Swayne, D.;Joly, D. O.
Published
2012
Publisher
PLoS ONE
Abstract
Mongolia combines a near absence of domestic poultry, with an abundance of migratory waterbirds, to create an ideal
location to study the epidemiology of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) in a purely wild bird system. Here we
present the findings of active and passive surveillance for HPAIV subtype H5N1 in Mongolia from 2005–2011, together with
the results of five outbreak investigations. In total eight HPAIV outbreaks were confirmed in Mongolia during this period. Of
these, one was detected during active surveillance employed by this project, three by active surveillance performed by
Mongolian government agencies, and four through passive surveillance. A further three outbreaks were recorded in the
neighbouring Tyva Republic of Russia on a lake that bisects the international border. No HPAIV was isolated (cultured) from
7,855 environmental fecal samples (primarily from ducks), or from 2,765 live, clinically healthy birds captured during active
surveillance (primarily shelducks, geese and swans), while four HPAIVs were isolated from 141 clinically ill or dead birds
located through active surveillance. Two low pathogenic avian influenza viruses (LPAIV) were cultured from ill or dead birds
during active surveillance, while environmental feces and live healthy birds yielded 56 and 1 LPAIV respectively. All
Mongolian outbreaks occurred in 2005 and 2006 (clade 2.2), or 2009 and 2010 (clade 2.3.2.1); all years in which spring HPAIV
outbreaks were reported in Tibet and/or Qinghai provinces in China. The occurrence of outbreaks in areas deficient in
domestic poultry is strong evidence that wild birds can carry HPAIV over at least moderate distances. However, failure to
detect further outbreaks of clade 2.2 after June 2006, and clade 2.3.2.1 after June 2010 suggests that wild birds migrating to
and from Mongolia may not be competent as indefinite reservoirs of HPAIV, or that HPAIV did not reach susceptible
populations during our study.
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