An active surveillance study of avian influenza viruses (AIVs) in wild birds was carried out in Kazakhstan in 2018-2019. In total, 866 samples were collected from wild birds and analyzed for influenza viruses using molecular and virological tests. Genome segments of Asian, European, and Australian lineages were detected in 25 (4.6%) out of 541 waterfowl samples positive for subtype H3N8, and in two (0.6%) out of 325 H3N8 positive samples from terrestrial birds. No highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (AIV) was detected. The results indicated transmission of closely related strains or identical subtypes of AIVs by a flock-unit of migratory birds or annual cyclical pattern of subtype dominance. The simultaneous circulation of genome segments of the Asian, European and Australian genetic lineages of H3N8 AIVs in wild birds in Kazakhstan indicated the important role of Central Asia as a transmission hub of AI viruses linking the East Asian migratory flyways with European flyways and vice versa.
Keywords: Avian influenza virus; H3N8 subtype; Kazakhstan; Phylogenetic analysis; Wild birds monitoring.
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