Avian Influenza Virus Prevalence and Subtype Diversity in Wild Birds in Shanghai, China, 2016–2018

From 2016 to 2018, surveillance of influenza A viruses in wild birds was conducted in Shanghai, located at the East Asian–Australian flyway, China. A total of 5112 samples from 51 species of wild birds were collected from three different wetlands. The total three-year prevalence of influenza A viruses among them was 8.8%, as assessed using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods, and the total prevalence was higher in Anseriformes (26.3%) than in the Charadriiformes (2.3%) and the other orders (2.4%) in the Chongmin wetlands. Anseriformes should be the key monitoring group in future surveillance efforts. The peak prevalence of influenza A viruses in Charadriiformes were in April and September, and in other bird orders, the peaks were in November and December. Twelve subtypes of haemagglutinin (HA; H1–H12) and eight subtypes of neuraminidase (NA; N1, N2, N4–N9) were identified in 21 different combinations. The greatest subtype diversity could be found in common teal, suggesting that this species of the bird might play an important role in the ecology and epidemiology of influenza A viruses in Shanghai. These results will increase our understanding of the ecology and epidemiology of influenza A viruses in wild bird hosts in eastern China, and provide references for subsequent surveillance of influenza A virus in wild birds in this area.

Esophageal-Crop Capillariasis and Proventriculus Ventriculus Hystrichisiasis in a Migratory Duck (Anas crecca)

Background: The aim of the present study was to study pathological and parasitological characteristics of simultaneous capillariasis and hystrichiasis in a diseased Anas crecca captured in Mazandaran Province of Iran on Oct 2016. Methods: Parasitology and histopathology techniques were used to detect the parasites of the carcass of the captive common teal. Results: Macroscopically, severe chronic inflammatory reactions and nodular or granuloma formation and irregular thickening of the affected wall of the esophagus, crop, proventrculus and ventriculus were observed. Microscopically, apart from the chronic inflammatory reactions and granuloma formation, in the paraffin sections stained with Harris Hematoxyline and Eosin technique, the characteristics of the mature female and male Capillaria spp. and their barrel-shaped operculated embryonated eggs were found within the tunnels burrowed by the nematode in the hyperplastic stratified squamous epithelium of the inflamed crop and distal portion of the esophagus. The mature female Hystrichis spp. containing oval-shaped, embryonated non-operculated eggs and male parasite were found within the labyrinthus spaces formed in the submucosa granulomas of the ventriculus and proventriculus. Conclusion: Based on the parasitological and pathological studies, the species of the nematode parasites were identified as Capillaria (Thominx) contorta and Hystrichis. tricolor.

Understanding and Analysing the Coordinates of Diversity of Wetland Birds of Asan Barrage near Paonta Sahib, Northern India

The winter migratory wetland bird’s diversity of Asan barrage, Uttarakhand, India has been studied during 2005-2012. A total 60 species of wetland birds belonging to 6 orders and 13 families were observed. The findings also hints that Rudy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea is the most dominant bird followed by Common Coot Fulica atra, Red-crested Pochard Rhodonessa rufina, Common Pochard Aythya ferina and Mallard Anas platyrhynchos. It was observed that Rudy Shelduck preferred Yamuna River waters rather than the traditional still pools, ponds, reservoirs etc. The same trend was displayed by Red-crested Pochard and Great-crested Grebe. On the contrary, winter migratory birds like Northern Shoveller Anas clypeata, Northern Pintail Anas acuta, Common Teal Anas crecca etc were found least in number at Asan Barrage but found in impressive numbers in Haryana traditional pools, ponds.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/on.v11i2.9599 Our Nature 2013, 11(2): 192-200