Investigating Environmental Matrices for Use in Avian Influenza Virus Surveillance—Surface Water, Sediments, and Avian Fecal Samples
Ann Kathrin Ahrens, Hans‐Christoph Selinka, Claudia Wylezich, Hubert Wonnemann, Ole Sindt, Hartmut Hellmer, Florian Pfaff, Dirk W. Höper, Thomas C. Mettenleiter, Martin Beer, Timm Harder
Abstract
Avian influenza viruses (AIV) have a wide host range in the avian metapopulation and, occasionally, transmission to humans also occurs. Surface water plays a particularly important role in the epidemiology of AIV, as the natural virus reservoir is found in aquatic wild birds. Environmental matrices comprising surface water, sediments, and avian fecal matter deposited in the environment were examined for their usefulness in AIV surveillance. Despite virus enrichment efforts, environmental samples regularly revealed very low virus loads, which hampered further sub- and pathotyping. Passive surveillance based on oral and cloacal swabs of diseased and dead wild birds remained unsurpassed with respect to sensitivity.