Weak support for disappearance and restricted emergence/persistence of highly pathogenic influenza A in North American waterfowl

Authors

Andrew M. Ramey, US Geological SurveyFollow
Erica Spackman, USDA-ARSFollow
Mia Kim-Torchetti, US Department of AgricultureFollow
Thomas J. DeLiberto, USDA/APHIS/WS National Wildlife Research CenterFollow

Date of this Version

2016

Citation

PNAS, October 25, 2016, vol. 113, no. 43, E6551–E6552

Comments

U.S. Government Work

Abstract

Krauss et al. (1) use lack of detection of highly pathogenic (HP) H5 clade 2.3.4.4 (henceforth “H5”) influenza A viruses (IAVs) from >22,000 wild bird samples collected in North America in 2014–2015 to argue that HP H5 IAVs disappeared from waterfowl and that unresolved mechanisms restrict emergence and perpetuation of HP IAVs in natural reservoir species. Here we offer an alternative interpretation.