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1 October 2017 Detection of Wellfleet Bay Virus Antibodies in Sea Birds of the Northeastern USA
Jennifer R. Ballard, Randall Mickley, Justin D. Brown, Nichola J. Hill, Jonathan A. Runstadler, Daniel E. Clark, Julie C. Ellis, Daniel G. Mead, John R. Fischer
Author Affiliations +
Abstract

Wellfleet Bay virus (WFBV) is a recently described orthomyxovirus isolated from the tissues of Common Eiders (Somateria mollissima) collected during recurrent mortality events on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, US. Coastal Massachusetts is the only location where disease or mortality associated with this virus has been detected in wild birds, and a previous seroprevalence study found a significantly higher frequency of viral exposure in eiders from this location than from other areas sampled in North America. This suggests that coastal Massachusetts is an epicenter of WFBV exposure, but the reason for this is unknown. Opportunistic sampling of sympatric species and testing of banked serum was used to investigate potential host range and spatiotemporal patterns of WFBV exposure. Antibodies were detected in Herring Gulls (Larus argentatus), Ring-billed Gulls (Larus delawarensis), a White-winged Scoter (Melanitta fusca), and a Black Scoter (Melanitta nigra). These findings demonstrate the likely occurrence of fall/winter transmission, expand our understanding of the host range of the virus, and provide further insight into the epidemiology of WFBV in the northeastern US.

© Wildlife Disease Association 2017
Jennifer R. Ballard, Randall Mickley, Justin D. Brown, Nichola J. Hill, Jonathan A. Runstadler, Daniel E. Clark, Julie C. Ellis, Daniel G. Mead, and John R. Fischer "Detection of Wellfleet Bay Virus Antibodies in Sea Birds of the Northeastern USA," Journal of Wildlife Diseases 53(4), 875-879, (1 October 2017). https://doi.org/10.7589/2016-10-237
Received: 26 October 2016; Accepted: 1 March 2017; Published: 1 October 2017
KEYWORDS
Black Scoter
Common Eider
Herring Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Wellfleet Bay virus
White-winged Scoter
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