The USGS National Wildlife Health Center (NWHC) serves on the U.S. Interagency Steering Committee for Surveillance for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Wild Birds to standardize surveillance for this disease and is a leading partner in conducting morbidity and mortality investigations in support of the Interagency Strategic Plan for Early Detection and Monitoring for Avian Influenzas of Significance in Wild Birds. The NWHC also serves as an affiliate member of the National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN) to standardize diagnostic testing for this disease and collaborates with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Veterinary Services Laboratory on diagnostic testing of samples collected from wild birds for avian influenza surveillance.
The NWHC conducts surveillance to facilitate early detection for high consequence pathogens such as highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) viruses. In December 2014, the NWHC detected HPAI viruses with of Asian origin in wild waterfowl. By the end of 2015 HPAI had resulted in the death and culling of over 50 million poultry, resulting in economy-wide losses of over $3 billion.
In addition to conducting ongoing investigations of unusual wildlife mortality events since the 1970s, the NWHC also conducts ongoing work to understand processes and environmental factors that influence spread, distribution, and mechanisms of transfer of HPAI in wild birds and poultry. For example, in 2016, the NWHC, as an affiliate member of the NAHLN, tested over 700 wild-bird carcasses and over 7,000 swab samples from healthy wild birds for presence of avian influenza viruses. While HPAI was not detected in any of these samples, over 1,300 low pathogenicity avian influenza viruses were identified, providing critical information to wildlife and agricultural officials on the spatial distribution and strains of avian influenza viruses circulating in our nation’s wildlife. The surveillance activities conducted by the NWHC provides needed information on which avian influenza strains are circulating in the U.S. to provide situational awareness and early warning for the need for increased biosecurity at poultry facilities to prevent spillover of viruses between domestic and wild birds.
In 2017 and 2018, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and state agencies conducted surveillance efforts including sampling and testing over 30,000 ducks across the U.S. for avian influenza viruses and detected no highly pathogenic strains. This effort included 7,713 samples from the Atlantic Flyway states. The Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative has also been performing HPAI surveillance with no HPAI virus detections in 2017. Surveillance efforts for HPAI virus in wild birds are ongoing and continue to remain a priority at the USGS National Wildlife Health Center.
More Information on Avian Influenza
Avian influenza is a viral disease caused by various strains of avian influenza viruses that can be classified as low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) or highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). It remains a global disease with potential high consequence with the potential to threaten wildlife, agriculture, and human health. Check out the main Avian Influenza page to learn more.
Learn about other NWHC work on avian influenza.
Avian Influenza
Below are FAQs related to avian influenza.
What is Avian Influenza?
Avian influenza (AI) is caused by an influenza type A virus that can infect poultry such as chickens, turkeys, pheasants, quail, domestic ducks, geese, and guinea fowl. It is carried by wild waterfowl (ducks and geese) and shorebirds.Learn more: USGS Avian Influenza
How do scientists study avian influenza in wild birds?
To learn more about the impacts of avian influenza on wild birds and the role wild birds may play in the spread of the virus, experts from government agencies have gathered samples from hundreds of thousands of live-captured, apparently healthy wild birds, hunter-harvested birds, and dead wild birds of all species.Testing methods include analyses of fecal samples and swabs of the bird’s trachea...
How is avian influenza spread?
State and federal government experts continue to evaluate how Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) viruses can spread and impact wild and domestic birds.The global spread of HPAI subtype H5N8 has been driven in large part by migratory waterfowl. Knowledge about migratory patterns and intercontinental associations of waterfowl, as well as genetic analyses of viral strains support the hypothesis...
Can people get avian influenza?
While rare, human infections with avian influenza viruses have occurred. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers the risk to the general public from HPAI H5 infections in wild birds, backyard flocks, and commercial poultry, to be low.To date, no humans or other mammals have shown signs of disease from the HPAI viruses found in North America but field personnel handling live or...
Can wild birds spread avian influenza to domestic poultry?
Although it is possible for domestic poultry to become infected with avian influenza from direct contact with wild birds, it is more likely that avian influenza viruses are spread indirectly to poultry on contaminated feed, clothing, and equipment.Agricultural agencies encourage producers to prevent wild birds and other wildlife from coming into direct contact with their poultry, and to avoid...
What are the different types of avian influenza?
Avian Influenza (AI) type A viruses are divided into subtypes based on two proteins on the surface of the virus:Hemagglutinin (HA), of which there are 16 subtypes (H1-H16)Neuraminidase (NA), of which there are 9 subtypes (N1-N9)Many combinations of HA and NA proteins are possible (i.e., H5N1, H5N2, H7N2, H7N8, etc).AI viruses are also classified into two groups based on their ability to produce...
What is the difference between low pathogenic and highly pathogenic avian influenza?
The designation of low or highly pathogenic avian influenza refers to the potential for these viruses to kill chickens. The designation of “low pathogenic” or “highly pathogenic” does not refer to how infectious the viruses may be to humans, other mammals, or other species of birds.Most strains of avian influenza are not highly pathogenic and cause few signs of disease in infected wild birds...
What is the meaning of the numbers next to the “H” and “N” in avian influenza designations?
Avian influenza (AI) viruses are classified by a combination of two groups of proteins: hemagglutinin or “H” proteins, of which there are 16 (H1 to H16), and neuraminidase or “N” proteins, of which there are nine (N1 to N9).Many different combinations of “H” and “N” proteins are possible. Each combination is considered a different subtype and can be further broken down into different strains. AI...
