22.06.2017

Appl Environ Microbiol 2017

Eurasian lineage H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus has been a severe threat to the poultry industry since its emergence in 1996. The carcass or tissues derived from infected birds may have the risk of the virus spreading to humans, animals, and the surrounding environment.
Researchers from Japan investigated the survival of the virus in feather, muscle, and liver tissues collected from chickens (Gallus gallus) experimentally infected with H5N1 HPAI virus. The tissues were stored at +4°C or +20°C and viral isolation was performed at different times for 360 days. The maximum period for viral survival was observed in samples stored at +4°C in all tissue types, i.e., 240 days in feather tissues, 160 days in muscle, and 20 days in liver. The viral infectivity at +20°C was maintained for a maximum of 30 days in the feather tissues, 20 days in muscle, and 3 days in liver. The viral inactivation rates partly overlapped in the feather and muscle tissues at both temperatures. The virus was inactivated rapidly in the liver. The experimental results indicate that the tissue type and temperature can greatly influence the survival of H5N1 HPAI virus in the tissues of infected chickens.
This study evaluated how long the virus can keep its infectivity in the three types of tissues derived from chickens infected with the virus. The experimental results indicate that the virus can survive in tissues for a specific period of time depending on the tissue type and temperature. These results are valuable for better understanding viral ecology in the environment, and for reducing the risk of the virus spreading via bird tissues contaminated with the virus.