The Burden of Avian Influenza Viruses in Community Ponds in California

Emerging influenza viruses continue to challenge public health. Public health professionals have been battling emerging human influenza diseases with tactile and reactionary methods because there is a lack of knowledge and data at the human-animal interface. This research was a study of the human-animal interface of Influenza A virus (IAV) in communities in California. Samples were collected from artificial recirculating water ponds in these communities and analyzed for IAV. Extensive laboratory analysis included real time RT-PCR, virus infectivity, nucleotide sequencing of the RNA genome, and phylogenic analysis of IAV H5N1 strains. Presence of waterfowl and IAV M gene sequence positivity was analyzed. Geochemical properties—pH, salinity, and water temperature—were analyzed as predictors of IAV infectivity. This study validated water ponds as resource sites for IAV surveillance and monitoring. The social change implications of this study can be recognized by providing geospatial analysis and spatial-temporal data for IAV surveillance, initiating biosecurity measures to protect poultry industries in the United States and Brazil, and contributing to the IAV strain library.