Identifying an Understudied Interface: Preliminary Evaluation of the Use of Retention Ponds on Commercial Poultry Farms by Wild Waterfowl.

ABSTRACT: While the recent incursion of highly pathogenic avian influenza into North America has resulted in notable losses to the commercial poultry industry, the mechanism by which virus enters commercial poultry houses is still not understood. One theorized mechanism is that waterfowl shed virus into the environment surrounding poultry farms, such as into retention ponds, and is then transmitted into poultry houses via bridge species. Little is known about if and when wild waterfowl use these retention ponds, leading to uncertainty regarding the potential significance of this interface. To quantify the use of retention ponds on commercial poultry farms by wild waterfowl, we surveyed 12 such ponds across Somerset and Dorchester counties, Maryland, USA. This region was chosen due to the high level

SUBMITTER: Sullivan JD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12016893 | biostudies-literature | 2024

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature