Bald eagle mortality and nest failure due to clade 2.3.4.4 highly pathogenic H5N1 influenza a virus.

ABSTRACT: The bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) is a culturally and ecologically vital species in North America that embodies conservation success but continues to face threats that include emerging pathogens. The introduction of A/goose/Guangdong/1/1996 lineage highly pathogenic (HP) clade 2.3.4.4b H5N1 influenza A virus (IAV) in North America in late 2021 resulted in high rates of mortality among bald eagles. Here we show an alarming rate of bald eagle nest failure and mortality attributed to HP IAV. We documented fatal, systemic HP IAV infection in breeding adult and nestling bald eagles along the southeastern U.S. coast. Concurrently, annual bald eagle nest surveys in Georgia and Florida revealed a precipitous drop in success in coastal counties compared with previous years, portending negat

SUBMITTER: Nemeth NM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9813463 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature