TY - JOUR

T1 - Stable Isotope Analysis Reveals Common Teal (Anas crecca) Molting Sites in Western Siberia: Implications for Avian Influenza Virus Spread

AU - Druzyaka, Alexey V.

AU - Druzyaka, Olga R.

AU - Sharshov, Kirill A.

AU - Kasianov, Nikita

AU - Dubovitskiy, Nikita

AU - Derko, Anastasiya A.

AU - Frolov, Ivan G.

AU - Torniainen, Jyrki

AU - Wang, Wen

AU - Minina, Mariya A.

AU - Shestopalov, Alexander M.

N1 - We are grateful to all the authors who contributed genome sequences information to GISAID. This study was partly performed by the Centers for Collective Use of Scientific Equipment: “Proteomic analysis” (funded by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, agreement No. 075-15-2021-691) and “Modern optical systems” (funded by the Research Center of Fundamental and Translational Medicine, Novosibirsk, Russia).

PY - 2024/3/26

Y1 - 2024/3/26

N2 - The wetlands of southwestern Siberia (SWS) are a crossroads of bird migration routes, bringing avian influenza (AIV) strains that were previously isolated in different regions of the continent to Siberia. It is known that Anseriformes that breed in SWS migrate for the winter to central Hindustan or further west, while their migration routes to southeast Asia (SEA) remain unconfirmed. Here, we mapped the molting sites of the migrating Common Teals (Anas crecca) via analyzing stable hydrogen isotope content in feathers of hunters’ prey and supplemented the analysis with the genetic structure of viruses isolated from teals in the same region. Post-breeding molt of autumn teals most likely occurred within the study region, whereas probable pre-breeding molting grounds of spring teals were in the south of Hindustan. This link was supported by viral phylogenetic analysis, which showed a close relationship between SWS isolates and viruses from south and southeast Asia. Most viral segments have the highest genetic similarity and the closest phylogenetic relationships with viruses from teal wintering areas in southeast Asian countries, including India and Korea. We assume that the winter molt of SWS breeding teals on the Hindustan coast suggests contacts with the local avifauna, including species migrating along the coast to SEA. Perhaps this is one of the vectors of AIV transmission within Eurasia.

AB - The wetlands of southwestern Siberia (SWS) are a crossroads of bird migration routes, bringing avian influenza (AIV) strains that were previously isolated in different regions of the continent to Siberia. It is known that Anseriformes that breed in SWS migrate for the winter to central Hindustan or further west, while their migration routes to southeast Asia (SEA) remain unconfirmed. Here, we mapped the molting sites of the migrating Common Teals (Anas crecca) via analyzing stable hydrogen isotope content in feathers of hunters’ prey and supplemented the analysis with the genetic structure of viruses isolated from teals in the same region. Post-breeding molt of autumn teals most likely occurred within the study region, whereas probable pre-breeding molting grounds of spring teals were in the south of Hindustan. This link was supported by viral phylogenetic analysis, which showed a close relationship between SWS isolates and viruses from south and southeast Asia. Most viral segments have the highest genetic similarity and the closest phylogenetic relationships with viruses from teal wintering areas in southeast Asian countries, including India and Korea. We assume that the winter molt of SWS breeding teals on the Hindustan coast suggests contacts with the local avifauna, including species migrating along the coast to SEA. Perhaps this is one of the vectors of AIV transmission within Eurasia.

KW - Anas crecca

KW - avian influenza

KW - common teal

KW - isoscape

KW - migration routes

KW - molting grounds

KW - stable isotopes

UR - https://www.webofscience.com/wos/woscc/full-record/WOS:001176497200001

UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/cbfe9ede-153b-3839-8fe4-6d08ecdde2ba/

U2 - 10.3390/microorganisms12020357

DO - 10.3390/microorganisms12020357

M3 - Article

C2 - 38399761

VL - 12

JO - Microorganisms

JF - Microorganisms

SN - 2076-2607

IS - 2

M1 - 357

ER -