Abstract:
Egyptian geese (Alopochen aegypticus), a duck species endemic to
sub-Saharan Africa and occasionally implicated in the transmission
of avian influenza viruses (AIV) to farmed ostriches, were
experimentally infected with low pathogenicity H7N1 and H6N8
viruses to assess viral shedding and immune profiles. Birds that
received an initial infection with H7N1 virus were also challenged
with H6N8 virus, and because a comparable shedding pattern to the
H7N1 challenge group was observed, the researchers concluded that
the effect of any nonspecific immunity was negligible.
