Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “Geese”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 757 records · Page 42Linked to original sources
PubMed2006

Properties and dissemination of H5N1 viruses isolated during an influenza outbreak in migratory waterfowl in western China.

H5N1 influenza A viruses are widely distributed among poultry in Asia, but until recently, only a limited number of wild birds were affected. During late April through June 2005, an outbreak of H5N1 virus infection occurred among wild birds at Qinghai Lake in China. Here, we describe the features of this outbreak. First identified in bar-headed geese, the disease soon spread to other avian species populating the lake. Sequence analysis of 15 viruses representing six avian species and collected at different times during the outbreak revealed four different H5N1 genotypes. Most of the isolates possessed lysine at position 627 in the PB2 protein, a residue known to be associated with virulence in mice and adaptation to humans. However, neither of the two index viruses possessed this residue. All of the viruses tested were pathogenic in mice, with the exception of one index virus. We also tested the replication of two viruses isolated during the Qinghai Lake outbreak and one unrelated duck H5N1 virus in rhesus macaques. The Qinghai Lake viruses did not replicate efficiently in these animals, producing no evidence of disease other than transient fever, while the duck virus replicated in multiple organs and caused symptoms of respiratory illness. Importantly, H5N1 viruses isolated in Mongolia, Russia, Inner Mongolia, and the Liaoning Province of China after August 2005 were genetically closely related to one of the genotypes isolated during the Qinghai outbreak, suggesting the dominant nature of this genotype and underscoring the need for worldwide intensive surveillance to minimize its devastating consequences.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

New hepatitis B virus of cranes that has an unexpected broad host range.

All hepadnaviruses known so far have a very limited host range, restricted to their natural hosts and a few closely related species. This is thought to be due mainly to sequence divergence in the large envelope protein and species-specific differences in host components essential for virus propagation. Here we report an infection of cranes with a novel hepadnavirus, designated CHBV, that has an unexpectedly broad host range and is only distantly evolutionarily related to avihepadnaviruses of related hosts. Direct DNA sequencing of amplified CHBV DNA as well a sequencing of cloned viral genomes revealed that CHBV is most closely related to, although distinct from, Ross' goose hepatitis B virus (RGHBV) and slightly less closely related to duck hepatitis B virus (DHBV). Phylogenetically, cranes are very distant from geese and ducks and are most closely related to herons and storks. Naturally occurring hepadnaviruses in the last two species are highly divergent in sequence from RGHBV and DHBV and do not infect ducks or do so only marginally. In contrast, CHBV from crane sera and recombinant CHBV produced from LMH cells infected primary duck hepatocytes almost as efficiently as DHBV did. This is the first report of a rather broad host range of an avihepadnavirus. Our data imply either usage of similar or identical entry pathways and receptors by DHBV and CHBV, unusual host and virus adaptation mechanisms, or divergent evolution of the host genomes and cellular components required for virus propagation.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Characterization of a novel influenza A virus hemagglutinin subtype (H16) obtained from black-headed gulls.

In wild aquatic birds and poultry around the world, influenza A viruses carrying 15 antigenic subtypes of hemagglutinin (HA) and 9 antigenic subtypes of neuraminidase (NA) have been described. Here we describe a previously unidentified antigenic subtype of HA (H16), detected in viruses circulating in black-headed gulls in Sweden. In agreement with established criteria for the definition of antigenic subtypes, hemagglutination inhibition assays and immunodiffusion assays failed to detect specific reactivity between H16 and the previously described subtypes H1 to H15. Genetically, H16 HA was found to be distantly related to H13 HA, a subtype also detected exclusively in shorebirds, and the amino acid composition of the putative receptor-binding site of H13 and H16 HAs was found to be distinct from that in HA subtypes circulating in ducks and geese. The H16 viruses contained NA genes that were similar to those of other Eurasian shorebirds but genetically distinct from N3 genes detected in other birds and geographical locations. The European gull viruses were further distinguishable from other influenza A viruses based on their PB2, NP, and NS genes. Gaining information on the full spectrum of avian influenza A viruses and creating reagents for their detection and identification will remain an important task for influenza surveillance, outbreak control, and animal and public health. We propose that sequence analyses of HA and NA genes of influenza A viruses be used for the rapid identification of existing and novel HA and NA subtypes.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2002

Clinical signs of West Nile virus encephalomyelitis in horses during the outbreak in Israel in 2000.

