A brief overview of the impact of avian influenza on animals

Hancock, John; Rouse, Ros C.; Robinson, Gareth; Craig, Tim J.

Abstract

Avian influenza (AI) virus, and the (HPAI)H5N1 subtype in particular, is a serious problem for many wild bird populations, where devastating losses have been reported. However, AI is not restricted to bird species. Infection has been reported in commercial mammals such as cattle and mink where there is close animal-to-animal contact, as well as close contact with humans. Some domestic an-imals, such as cats, have been reported to be AI virus positive too, again where there is a possibility that conditions will be conducive to animal-to-human transmission. Many animals in the wild have been found to be infected with AI virus, and many of these, perhaps not surprisingly, are marine mammals. Mink-to-mink viral transmission has been suggested to have taken place, but most animals which have been infected have had close contact with birds, often handling or eating carcasses. There are also reports of humans becoming infected, for example, from cattle. Here, using a variety of information sources, a brief overview of the impact of AI virus on animals is given, although this is neither intended to be a comprehensive nor quantitative review. It is hoped that such information will aid in the management of AI, especially (HPAI)H5N1, in the future.

• Journal Article Type: Review
• Acceptance Date: Dec 9, 2024
• Deposit Date: Dec 10, 2024
• Journal: Animal Review
• Print ISSN: 2412-3382
• Electronic ISSN: 2409-6490
• Publisher: Conscientia Beam
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Keywords: Animal-to-animal transmission; Avian influenza; Bird flu; Birds; Cattle; Domestic animals; H5N1; Marine mammals; Mink; Pandemic
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/13519533
• Publisher URL: https://www.conscientiabeam.com/journal/92