TY - JOUR AU - Machablishvili, Anna AU - Ursuhadze, Lela AU - Daraselia, Ivane PY - 2017/05/02 Y2 - 2024/03/28 TI - Influenza study of backyard animals in Georgia JF - Online Journal of Public Health Informatics JA - OJPHI VL - 9 IS - 1 SE - One Health DO - 10.5210/ojphi.v9i1.7749 UR - https://ojphi.org/ojs/index.php/ojphi/article/view/7749 SP - AB - <div style="left: 79.8182px; top: 257.864px; font-size: 12.564px; font-family: sans-serif; transform: scaleX(1.08117);" data-canvas-width="56.563006734006734">Objective</div><div style="left: 93.1212px; top: 271.124px; font-size: 12.564px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(1.00744);" data-canvas-width="338.03118249158246">The purpose of this study was to identify zoonotic influenza</div><div style="left: 79.8182px; top: 285.905px; font-size: 12.564px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(0.958411);" data-canvas-width="350.1554164983166">viruses in swine and poultry populations in Georgia and to define</div><div style="left: 79.8182px; top: 300.686px; font-size: 12.564px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(1.0014);" data-canvas-width="125.27537542087545">their pandemic potential.</div><div style="left: 79.8182px; top: 328.814px; font-size: 12.564px; font-family: sans-serif; transform: scaleX(1.11744);" data-canvas-width="73.28565488215487">Introduction</div><div style="left: 93.1212px; top: 342.073px; font-size: 12.564px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(1.05448);" data-canvas-width="339.45342424242415">Aquatic birds are the main reservoirs of influenza viruses,</div><div style="left: 79.8182px; top: 356.855px; font-size: 12.564px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(1.00987);" data-canvas-width="349.29604074074086">however pigs represent an essential host in virus ecology as they are</div><div style="left: 79.8182px; top: 371.636px; font-size: 12.564px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(1.03818);" data-canvas-width="349.660395959596">susceptible to both avian and human influenza viruses. Circulating</div><div style="left: 79.8182px; top: 386.417px; font-size: 12.564px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(1.0079);" data-canvas-width="349.23573367003354">zoonotic influenza (A/H7N9, A/H5N1, and A/H3N2v) viruses could</div><div style="left: 79.8182px; top: 401.198px; font-size: 12.564px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(0.979899);" data-canvas-width="350.6240526936025">mutate into forms easily transmissible from human-to-human and</div><div style="left: 79.8182px; top: 415.979px; font-size: 12.564px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(0.995395);" data-canvas-width="348.8361993265993">become a public health concern. Georgia is located along routes used</div><div style="left: 79.8182px; top: 430.76px; font-size: 12.564px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(0.99508);" data-canvas-width="348.7922254208753">by migrating birds where different species of aquatic birds are found.</div><div style="left: 79.8182px; top: 445.541px; font-size: 12.564px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(1.02009);" data-canvas-width="349.60260168350175">In 2006, highly pathogenic influenza virus A/H5N1 was detected in</div><div style="left: 79.8182px; top: 460.323px; font-size: 12.564px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(1.0044);" data-canvas-width="349.09627356902354">two wild swans in Adjara (western Georgia). Moreover, in the frame</div><div style="left: 79.8182px; top: 475.104px; font-size: 12.564px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(0.968569);" data-canvas-width="350.3476452861953">of wild bird surveillance, various subtypes of influenza A viruses</div><div style="left: 79.8182px; top: 489.885px; font-size: 12.564px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(1.03887);" data-canvas-width="349.977008080808">were detected in mallard and gulls in Georgia (Lewis, 2013). Thus</div><div style="left: 79.8182px; top: 504.666px; font-size: 12.564px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(0.986954);" data-canvas-width="350.7961791245789">domestic animals in Georgia have a potential chance to contract</div><div style="left: 79.8182px; top: 519.447px; font-size: 12.564px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(1.00467);" data-canvas-width="169.9402996632997">influenza viruses from wild birds.</div><div style="left: 79.8182px; top: 547.575px; font-size: 12.564px; font-family: sans-serif; transform: scaleX(1.0727);" data-canvas-width="51.65049326599326">Methods</div><div style="left: 93.1212px; top: 560.834px; font-size: 12.564px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(0.99191);" data-canvas-width="337.79497979797975">The Kakheti region, the leading region in cattle breeding and</div><div style="left: 79.8182px; top: 575.616px; font-size: 12.564px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(1.01324);" data-canvas-width="349.28096397306393">poultry production in Georgia, was selected for study. Villages were</div><div style="left: 79.8182px; top: 590.397px; font-size: 12.564px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(0.973073);" data-canvas-width="350.6630010101008">selected for door-to-door visits to search for ill backyard animals</div><div style="left: 79.8182px; top: 605.178px; font-size: 12.564px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(1.01992);" data-canvas-width="349.54355101010105">showing influenza-like symptoms. In case of identification of a sick</div><div style="left: 79.8182px; top: 619.959px; font-size: 12.564px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(1.01182);" data-canvas-width="349.5008335016834">animal, samples were obtained for laboratory investigations; sample</div><div style="left: 79.8182px; top: 634.74px; font-size: 12.564px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(0.97702);" data-canvas-width="350.5059513468012">collection forms were filled out to generate epidemiological data.