Between August and October 2000, 76 horses were reported by veterinary practitioners as having signs of a neurological disorder, varying from an involvement of the spinal cord alone to the entire central nervous system; 15 of the horses died or were euthanased as a result of their grave prognosis or secondary complications. At the same time, an outbreak of West Nile virus infection affected people and birds, principally domestic geese. West Nile virus was isolated from four of the horses with encephalomyelitis and five other horses seroconverted, indicating that the virus was the probable cause of the outbreak in horses. Three of the cases from which the virus was isolated are described briefly and one case is described in detail. This horse behaved abnormally and had general proprioceptive deficits in all four limbs. Its neurological condition deteriorated after two days and severe inspiratory dyspnoea due to a failure to abduct the arytenoids necessitated a tracheostomy. It died on the fourth day and histological lesions were observed in the brain stem and grey matter of the spinal cord.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Isolation of different serovars of Salmonella enterica from wild birds in Great Britain between 1995 and 2003.

Postmortem examinations were carried out on the carcases of 779 wild birds. Salmonellosis was a common cause of death in greenfinches (Carduelis chloris), house sparrows (Passer domesticus) and chaffinches (Fringilla coelebs), and was also responsible for the deaths of other birds such as goldfinches (Carduelis carduelis), feral pigeons and different species of gulls. Most cases of salmonellosis in finches occurred between January and March, whereas salmonellosis in house sparrows tended to occur between October and March. Salmonella Typhimurium DT40 and DT56 (variant) predominated in finches and sparrows, DT41 and DT195 were the most common strains isolated from gulls, and DT2 and DT99 were recovered from feral pigeons. These "wild bird" strains of Salmonella made up less than 0.5 per cent of the isolates of Salmonella recovered from cattle, sheep, pigs, chickens or turkeys in Great Britain over the same period, but they made up nearly 3 per cent of the isolates from more extensively reared avian livestock such as gamebirds, ducks and geese.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Seasonal study of a freshwater lake and migratory waterfowl for Campylobacter jejuni.

In the summer and fall of 1981, water and sediment samples from Lake Onalaska, a Mississippi River navigation pool near La Crosse, Wisconsin, were quantitatively examined for Campylobacter jejuni and for standard bacterial indicators of fecal pollution. Fifty cecal content samples, representing seven species of transient waterfowl captured during fall migration, were also assayed for C. jejuni. Fecal coliform and fecal streptococcus counts from the water and sediment samples agreed with previously established values for the pool and accurately reflected the influx of approximately 619 000 ducks and geese during fall migration. Campylobacter jejuni was not recovered from water, sediment, or cecal samples. This conflicts with previous reports which implied a cosmopolitan distribution of C. jejuni among waterfowl. Reasons for the absence of C. jejuni from the pool and from waterfowl in and around that pool were discussed, with special reference to method of recovery and sporadic distribution of other pathogenic microorganisms among migratory waterfowl.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Anseriform brain and its parts versus taxonomic and ecological categories.

The size of the brain and its macro-anatomical parts in 206 birds representing 19 anseriform species and 4 tribes (Anserini, Anatini, Aythyini and Mergini) was the subject of a comparative analysis. The comparisons involved two aspects: taxonomic (differences among species within tribes and differences among tribes) and ecological (diet composition: vegetation, invertebrates, or fish and the foraging mode: browsing, dabbling, shallow diving, and deep diving). The relative size of the encephalon (E) and its parts (optic tectum, OT; cerebellum, C; brain stem, BS; hemispheres, H) were described using appropriate indices. Five of them, called the cerebral-body indices (E/BW, OT/BW, C/BW, BS/BW, H/BW), involved a ratio between the weight of E or its parts and that of the body (BW). Four intracerebral indices (OT/E, C/E, BS/E, H/E) and allometric equations were used as well. Almost all the indices showed a high intraspecific variability within the Anserini and Mergini; on the other hand, the intracerebral indices did not differ between the species of the Anatini and Aythyini (except for OT/E in the Aythyini). Between-tribe differences were reflected in all 9 indices. The birds feeding on different diets were found to differ in their OT/E and H/E. The herbivorous anserifom OT/E was clearly lower than that of those birds feeding on invertebrates and fish. The highest OT/E was that of the piscivorous birds. In terms of foraging mode, significant differences were revealed in 7 out of the 9 indices used (differences in OT/BW and C/BW proved non-significant). OT/E of the browsing birds was clearly lower than that of the deep diving ducks; BS/E of the browsers was much lower than that of the dabbling and shallow diving ducks. Geese and swans (browsers) showed much higher H/E compared to the deep diving sea ducks. The latter revealed the highest C/E, but significant differences were detected only in comparison with C/E of the shallow diving ducks. The taxonomic (among tribes) and ecological comparisons showed more differences in the intracerebral indices than in the cerebral-body indices.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Origins of descending spinal pathways in prehensile birds: do parrots have a homologue to the corticospinal tract of mammals?

