Open AccessHost diversity and behavior determine patterns of interspecies transmission and geographic diffusion of avian influenza A subtypes among North American wild reservoir species
Author(s) -
Joseph T. Hicks,
Kimberly M. Edwards,
XingBiao Qiu,
Do-Kyun Kim,
James E. Hixson,
Scott Krauss,
Richard Webby,
Robert G Webster,
Justin Bahl
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
plos pathogens
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.719
H-Index - 206
eISSN - 1553-7374
pISSN - 1553-7366
DOI - 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009973
Subject(s) - charadriiformes , anseriformes , biology , passerine , host (biology) , range (aeronautics) , influenza a virus subtype h5n1 , genetic diversity , ecology , influenza a virus , zoology , evolutionary biology , genetics , virus , population , materials science , demography , sociology , composite material
Wild birds can carry avian influenza viruses (AIV), including those with pandemic or panzootic potential, long distances. Even though AIV has a broad host range, few studies account for host diversity when estimating AIV spread. We analyzed AIV genomic sequences from North American wild birds, including 303 newly sequenced isolates, to estimate interspecies and geographic viral transition patterns among multiple co-circulating subtypes. Our results show high transition rates within Anseriformes and Charadriiformes, but limited transitions between these orders. Patterns of transition between species were positively associated with breeding habitat range overlap, and negatively associated with host genetic distance. Distance between regions (negative correlation) and summer temperature at origin (positive correlation) were strong predictors of transition between locations. Taken together, this study demonstrates that host diversity and ecology can determine evolutionary processes that underlie AIV natural history and spread. Understanding these processes can provide important insights for effective control of AIV.