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Volume 30, Number 6—June 2024
Research

Outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A(H5N1) Virus in Seals, St. Lawrence Estuary, Quebec, Canada1

Stéphane LairComments to Author , Louise Quesnel, Anthony V. Signore, Pauline Delnatte, Carissa Embury-Hyatt, Marie-Soleil Nadeau, Oliver Lung, Shannon T. Ferrell, Robert Michaud, and Yohannes Berhane
Author affiliations: Université de Montréal, St. Hyacinthe, Quebec, Canada (S. Lair, L. Quesnel, P. Delnatte, S.T. Ferrell); Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada (A.V. Signore, C. Embury-Hyatt, O. Lung, Y. Berhane); Ministère de l’Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l’Alimentation du Quebec, St. Hyacinthe (M.-S. Nadeau); Groupe de recherche et d’éducation sur les mammifères marins, Tadoussac, Quebec, Canada (R. Michaud).

Main Article

Table 2

Demographic data and results of immunohistochemistry and molecular testing performed in seals infected by HPAI A(H5N1) during the 2022 outbreak in the St. Lawrence Estuary, Quebec, Canada*

Case no. Date
found		 Species† Age group/sex AIV IHC Initial PCR at MAPAQ
 Confirmatory PCR at NCFAD
 Sample type‡ Lineage IAV histologic lesions
Matrix H5 Matrix H5
217719 May 30 Harbor seal Adult/F + + + + + Swab EU/NA Yes
216969 June 7 Harbor seal <1 y + + + + + Swab EU Yes
216970 June 7 Harbor seal Adult/F + + + + + Swab EU Yes
216971 June 8 Harbor seal Adult/F - +/− + + + Swab EU Yes
216947 June 10 Harbor seal Adult/F + + + + + Brain EU/NA Yes
216983 June 11 Harbor seal Adult/F NP + + + + Swab EU/NA NP§
216985 June 13 Harbor seal <1 y/F NP + + + + Swab NP NP§
216972 June 14 Harbor seal <1 y/F + + + + + Swab EU Yes
217671 June 14 Harbor seal Adult/F + + + + + Swab EU Yes
216987 June 19 Harbor seal Adult/F NP + + + + Swab EU/NA NP§
216988 June 20 Harbor seal <1 y/F + + + + + Swab EU/NA Yes
216989 June 20 Harbor seal Adult/F NP + + + + Swab NP NP§
217670 June 20 Harbor seal <1 y/F + + + + + Swab EU/NA Yes
216973 June 22 Harbor seal Adult/F NP + +/− + + Brain NP Yes
216974 June 22 Harbor seal <1 y/F + +/− + + + Brain EU/NA Yes
217794 June 24 Gray seal Adult/F + + + + + Swab EU/NA Yes
217642 June 26 Harbor seal <1 y/F + + + + + Swab EU/NA Yes
217665 June 26 Harbor seal <1 y/F + +/− + + + Swab EU/NA Yes
217667 June 26 Harbor seal <1 y/F NP + + + - Lung NP Yes
217611 July 7 Harbor seal <1 y/F NP + + + + Swab EU/NA NP§
217612 July 8 Harbor seal <1 y/ND NP +/− +/− + + Swab NP NP§

*EU, fully Eurasian lineage; EU/NA, reassortment between Eurasian and North American lineages; HPAI, highly pathogenic avian influenza; IAV, influenza virus; IHC, immunohistochemistry; MAPAQ, Ministère de l’Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l’Alimentation du Québec; NCFAD, National Center for Foreign Animal Disease; ND, not determined; NP, not performed. –, negative; +, positive; +/−, suspicious. †Harbor seal, Phoca vitulina; gray seal, Halichoerus grypus. ‡Swab indicates combined nasal and rectal swab samples. Frozen lung or brain were submitted when swab testing results were negative. §Cases for which only swabs collected in the fields were available; no necropsy performed.

Main Article

1Preliminary results from this study were presented at the International Association for Aquatic Animal Medicine Conference, May 24, 2023, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.

Page created: April 23, 2024
Page updated: May 22, 2024
Page reviewed: May 22, 2024
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