A Florida bottlenose dolphin was found with avian influenza in a landmark case studied by University of Florida researchers and other agencies, highlighting the inter-species transmission risks of this virus.
Researchers documented the first North American cetacean case of avian influenza in a Florida dolphin, underscoring the need for further research on this cross-Related Post Jurassic pliosaur 'megapredator' was a giant 'sea murderer'
The case of a Florida bottlenose dolphin found with highly pathogenic avian influenza virus, or HPAIV — a discovery made by Related Post Argentina signs NASA's Artemis Accords for moon and space exploration
Collaborative Efforts and Research Implications
Allison Murawski, D.V.M., a former intern with UF’s aquatic animal medicine program, was first author on the study and developed a case report on the dolphin as part of her research project. She traveled to Memphis and worked closely with Richard Webby, Ph.D., who directs the World Health Organization Collaborating Center for Studies on the Ecology of Influenza in Animals and Birds at St. Jude’s and served as corresponding author on the paper
Webby’s laboratory investigates avian influenza cases in many species and was key in determining where the virus may have originated, what unique Related Post The best grill covers of 2023
“This investigation was an important step in understanding this virus and is a great example where happenstance joins with curiosity, having to answer the ‘why’ and then seeing how the multiple groups and expertise took this to a fantastic representation of collaborative excellence,” said Mike Walsh, D.V.M., an associate professor of aquatic animal health, who served as Murawski’s faculty mentor.
Reference: “Highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) virus in a common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) in Florida” by Allison Murawski, Thomas Fabrizio, Robert Ossiboff, Christina Kackos, Trushar Jeevan, Jeremy C. Jones, Ahmed Kandeil, David Walker, Jasmine C. M. Turner, Christopher Patton, Elena A. Govorkova, Helena Hauck, Suzanna Mickey, Brittany Barbeau, Y. Reddy Bommineni, Mia Torchetti, Kristina Lantz, Lisa Kercher, Andrew B. Allison, Peter Vogel, Michael Walsh and Richard J. Webby, 18 April 2024, Communications Biology.
DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-06173-x