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. 2021 Nov 30;9(12):2468.
doi: 10.3390/microorganisms9122468.

Avian Influenza Virus Status and Maternal Antibodies in Nestling White Ibis (Eudocimus albus)

Katherine F Christie  1 , Rebecca L Poulson  2 , Julia Silva Seixas  3 , Sonia M Hernandez  2   3
Affiliations

Avian Influenza Virus Status and Maternal Antibodies in Nestling White Ibis (Eudocimus albus)

Katherine F Christie et al. Microorganisms. .

Abstract

The White Ibis (Eudocimus albus), a nomadic wading bird, has increased its exploitation of urban habitats in South Florida, United States, and has recently established several urban breeding colonies. Certain characteristics of ibis ecology could position them in the natural cycle of the avian influenza virus (AIV). In fact, experimentally infected ibises were shown to be competent hosts for multiple AIV subtypes, and seroconversion to AIV has been documented in adult ibises in natural populations. However, the mechanisms of transmission and the timing of infection are unclear as we have yet to isolate AIV from a free-living ibis. To investigate the age-specific AIV dynamics of ibis, we captured nestlings (n = 115) weekly for 1-4 weeks from urban and natural settings in 2020 and 2021. We collected choanal/cloacal swabs for rRT-PCR and virus isolation, and plasma to screen for maternal AIV antibodies. AIV was not detected in any individual by virus isolation; however, maternal antibodies to AIV were detected in 95% of nestlings, with varying rates of catabolism. These results confirm that nestlings are afforded maternal antibodies from adults at rates reflective of higher adult seroprevalence than previously documented and that nestlings in breeding colonies may have some degree of protection and are unlikely to become infected with AIV.

Keywords: American white ibis; Eudocimus albus; avian influenza virus; maternal antibodies; nestling; wildlife.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest. The sponsors had no role in the design, execution, interpretation, or writing of the study.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
White Ibis (Eudocimus albus) rookery locations from which nestlings were sampled. The urban rookery (blue), located in Palm Beach County, FL, was sampled both in 2020 and 2021; the two natural rookeries (green), located in Broward and Miami-Dade Counties, were sampled only in 2021.
Figure 2
Figure 2
The persistence of avian influenza virus (AIV) antibodies in ibis nestlings. Average sample to negative (S/N) ratio for plasma samples (urban n = 1 63; natural n = 66) from 2020 and 2021 in a south Florida urban rookery (black dotted) and from the 2021 breeding season in natural rookeries (green solid). Error bars represent a standard error calculation. The higher S/N ratio reflects the lower concentration of AIV antibodies.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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