Overview of avian influenza virus in urban feral pigeons in Bangkok, Thailand

Phirom Prompiram; Ladawan Sariya; Kanaporn Poltep; Weena Paungpin; Parut Suksai; Jarupha Taowan; Poonyapat Sedwisai; Kamolphan Rattanavibul; Chantanee Buranathai

doi:10.1016/j.cimid.2022.101784

Overview of avian influenza virus in urban feral pigeons in Bangkok, Thailand

Comp Immunol Microbiol Infect Dis. 2022 May:84:101784. doi: 10.1016/j.cimid.2022.101784. Epub 2022 Mar 2.

Authors

Phirom Prompiram¹, Ladawan Sariya², Kanaporn Poltep², Weena Paungpin², Parut Suksai², Jarupha Taowan², Poonyapat Sedwisai², Kamolphan Rattanavibul³, Chantanee Buranathai³

Affiliations

¹ The Monitoring and Surveillance Center for Zoonotic Diseases in Wildlife and Exotic Animals, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Mahidol University, Salaya, Nakhon Pathom 73170, Thailand. Electronic address: Phirom.prm@mahidol.edu.
² The Monitoring and Surveillance Center for Zoonotic Diseases in Wildlife and Exotic Animals, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Mahidol University, Salaya, Nakhon Pathom 73170, Thailand.
³ Department of Livestock Development, Bangkok 10400, Thailand.

PMID: 35255442
DOI: 10.1016/j.cimid.2022.101784

Abstract

This survey assessed the presence of avian influenza virus (AIV) in urban feral pigeons (UFPs) in Bangkok, Thailand. A total of 485 UFPs were collected from eight study sites, and blood, tracheal, and cloacal samples were collected from each bird. Virus isolation and molecular methods did not detect AIV in any of the birds tested. A hemagglutination inhibition test was used to test for antibodies to high and low pathogenicity AIV subtypes. AIV subtype H9 antibodies were the only antibodies detected. The overall seroprevalence of AIV subtype H9 antibodies was 6.9%, and subtype H9 antibodies were found in UFPs at all eight sites. The overall geometric mean titer was 11.07 (range: 8-64). These results reveal that UFPs in Bangkok do not currently pose a risk of transmitting AIV to humans. However, monitoring of AIV in UFPs is necessary for disease control and to minimize the possibility of influenza outbreaks.

Keywords: Avian influenza virus; Bangkok; Columba livia; Survey; Urban feral pigeons; Viral zoonoses.

MeSH terms

Animals
Columbidae
Influenza A virus*
Influenza in Birds* / epidemiology
Seroepidemiologic Studies
Thailand / epidemiology