In mammals, the supraspinal descending projections that influence distal limb muscles are the rubrospinal and corticospinal tracts. The former, which is found in other vertebrates, shows greater somatotopy in mammals that are 'dextrous' (e.g. monkeys) than those that are not (e.g. opossums). Similarly, the corticospinal tract, which is found only in mammals, has more extensive connections (i.e. direct corticomotoneural) in mammals that are dextrous than in mammals that are not. Descending spinal pathways have been described in 'non-dextrous' avian species (chickens, ducks, geese and pigeons), and the purpose of this study was to determine if there are any differences in the origins of descending projections to the spinal cord in 'dextrous' or prehensile parrots (sulphur-crested cockatoo, Cacatua galerita, and eastern rosella, Platycerus eximius). True Blue or wheat germ agglutinin-horseradish peroxidase was injected into the lumbar or cervical spinal cord. The distribution of retrogradely labelled cells was similar to that previously reported for non-prehensile birds. We found no evidence of any direct spinal projections from the telencephalon (including any pathway homologous to the corticospinal tract of mammals), nor any specialized anatomical organization of the descending pathways that could account for the pedal dexterity of these species.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

The epidemiology of aplastic anemia in Thailand.

Aplastic anemia has been linked to environmental exposures, from chemicals and medical drugs to infectious agents. The disease occurs more frequently in Asia than in the West, with incidence rates 2- to 3-fold higher. We report updated results of an epidemiologic study conducted in Thailand from 1989 to 2002, in which 541 patients and 2261 controls were enrolled. Exposures were determined by in-person interview. We observed significantly elevated relative risk estimates for benzene (3.5) and other solvents (2.0) and for sulfonamides (5.6), thiazides (3.8), and mebendazole (3.0). Chloramphenicol use was infrequent, and no significant association was observed. Agricultural pesticides were implicated in Khonkaen (northeastern Thailand). There were significant associations with organophosphates (2.1), DDT (6.7), and carbamates (7.4). We found significant risks for farmers exposed to ducks and geese (3.7) and a borderline association with animal fertilizer (2.1). There was a significant association in Khonkaen with drinking other than bottled or distilled water (2.8). Nonmedical needle exposure was associated in Bangkok and Khonkaen combined (3.8). Most striking was the large etiologic fraction in a rural region accounted for by animal exposures and drinking of water from sources such as wells, rural taps, and rainwater, consistent with an infectious etiology for many cases of aplastic anemia in Thailand.

Anemia, Aplastic↗
PubMed2005

Spike firing allometry in avian intrapulmonary chemoreceptors: matching neural code to body size.

Biological rates in small animals are usually higher than those in large animals, yet the maximal rate of action potential (spike) generation in sensory neurons encoding rate functions is similar in all animals, due to the conserved genetics of voltage-gated ion channels. Therefore, sensory signals that vary at rates approaching maximal spike generation rate, as might occur in animals of diminished body size, may require specialized spike coding to convey this information. To test whether spike coding scales allometrically in sensory neurons monitoring signals that change frequency with body size, we recorded action potentials from 70 avian intrapulmonary chemoreceptors (IPC), respiratory neurons that detect lung CO2 changes during breathing, in five different avian species ranging in size from body mass Mb=0.045 kg (lovebirds) to 5.23 kg (geese). Since breathing frequency scales approximately to Mb-1/4 (higher in small birds, lower in large birds), we reasoned that IPC discharge frequencies may also scale to maintain spike information transmission within each breath. We found that phasic action potential discharge pattern, as quantified by the peak discharge rate and the magnitude of spike frequency adaptation, scaled between Mb-0.22 and Mb-0.26, like breathing rate (P<0.05). Previously published values of peak discharge rate in IPC also fit this allometric relationship. We suggest that mass-dependent scaling of neural coding may be necessary for preserving information transmission with decreasing body size.