- Overview
The USGS National Wildlife Health Center (NWHC) serves on the U.S. Interagency Steering Committee for Surveillance for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Wild Birds to standardize surveillance for this disease and is a leading partner in conducting morbidity and mortality investigations in support of the Interagency Strategic Plan for Early Detection and Monitoring for Avian Influenzas of Significance in Wild Birds. The NWHC also serves as an affiliate member of the National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN) to standardize diagnostic testing for this disease and collaborates with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Veterinary Services Laboratory on diagnostic testing of samples collected from wild birds for avian influenza surveillance.
The NWHC conducts surveillance to facilitate early detection for high consequence pathogens such as highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) viruses. In December 2014, the NWHC detected HPAI viruses with of Asian origin in wild waterfowl. By the end of 2015 HPAI had resulted in the death and culling of over 50 million poultry, resulting in economy-wide losses of over $3 billion.
Sources/Usage: Some content may have restrictions. Visit Media to see details.Avian influenza among wild waterfowl is a concern among resource managers and owners of domestic fowl. The scientists take a sample to process at the lab. (Credit: Erika Sanchez-Chopitea, U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center. Public domain) In addition to conducting ongoing investigations of unusual wildlife mortality events since the 1970s, the NWHC also conducts ongoing work to understand processes and environmental factors that influence spread, distribution, and mechanisms of transfer of HPAI in wild birds and poultry. For example, in 2016, the NWHC, as an affiliate member of the NAHLN, tested over 700 wild-bird carcasses and over 7,000 swab samples from healthy wild birds for presence of avian influenza viruses. While HPAI was not detected in any of these samples, over 1,300 low pathogenicity avian influenza viruses were identified, providing critical information to wildlife and agricultural officials on the spatial distribution and strains of avian influenza viruses circulating in our nation’s wildlife. The surveillance activities conducted by the NWHC provides needed information on which avian influenza strains are circulating in the U.S. to provide situational awareness and early warning for the need for increased biosecurity at poultry facilities to prevent spillover of viruses between domestic and wild birds.
In 2017 and 2018, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and state agencies conducted surveillance efforts including sampling and testing over 30,000 ducks across the U.S. for avian influenza viruses and detected no highly pathogenic strains. This effort included 7,713 samples from the Atlantic Flyway states. The Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative has also been performing HPAI surveillance with no HPAI virus detections in 2017. Surveillance efforts for HPAI virus in wild birds are ongoing and continue to remain a priority at the USGS National Wildlife Health Center.
More Information on Avian Influenza
Avian influenza is a viral disease caused by various strains of avian influenza viruses that can be classified as low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) or highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). It remains a global disease with potential high consequence with the potential to threaten wildlife, agriculture, and human health. Check out the main Avian Influenza page to learn more.
- Science
Learn about other NWHC work on avian influenza.
Avian Influenza
Avian influenza is a viral disease caused by various strains of avian influenza viruses that can be classified as low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) or highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). It remains a global disease with potential high consequence with the potential to threaten wildlife, agriculture, and human health. - Multimedia
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- FAQ
Below are FAQs related to avian influenza.
What is Avian Influenza?
Avian influenza (AI) is caused by an influenza type A virus that can infect poultry such as chickens, turkeys, pheasants, quail, domestic ducks, geese, and guinea fowl. It is carried by wild waterfowl (ducks and geese) and shorebirds.Learn more: USGS Avian Influenza
How do scientists study avian influenza in wild birds?
To learn more about the impacts of avian influenza on wild birds and the role wild birds may play in the spread of the virus, experts from government agencies have gathered samples from hundreds of thousands of live-captured, apparently healthy wild birds, hunter-harvested birds, and dead wild birds of all species.Testing methods include analyses of fecal samples and swabs of the bird’s trachea...
How is avian influenza spread?
State and federal government experts continue to evaluate how Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) viruses can spread and impact wild and domestic birds.The global spread of HPAI subtype H5N8 has been driven in large part by migratory waterfowl. Knowledge about migratory patterns and intercontinental associations of waterfowl, as well as genetic analyses of viral strains support the hypothesis...
Can people get avian influenza?
While rare, human infections with avian influenza viruses have occurred. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers the risk to the general public from HPAI H5 infections in wild birds, backyard flocks, and commercial poultry, to be low.To date, no humans or other mammals have shown signs of disease from the HPAI viruses found in North America but field personnel handling live or...
Can wild birds spread avian influenza to domestic poultry?
Although it is possible for domestic poultry to become infected with avian influenza from direct contact with wild birds, it is more likely that avian influenza viruses are spread indirectly to poultry on contaminated feed, clothing, and equipment.Agricultural agencies encourage producers to prevent wild birds and other wildlife from coming into direct contact with their poultry, and to avoid...
What are the different types of avian influenza?
Avian Influenza (AI) type A viruses are divided into subtypes based on two proteins on the surface of the virus:Hemagglutinin (HA), of which there are 16 subtypes (H1-H16)Neuraminidase (NA), of which there are 9 subtypes (N1-N9)Many combinations of HA and NA proteins are possible (i.e., H5N1, H5N2, H7N2, H7N8, etc).AI viruses are also classified into two groups based on their ability to produce...
What is the difference between low pathogenic and highly pathogenic avian influenza?
The designation of low or highly pathogenic avian influenza refers to the potential for these viruses to kill chickens. The designation of “low pathogenic” or “highly pathogenic” does not refer to how infectious the viruses may be to humans, other mammals, or other species of birds.Most strains of avian influenza are not highly pathogenic and cause few signs of disease in infected wild birds...
What is the meaning of the numbers next to the “H” and “N” in avian influenza designations?
Avian influenza (AI) viruses are classified by a combination of two groups of proteins: hemagglutinin or “H” proteins, of which there are 16 (H1 to H16), and neuraminidase or “N” proteins, of which there are nine (N1 to N9).Many different combinations of “H” and “N” proteins are possible. Each combination is considered a different subtype and can be further broken down into different strains. AI...