TY - JOUR T1 - Pathology of natural infection with highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (H5N1) clade 2.3.4.4b in wild terrestrial mammals in the United States in 2022 JF - bioRxiv DO - 10.1101/2023.03.10.532068 SP - 2023.03.10.532068 AU - EJ Elsmo AU - A Wünschmann AU - KB Beckmen AU - LB Broughton-Neiswanger AU - EL Buckles AU - J Ellis AU - SD Fitzgerald AU - R Gerlach AU - S Hawkins AU - HS Ip AU - JS Lankton AU - EM Lemley AU - JB Lenoch AU - ML Killian AU - K Lantz AU - L Long AU - R Maes AU - M Mainenti AU - J Melotti AU - ME Moriarty AU - S Nakagun AU - RM Ruden AU - V Shearn-Bochsler AU - D Thompson AU - MK Torchetti AU - AJ Van Wettere AU - AG Wise AU - AL Lim Y1 - 2023/01/01 UR - http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2023/03/12/2023.03.10.532068.abstract N2 - This article describes the first detections of disease due to natural infection with highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIv) H5N1 of the Eurasian lineage goose/Guangdong clade 2.3.4.4b in wild terrestrial mammals throughout the United States during 2021-2022. Affected mammalian species include 50 red foxes (Vulpes vulpes), 6 striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis), 4 raccoons (Procyon lotor), 2 bobcats (Lynx rufus), 2 Virginia opossums (Didelphis virginiana), 1 coyote (Canis latrans), 1 fisher (Pekania pennanti), and 1 gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus). Infected mammals primarily exhibited neurological signs. Necrotizing meningoencephalitis, interstitial pneumonia, and myocardial necrosis were the most common lesions; however, species variations in lesion distribution were observed. Genotype analysis of sequences from 48 animals indicates that these cases represent spillover infections from wild birds.Competing Interest StatementThe authors have declared no competing interest. ER -