Action Potentials↗
PubMed1996

The geographical scale factor in orientation of migrating birds

Migration routes of birds throw light on orientation performance at different geographic scales, over distances ranging from a few kilometres to more than 104 km. Detailed knowledge about the flight routes may be used to test predictions about optimal orientation according to theoretical principles and about the use of compasses based on celestial or magnetic cues. Ringing recoveries demonstrate that the migratory journey of many species, such as the wheatear and willow warbler, is divided into successive legs with different main orientation. Autumn and spring migration routes are often different, sometimes diverging on a continental scale. Aerial radiotracking of whooping cranes in North America and satellite tracking of brent geese migrating from Iceland across the Greenland ice cap point to the significant role of large-scale topography for the shaping of migration routes. Compass and position control are also required, e.g. during long passages across featureless sea or ice, but how these elements are integrated into the birds' orientation system remains unclear. Radar studies from the Arctic Ocean illustrate the importance of map projections for interpreting flight paths and suggest that birds accomplish approximate great circle orientation. Gradual course changes shown by migrating knots monitored by radar in Scandinavia are at variance with expected changes if the birds were to use a star, sun or magnetic compass over longer distances. Accurate recording of short flight segments shows how flying birds respond to visual, audible and electromagnetic cues, and also documents orientation precision and capacity to integrate rapidly shifting courses into a consistent resulting orientation. Analyses of flight patterns are crucial for understanding how birds find and follow their migration routes over different ranges of geographical scale.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1997

Energetic consequences of coordinating wingbeat and respiratory rhythms in birds

The coordination of ventilatory and locomotor rhythms has been documented in many birds and mammals. It has been suggested that the physiological significance of such coordination is a reduction in the cost of ventilation which confers an energetic advantage to the animal. We tested this hypothesis by measuring the external work required to ventilate birds mechanically during simulated flight. Patterns of wing motion and breathing were produced in which the relationship between wing motion and breathing was in phase and out of phase with the relationship seen during normal flight. Differences between the energetic costs of in-phase versus out-of-phase synchronization were particularly large (26 %) in instances where locomotion and respiration frequency were synchronized at one breath per wingbeat. The saving (9 %) obtained from in-phase versus out-of-phase coordination at the 3:1 coordination ratio seen normally in free-flying Canada geese was smaller but still supported the hypothesis that there is a significant net saving obtained from reducing the mechanical interference between locomotion and ventilation by locomotor&shy;respiratory coupling.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2003

Epidemiology, production losses, and control measures associated with an outbreak of avian influenza subtype H7N2 in Pennsylvania (1996-98).

An outbreak of H7N2 low-pathogenicity (LP) avian influenza (AI) occurred in a two-county area in Pennsylvania from December of 1996 through April of 1998. The outbreak resulted in infection of 2,623,116 commercial birds on 25 premises encompassing 47 flocks. Twenty-one (one premise with infection twice) of the twenty-five infected premises housed egg-laying chickens and one premise each had turkeys, layer pullets, quail, and a mixed backyard dealer flock. Despite dose proximity of infected flocks to commercial broiler flocks, no infected broilers were identified. Experimentally, when market age broilers were placed on an influenza-infected premise they seroconverted and developed oviduct lesions. The outbreak was believed to have originated from two separate introductions into commercial layer flocks from premises and by individuals dealing in sales of live fowl in the metropolitan New York and New Jersey live-bird markets. Source flocks for these markets are primarily in the northeast and mid-Atlantic areas, including Pennsylvania. Mixed fowl sold include ducks, geese, guinea hens, quail, chukar partridges, and a variety of chickens grown on perhaps hundreds of small farms. Infections with the H7N2 AI virus were associated with variable morbidity and temporary decreases in egg production ranging from 1.6% to 29.1% in commercial egg-laying chickens. Egg production losses averaged 4.0 weeks duration. Mortality ranged from 1.5 to 18.3 times normal (mean of 4.3 times normal). Duration of mortality ranged from 2 to 13 weeks (average of 3.9 weeks) in flocks not depopulated. Lesions observed were primarily oviducts filled with a mucous and white gelatinous exudates and atypical egg yolk peritonitis. Quarantine of premises and complete depopulation were the early measures employed in control of this outbreak. Epidemiological studies suggested that depopulation furthered the spread of influenza to nearby flocks. Thereafter, later control measures included quarantine, strict biosecurity, and controlled marketing of products.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Evidence of avian pneumovirus spread beyond Minnesota among wild and domestic birds in central North America.

