NO EVIDENCE FOR HIGH PATHOGENICITY AVIAN INFLUENZA IN WAVED ALBATROSS PHOEBASTRIA IRRORATA

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) is caused by the Alphainfluenzavirus influenzae species (type A, subtype H5N1), which has been detected in mammals (including humans) and marine birds in the Americas, including the Galápagos Islands. The Waved Albatross Phoebastria irrorata is a marine endemic species of Ecuador. Most of its breeding population nests on Española Island in the Galápagos Archipelago, and it forages at sea in the eastern South Pacific. This marine bird shares its feeding areas with the Peruvian Pelican Pelecanus thagus, Peruvian Booby Sula variegata, Guanay Cormorant Leucocarbo bougainvillii, Humboldt Penguin Spheniscus humboldti, Sanderling Calidris alba, Belcher’s Gull Larus belcheri. These six species nest on the mainland of Ecuador and Peru; all have tested positive for HPAI H5N1, which has been particular concern to researchers. Therefore, we used a real-time quantitative reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), to test for HPAI H5N1 in choana-tracheal and cloacal samples from Waved Albatross at the Punta Suárez and Punta Cevallos colonies on Española Island, which have been under investigation for more than two decades. None of the birds tested positive for HPAI H5N1. Despite negative results, it is important to implement preventive and precautionary measures to avoid the spread of this viral disease to the Galápagos Archipelago. Avian influenza can have a high impact on the isolated Galápagos Islands and, therefore, we must deeply understand the possible means of entry of this virus.