Risk of Human Infections With Highly Pathogenic H5N2 and Low Pathogenic H7N1 Avian Influenza Strains During Outbreaks in Ostriches in South Africa

Details

• Alternative Title:
  J Infect Dis
• Personal Author:
  Venter, Marietjie ; Treurnicht, Florette K. ; Buys, Amelia ; Tempia, Stefano ; Samudzi, Rudo ; McAnerney, Johanna ; Jacobs, Charlene A. ; Thomas, Juno ; Blumberg, Lucille
• Description:
  Background ; Risk factors for human infection with highly pathogenic (HP) and low-pathogenic (LP) avian influenza (AI) H5N2 and H7N1 were investigated during outbreaks in ostriches in the Western Cape province, South Africa. ; Methods ; Serum surveys were conducted for veterinarians, farmworkers, and laboratory and abattoir workers involved in 2 AI outbreaks in the Western Cape province: (1) controlling and culling of 42 000 ostriches during (HPAI)H5N2 outbreaks in ostriches (2011) (n = 207); (2) movement control during (LPAI)H7N1 outbreaks in 2012 (n = 66). A third serosurvey was conducted on state veterinarians from across the country in 2012 tasked with disease control in general (n = 37). Antibodies to H5 and H7 were measured by means of hemagglutination inhibition and microneutralization assays, with microneutralization assay titers >40 considered positive. ; Results ; Two of 207 (1%) participants were seropositive for H5 and 4 of 207 (2%) for H7 in 2011, compared with 1 of 66 (1.5%) and 8 of 66 (13%) in 2012. Although individuals in all professions tested seropositive, abattoir workers (10 of 97; 10.3%) were significantly more at risk of influenza A(H7N1) infection (P = .001) than those in other professions (2 of 171;1.2%). Among state veterinarians, 4 of 37(11%) were seropositive for H7 and 1 of 37 (2.7%) for H5. Investigations of (LP)H7N1-associated fatalities in wild birds and quarantined exotic birds in Gauteng, AI outbreaks in poultry in KwaZulu-Natal, and ostriches in Western Cape province provide possible exposure events. ; Conclusion ; (LPAI)H7N1 strains pose a greater infection-risk than (HPAI)H5N2 strains to persons involved in control of outbreaks in infected birds, with ostrich abattoir workers at highest risk.
• Subjects:
  • Article
  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Animals
  • Animals, Wild
  • Antibodies, Viral
  • Antigens, Viral
  • Disease Outbreaks
  • Female
  • Hemagglutination Inhibition Tests
  More +
• Source:
  J Infect Dis. 216(Suppl 4):S512-S519
• Pubmed ID:
  28934458
• Pubmed Central ID:
  PMC5666040
• Document Type:
  Journal Article
• Funding:
  CC999999/Intramural CDC HHS/United States
• Place as Subject:
  South Africa
• Volume:
  216
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/49556/cdc_49556_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 101.76 KB]
• Collection(s):
  CDC Public Access
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha256:58280a09a170432d99f2dfd6030de58a06d7ace2a3a7903a03624108a7442001