</div><div style="left: 79.8182px; top: 649.521px; font-size: 12.564px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(1.00354);" data-canvas-width="349.1301962962963">Cloacal and tracheal swabs were taken from poultry; and pharyngeal</div><div style="left: 79.8182px; top: 664.302px; font-size: 12.564px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(1.01084);" data-canvas-width="351.45327491582475">and nasal swabs were collected from pigs. Each specimen was</div><div style="left: 79.8182px; top: 679.084px; font-size: 12.564px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(1.03666);" data-canvas-width="349.71567744107745">screened for influenza A matrix gene by real-time RT-PCR using a</div><div style="left: 79.8182px; top: 693.865px; font-size: 12.564px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(1.00094);" data-canvas-width="291.72289057239044">protocol from the Centers for Disease Control Prevention.</div><div style="left: 79.8182px; top: 721.992px; font-size: 12.564px; font-family: sans-serif; transform: scaleX(1.08437);" data-canvas-width="45.38107070707071">Results</div><div style="left: 93.1212px; top: 735.252px; font-size: 12.564px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(1.00158);" data-canvas-width="338.1329506734005">Eighty four villages in the Kakheti region were surveyed for</div><div style="left: 79.8182px; top: 750.033px; font-size: 12.564px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(1.00732);" data-canvas-width="351.3012508417512">domestic animals with influenza-like illness symptoms. In total,</div><div style="left: 79.8182px; top: 764.814px; font-size: 12.564px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(1.05214);" data-canvas-width="352.51995622895623">164 specimens were collected from 112 backyard animals in</div><div style="left: 79.8182px; top: 779.595px; font-size: 12.564px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(1.04226);" data-canvas-width="350.0775198653196">55 households (107 samples were from 55 poultry and 57 samples</div><div style="left: 79.8182px; top: 794.376px; font-size: 12.564px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(0.993095);" data-canvas-width="348.74196952861945">were from 57 pigs). All samples tested negative for Influenza A virus</div><div style="left: 79.8182px; top: 809.158px; font-size: 12.564px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(1.04245);" data-canvas-width="349.7408053872055">by real time RT-PCR. The questionnaire data revealed that the age</div><div style="left: 79.8182px; top: 823.939px; font-size: 12.564px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(1.02386);" data-canvas-width="349.6302424242422">range of both pigs and poultry varied from one month to two years;</div><div style="left: 79.8182px; top: 838.72px; font-size: 12.564px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(1.0425);" data-canvas-width="349.69054949494944">median and mode were both 1 year. Chickens and ducks primarily</div><div style="left: 79.8182px; top: 853.501px; font-size: 12.564px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(0.986965);" data-canvas-width="348.61256060606036">freely ranged in backyards (67%), while half the number of pigs were</div><div style="left: 79.8182px; top: 868.282px; font-size: 12.564px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(0.986323);" data-canvas-width="348.6653292929291">kept in closed premises. Equally, 61% of pigs and poultry had contact</div><div style="left: 79.8182px; top: 883.063px; font-size: 12.564px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(1.00053);" data-canvas-width="233.12452020202016">with other pigs or poultry within the premises.</div><div style="left: 79.8182px; top: 911.191px; font-size: 12.564px; font-family: sans-serif; transform: scaleX(1.10256);" data-canvas-width="75.39640235690236">Conclusions</div><div style="left: 93.1212px; top: 924.451px; font-size: 12.564px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(0.996463);" data-canvas-width="335.54225942760945">In spite of the negative findings, we cannot exclude the circulation</div><div style="left: 79.8182px; top: 939.232px; font-size: 12.564px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(1.00146);" data-canvas-width="351.0122794612794">of influenza viruses in domestic animals in Georgia. Especially,</div><div style="left: 79.8182px; top: 954.013px; font-size: 12.564px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(0.997019);" data-canvas-width="351.16681632996625">considering the fact that a domestic duck with influenza A/H10</div><div style="left: 79.8182px; top: 968.794px; font-size: 12.564px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(1.01231);" data-canvas-width="349.36388619528617">virus was identified during veterinarian training in 2010 in Grigoleti</div><div style="left: 79.8182px; top: 983.575px; font-size: 12.564px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(1.02059);" data-canvas-width="351.72842592592605">(Black sea cost of Georgia) manifesting no clinical symptoms.</div><div style="left: 79.8182px; top: 998.356px; font-size: 12.564px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(1.03851);" data-canvas-width="350.0825454545453">Therefore, larger scale studies, including swabbing more backyard</div><div style="left: 79.8182px; top: 1013.14px; font-size: 12.564px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(0.982295);" data-canvas-width="345.91507558922547">animals without any clinical symptoms are necessary to identify inter-</div><div style="left: 79.8182px; top: 1027.92px; font-size: 12.564px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(1.00498);" data-canvas-width="207.2929915824916">species virus transmission in the country.</div> ER -