Hematologic parameters were studied in giant Canada geese (Branta canadensis maxima), mallard ducks (Anas platyrhynchos platyrhynchos) and various species of diving ducks at seasinal intervals throughout the year. Highest values for packed cell volume, hemoglobin content and erythrocyte counts were found in the winter and pre-nesting periods. Mean corpuscular volume and mean corpuscular hemoglo...

BACKGROUND Wild waterfowl is the natural reservoir of influenza A virus (IAV); hosted viruses are very variable and provide a source for genetic segments which can reassort with poultry or mammalian adapted IAVs to generate novel species crossing viruses. Additionally, wild waterfowl act as a reservoir for highly pathogenic IAVs. Exposure of wild birds to the antiviral drug oseltamivir may occu...

Three families of probe-foraging birds, Scolopacidae (sandpipers and snipes), Apterygidae (kiwi), and Threskiornithidae (ibises, including spoonbills) have independently evolved long, narrow bills containing clusters of vibration-sensitive mechanoreceptors (Herbst corpuscles) within pits in the bill-tip. These 'bill-tip organs' allow birds to detect buried or submerged prey via substrate-borne ...

Riemerella anatipestifer is an important bacterial pathogen associated with epizootic infections in waterfowl and various other birds. Riemerella anatipestifer strain RA-JLLY is an avirulent strain, isolated from the brain of an old duck in Hubei province, China. Here, we report the genome sequence of this species.

Bacillus megaterium is a soil-inhabiting Gram-positive bacterium that is routinely used in industrial applications for recombinant protein production and bioremediation. Studies involving Bacillus megaterium isolated from waterfowl are scarce. Here, we report a 6.26-Mbp draft genome sequence of Bacillus megaterium BHG1.1, which was isolated from feces of a bar-headed goose.

We demonstrate that the novel pandemic influenza (H1N1) viruses have human virus-like receptor specificity and can no longer replicate in aquatic waterfowl, their historic natural reservoir. The biological properties of these viruses are consistent with those of their phylogenetic progenitors, indicating longstanding adaptation to mammals.

A West Nile virus (WNV) outbreak occurred at a commercial waterfowl operation in Wisconsin in 2005. Retrospective analysis of dead and live birds was conducted. WNV was detected by PCR in 84.1% of 88 dead birds; neutralizing antibodies were found in 14 of 30 randomly sampled asymptomatic or recovered birds.

We report serologic evidence of avian influenza infection in 1 duck hunter and 2 wildlife professionals with extensive histories of wild waterfowl and game bird exposure. Two laboratory methods showed evidence of past infection with influenza A/H11N9, a less common virus strain in wild ducks, in these 3 persons.

Waterfowl, especially ducks and geese, are primary reservoirs for influenza A viruses (IAVs) that evolve and emerge as important pathogens in domestic animals and humans. In contrast to humans, where IAVs infect the respiratory tract and cause significant morbidity and mortality, IAVs infect the gastrointestinal tract of waterfowl and cause little or no pathology and are spread by fecal-oral tr...

Most avian influenza (AI) vaccination and field studies have focused on chickens and turkeys because of their high death rates and the large amounts of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus that they excrete into the environment when infected. Data on vaccination of other species against HPAI remain limited. An increasing number of studies have been conducted to test the efficacy of in...