To detect avian pneumovirus (APV) in central North America, nasal turbinates or choanal deft tissues from domestic turkeys and wild birds were examined for the presence of APV RNA by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), whereas serum samples from domestic turkeys were analyzed for APV antibodies by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In 2002, the seroprevalence of disease in domestic turkeys in Minnesota remained high (42.3% of the flocks). In addition, there is evidence the disease has spread to turkey flocks in North Dakota (8.2%), South Dakota (7%), Iowa (10%), and Wisconsin (8.6%) as detected by RT-PCR and/or ELISA. House sparrows and ring-billed gulls sampled in Minnesota and snow geese from Saskatchewan, Canada, were found to harbor APV RNA. Sequence analysis of wild bird APV strains showed high amino acid sequence identity among wild bird isolates (<97%) and between wild bird and turkey viral isolates (93.2%-99.3%). This study demonstrated that APV infections were present in domestic turkey flocks and wild birds outside the state of Minnesota; however, the role of wild birds in spreading APV to domestic turkeys remains unclear.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2002

Toxoplasmosis in three species of native and introduced Hawaiian birds.

Toxoplasma gondii was found in endemic Hawaiian birds, including 2 nene geese (Nesochen sandvicensis), 1 red-footed booby (Sula sula), and an introduced bird, the Erckels francolin (Francolinus erckelii). All 4 birds died of disseminated toxoplasmosis; the parasite was found in sections of many organs, and the diagnosis was confirmed by immunohistochemical staining with anti-T. gondii-specific polyclonal antibodies. This is the first report of toxoplasmosis in these species of birds.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Effects of El Niño on distribution and reproductive performance of Black Brant.

Climate in low-latitude wintering areas may influence temperate and high-latitude breeding populations of birds, but demonstrations of such relationships have been rare because of difficulties in linking wintering with breeding populations. We used long-term aerial surveys in Mexican wintering areas and breeding areas in Alaska, USA, to assess numbers of Black Brant (Branta bernicla nigricans; hereafter brant) on their principal wintering and breeding area in El Niño and non-El Niño years. We used Pollock's robust design to directly estimate probability of breeding and apparent annual survival of individually marked brant at the Tutakoke River (TR) colony, Alaska, in each year between 1988 and 2001. Fewer brant wintered in Mexico during every El Niño event since 1965. Fewer brant were observed on the principal breeding area following each El Niño since surveys began in 1985. Probability of breeding was negatively related to January sea surface temperature along the subtropical coast of North America during the preceding winter. Between 23% (five-year-olds or older) and 30% (three-year-olds) fewer brant nested in 1998 following the strong El Niño event in the winter of 1997-1998 than in non-El Niño years. This finding is consistent with life history theory, which predicts that longer-lived species preserve adult survival at the expense of reproduction. Oceanographic conditions off Baja California, apparently by their effect on Zostera marina (eelgrass), strongly influence winter distribution of brant geese and their reproduction (but not survival), which in turn affects ecosystem dynamics in Alaska.

Age Factors↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Influenza: an emerging disease.

Because all known influenza A subtypes exist in the aquatic bird reservoir, influenza is not an eradicable disease; prevention and control are the only realistic goals. If people, pigs, and aquatic birds are the principal variables associated with interspecies transfer of influenza virus and the emergence of new human pandemic strains, influenza surveillance in these species is indicated. Live-bird markets housing a wide variety of avian species together (chickens, ducks, geese, pigeon, turkeys, pheasants, guinea fowl), occasionally with pigs, for sale directly to the public provide outstanding conditions for genetic mixing and spreading of influenza viruses; therefore, these birds should be monitored for influenza viruses. Moreover, if pigs are the mixing vessel for influenza viruses, surveillance in this population may also provide an early warning system for humans.

Disease Outbreaks↗
PubMed2002

Introduction of West Nile virus in the Middle East by migrating white storks.

West Nile virus (WNV) was isolated in a flock of 1,200 migrating white storks that landed in Eilat, a town in southern Israel, on August 26, 1998. Strong, hot westerly winds had forced the storks to fly under considerable physical stress before reaching the agricultural land surrounding the town. Most of the flock were fledglings, <1 year old, which had hatched in Europe. Thirteen dead or dying storks were collected 2 days after arrival and submitted to the laboratory for examination. Four WNV isolates were obtained from their brains. Out of 11 storks tested six days after arrival, three had WNV-neutralizing antibodies. Comparative analysis of full-length genomic sequences of a stork isolate and a 1999 flamingo isolate from the USA showed 28 nucleotide (nt) (0.25%) and 10 amino acid (0.3%) changes. Sequence analysis of the envelope gene of the stork isolate showed almost complete identity with isolates from Israeli domestic geese in 1998 and 1999 and from a nonmigrating, white-eyed gull in 1999. Since these storks were migrating southwards for the first time and had not flown over Israel, we assume that they had become infected with WNV at some point along their route of migration in Europe.

Amino Acid Sequence↗