Treatment with Toll-like Receptor (TLR) Ligands 3 and 21 Prevents Fecal Contact Transmission of Low Pathogenic H9N2 Avian Influenza Virus (AIV) in Chickens

Sugandha Raj; Ayumi Matsuyama-Kato; Mohammadali Alizadeh; Nitish Boodhoo; Eva Nagy; Samira Mubareka; Khalil Karimi; Shahriar Behboudi; Shayan Sharif

doi:10.3390/v15040977

Treatment with Toll-like Receptor (TLR) Ligands 3 and 21 Prevents Fecal Contact Transmission of Low Pathogenic H9N2 Avian Influenza Virus (AIV) in Chickens

Sugandha Raj, Ayumi Matsuyama-Kato, Mohammadali Alizadeh, Nitish Boodhoo, Eva Nagy, Samira Mubareka, Khalil Karimi, Shahriar Behboudi, Shayan Sharif^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Bristol Veterinary School

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article (Academic Journal) › peer-review

Abstract

Transmission of H9N2 avian influenza virus (AIV) can occur in poultry by direct or indirect contact with infected individuals, aerosols, large droplets and fomites. The current study investigated the potential of H9N2 AIV transmission in chickens via a fecal route. Transmission was monitored by exposing naïve chickens to fecal material from H9N2 AIV-infected chickens (model A) and experimentally spiked feces (model B). The control chickens received H9N2 AIV. Results revealed that H9N2 AIV could persist in feces for up to 60–84 h post-exposure (PE). The H9N2 AIV titers in feces were higher at a basic to neutral pH. A higher virus shedding was observed in the exposed chickens of model B compared to model A. We further addressed the efficacy of Toll-like receptor (TLR) ligands to limit transmission in the fecal model. Administration of CpG ODN 2007 or poly(I:C) alone or in combination led to an overall decrease in the virus shedding, with enhanced expression of type I and II interferons (IFNs) and interferon-stimulating genes (ISGs) in different segments of the small intestine. Overall, the study highlighted that the H9N2 AIV can survive in feces and transmit to healthy naïve chickens. Moreover, TLR ligands could be applied to transmission studies to enhance antiviral immunity and reduce H9N2 AIV shedding.

Original language	English
Article number	977
Journal	Viruses
Volume	15
Issue number	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3390/v15040977
Publication status	Published - 16 Apr 2023

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
Support for the current research was funded by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), the Chicken Farmers of Saskatchewan, the Egg Farmers of Canada, and the Canadian Poultry Research Council. We are grateful to the University of Guelph’s Food from Thought initiative. S.R. was a recipient of an Arrell Food Institute Graduate Scholarship. S.B. is supported by a UKRI Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) Institute Strategic Programme Grant to the Pirbright Institute (BBS/E/I/00007030).

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© 2023 by the authors.

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title = "Treatment with Toll-like Receptor (TLR) Ligands 3 and 21 Prevents Fecal Contact Transmission of Low Pathogenic H9N2 Avian Influenza Virus (AIV) in Chickens",

abstract = "Transmission of H9N2 avian influenza virus (AIV) can occur in poultry by direct or indirect contact with infected individuals, aerosols, large droplets and fomites. The current study investigated the potential of H9N2 AIV transmission in chickens via a fecal route. Transmission was monitored by exposing na{\"i}ve chickens to fecal material from H9N2 AIV-infected chickens (model A) and experimentally spiked feces (model B). The control chickens received H9N2 AIV. Results revealed that H9N2 AIV could persist in feces for up to 60–84 h post-exposure (PE). The H9N2 AIV titers in feces were higher at a basic to neutral pH. A higher virus shedding was observed in the exposed chickens of model B compared to model A. We further addressed the efficacy of Toll-like receptor (TLR) ligands to limit transmission in the fecal model. Administration of CpG ODN 2007 or poly(I:C) alone or in combination led to an overall decrease in the virus shedding, with enhanced expression of type I and II interferons (IFNs) and interferon-stimulating genes (ISGs) in different segments of the small intestine. Overall, the study highlighted that the H9N2 AIV can survive in feces and transmit to healthy na{\"i}ve chickens. Moreover, TLR ligands could be applied to transmission studies to enhance antiviral immunity and reduce H9N2 AIV shedding.",

author = "Sugandha Raj and Ayumi Matsuyama-Kato and Mohammadali Alizadeh and Nitish Boodhoo and Eva Nagy and Samira Mubareka and Khalil Karimi and Shahriar Behboudi and Shayan Sharif",

note = "Funding Information: Support for the current research was funded by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), the Chicken Farmers of Saskatchewan, the Egg Farmers of Canada, and the Canadian Poultry Research Council. We are grateful to the University of Guelph{\textquoteright}s Food from Thought initiative. S.R. was a recipient of an Arrell Food Institute Graduate Scholarship. S.B. is supported by a UKRI Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) Institute Strategic Programme Grant to the Pirbright Institute (BBS/E/I/00007030). Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2023 by the authors.",

year = "2023",

month = apr,

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doi = "10.3390/v15040977",

language = "English",

volume = "15",

journal = "Viruses",

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T1 - Treatment with Toll-like Receptor (TLR) Ligands 3 and 21 Prevents Fecal Contact Transmission of Low Pathogenic H9N2 Avian Influenza Virus (AIV) in Chickens

AU - Raj, Sugandha

AU - Matsuyama-Kato, Ayumi

AU - Alizadeh, Mohammadali

AU - Boodhoo, Nitish

AU - Nagy, Eva

AU - Mubareka, Samira

AU - Karimi, Khalil

AU - Behboudi, Shahriar

AU - Sharif, Shayan

N1 - Funding Information: Support for the current research was funded by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), the Chicken Farmers of Saskatchewan, the Egg Farmers of Canada, and the Canadian Poultry Research Council. We are grateful to the University of Guelph’s Food from Thought initiative. S.R. was a recipient of an Arrell Food Institute Graduate Scholarship. S.B. is supported by a UKRI Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) Institute Strategic Programme Grant to the Pirbright Institute (BBS/E/I/00007030). Publisher Copyright: © 2023 by the authors.

PY - 2023/4/16

Y1 - 2023/4/16

N2 - Transmission of H9N2 avian influenza virus (AIV) can occur in poultry by direct or indirect contact with infected individuals, aerosols, large droplets and fomites. The current study investigated the potential of H9N2 AIV transmission in chickens via a fecal route. Transmission was monitored by exposing naïve chickens to fecal material from H9N2 AIV-infected chickens (model A) and experimentally spiked feces (model B). The control chickens received H9N2 AIV. Results revealed that H9N2 AIV could persist in feces for up to 60–84 h post-exposure (PE). The H9N2 AIV titers in feces were higher at a basic to neutral pH. A higher virus shedding was observed in the exposed chickens of model B compared to model A. We further addressed the efficacy of Toll-like receptor (TLR) ligands to limit transmission in the fecal model. Administration of CpG ODN 2007 or poly(I:C) alone or in combination led to an overall decrease in the virus shedding, with enhanced expression of type I and II interferons (IFNs) and interferon-stimulating genes (ISGs) in different segments of the small intestine. Overall, the study highlighted that the H9N2 AIV can survive in feces and transmit to healthy naïve chickens. Moreover, TLR ligands could be applied to transmission studies to enhance antiviral immunity and reduce H9N2 AIV shedding.

AB - Transmission of H9N2 avian influenza virus (AIV) can occur in poultry by direct or indirect contact with infected individuals, aerosols, large droplets and fomites. The current study investigated the potential of H9N2 AIV transmission in chickens via a fecal route. Transmission was monitored by exposing naïve chickens to fecal material from H9N2 AIV-infected chickens (model A) and experimentally spiked feces (model B). The control chickens received H9N2 AIV. Results revealed that H9N2 AIV could persist in feces for up to 60–84 h post-exposure (PE). The H9N2 AIV titers in feces were higher at a basic to neutral pH. A higher virus shedding was observed in the exposed chickens of model B compared to model A. We further addressed the efficacy of Toll-like receptor (TLR) ligands to limit transmission in the fecal model. Administration of CpG ODN 2007 or poly(I:C) alone or in combination led to an overall decrease in the virus shedding, with enhanced expression of type I and II interferons (IFNs) and interferon-stimulating genes (ISGs) in different segments of the small intestine. Overall, the study highlighted that the H9N2 AIV can survive in feces and transmit to healthy naïve chickens. Moreover, TLR ligands could be applied to transmission studies to enhance antiviral immunity and reduce H9N2 AIV shedding.

UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/v15040977

U2 - 10.3390/v15040977

DO - 10.3390/v15040977

M3 - Article (Academic Journal)

C2 - 37112957

SN - 1999-4915

VL - 15

JO - Viruses

JF - Viruses

IS - 4

M1 - 977

ER -

Treatment with Toll-like Receptor (TLR) Ligands 3 and 21 Prevents Fecal Contact Transmission of Low Pathogenic H9N2 Avian Influenza Virus (AIV) in Chickens

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