OIE Collaborating Centre Reports
Activities in 2011
Title of Collaborating Centre:
Address of Collaborating Centre:
Research on Emerging Avian Diseases
Southeast Poultry Research Laboratory,
Agricultural Research Service,
U.S. Department of Agriculture,
934 College Station Road,
Athens, Georgia 30605
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Tel.:
001-706-546-3433
Fax:
001-706-546-3161
e-mail address:
website:
Name of Director of Institute
(Responsible Official):
David.Swayne@ars.usda.gov
http://www.ars.usda.gov/main/site_main.htm?modecode=66-1207-00
David E. Swayne
Name (including Title and
Position) of Head of the
Collaborating Centre (formally
OIE Contact Point):
David E. Swayne
Centre Director and Supervisory
Veterinary Medical Officer
Name (including Title and
Position) of writer of this report
(if different from above)
David E. Swayne
Centre Director and Supervisory
Veterinary Medical Officer
Annual reports of OIE Reference Centres, 2011
1
Research on Emerging Avian Diseases
Summary of activities specifically related to the mandate of
OIE Collaborating Centres
1.
Activities as a centre of research, expertise, standardisation and dissemination of techniques
within the remit of the mandate given by the OIE

SEPRL is the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s primary facility for research on exotic and emerging viral
diseases of avian species including avian influenza (AI), Newcastle disease (ND), avian metapneumovirus
(aMPV), enteric viruses of poultry and Marek’s disease herpes virus

Major accomplishments for 2011 relative to international issues included:
o Thermal inactivation studies were conducted with liquid egg product and three strains of avian influenza
virus and one strain of Newcastle disease virus to establish the times and temperatures necessary to
inactivate the virus.
o It was demonstrated that a single vaccination can protect ducks and geese from avian influenza virus if
the virus and vaccine are related.
o Canine influenza was shown not to infect chickens, turkeys and ducks, eliminating a potential source of
influenza infection for poultry.
o Determined that recombinant herpes virus vaccine expressing the avian influenza hemagglutinin (H5
subtype) protected chickens against a recent Indonesian H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza.
o Demonstrated chicken interferon could reduce replication of pandemic H1N1 avian influenza virus in
chicken, turkey and duck cells.
o Demonstrated increased pathogenicity of recent Egyptian H5N1 HPAI viruses in domestic ducks results
in high mortality.
o Evaluated several recent H5N2 LPAIV from Mexico and documented continued antigenic drift of these
viruses.
o Continued the characterization of novel and known poultry enteric viruses, including a detailed sequence
analysis of the avian astroviruses, the determination of the complete genome of a novel turkey enteric
microvirus, and the validation of a molecular diagnostic assay for turkey picobirnavirus.
o Random amplification of DNA from turkeys experiencing enteric disease was generated and a novel
microvirus, phi82 bacteriophage was identified and described
2.
Proposal or development of any procedure that will facilitate harmonisation of international
regulations applicable to the surveillance and control of animal diseases, food safety or animal
welfare

3.
None
Networking
a)
Maintenance of a network with other OIE Collaborating Centres designated for the same
specialty, and
During 2011, SEPRL networked on poultry health issues with:
o
o
2
Centers for Epidemiology and Animal Health, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
Diagnosis and Control of Animal Diseases in Eastern Europe, Central Asia and Transcaucasia,
Vladimir, Russia
Annual reports of OIE Reference Centres, 2011
Research on Emerging Avian Diseases
o
o
o
o
b)
Diagnosis of Animal Diseases and Vaccine Evaluation in the Americas, Ames, Iowa, USA
Diseases at the Animal/Human Interface, Padova, Italy
Emerging and Re-Emerging Zoonotic Diseases, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
New and Emerging Diseases, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
Should the need arise, maintenance of a network with Collaborating Centres in other
disciplines
None
4.
5.
Placement of expert consultants at the disposal of the OIE

David Swayne was seconded (1 January to 30 September) to OFFLU at OIE, conducting an analysis of
global avian influenza control programs, focusing on vaccines and vaccination as control tools.

Provided reviewed and updated the OIE chapters on Newcastle disease and avian influenza
Provision of scientific and technical training, within the remit of the mandate given by the OIE, to
personnel from OIE Member Countries

Scientists from Egypt (1), Yemen (1) and Nigeria (1) were trained in sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of
AIV and/or NDV, real-time RT-PCR, HI assays and virus isolation through individualized two weeks to six
weeks training programs.*Funded by Department of State Bioengagement Program

As part of an OFFLU research project scientists from Egypt and Indonesia collaborated in avian influenza
vaccine seed strain selection and included training in RNA extraction and sequencing of AI virus gene
segments and phylogenetic analysis; and vaccine production and vaccination, separation of oil emulsion
vaccines, challenge studies, antisera production, HI and AGID antigen production, antigenic cartography, egg
inoculation, tissue culture techniques, and molecular diagnostics

Dr. Claudio Afonso provided technical assistance to Dr. Surachmi Setiyaningsih of the Faculty of Veterinary
Medicine, Bogor Agricultural University Indonesia under a BEP sponsored project on diagnostic, sequencing
and phylogenetic analysis of Newcastle Disease Virus.

Dr. Claudio Afonso provided technical assistance to Dr. Shafqat Fatima Rehmani , WTO Quality Control
Laboratory, Lahore, Pakistan under a BEP sponsored project on diagnostic, sequencing and phylogenetic
analysis of Newcastle Disease Virus

Darrell Kapczynski and Erica Spackman provided technical assistance on transmission, vaccination and
diagnostic detection of pandemic H1N1 in poultry to Canadian Food Inspection Agency and National Service
of Agro Alimentary Health, Safety and Quality (Mexico).

Mary Pantin-Jackwood provided technical assistance to the Institute of Experimental and Clinical Veterinary
Medicine (Kharkiv, Ukraine), Vector (Novosibirsk, Russia), National Reference Laboratory for Poultry
Diseases (NRLPD) (Islamabad, Pakistan), Central Laboratory for Evaluation of Veterinary Biologics
(CLEVB) (Egypt), on poultry disease research and on collaborative projects.

Erica Spackman provided technical assistance for implementing antigenic cartography at National
Laboratory for Quality Production, Cairo, Egypt

David Suarez, Erica Spackman and David Swayne provided technical assistance on H5N1 HPAI virus
sequencing and analysis, vaccine challenge studies for Egypt through OFFLU project

David Suarez, Qingzhong Yu, Darrell Kapczynski, Patti Miller and David Swayne provided technical
assistance to ARRIAH (Vladimir, Russia), Vector (Novosibirsk, Russia), and (Moscow, Russia) on poultry
disease research and on collaborative projects

David Swayne provided assistance to OFFLU through the Technical Group on Avian Influenza Vaccination
in Indonesia.

David Suarez provided assistance to Dr. Peter Msoffe of Sokoine University, Morogoro Tanzania on the
isolation and analysis of AIV and NDV in that country.
Annual reports of OIE Reference Centres, 2011
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Research on Emerging Avian Diseases
6.
Organisation of scientific meetings on behalf of the OIE

7.
8.
Patti Miller (SEPRL) and Mark Jackwood (University of Georgia) co-organzied the 1st International Avian
Respiratory Disease Conference focusing on Avian Paramyxoviruses. The focus was on avian coronaviruses,
avian paramyxoviruses and laryngotracheitis virus. While emphasis was placed on infectious bronchitis virus,
and Newcastle disease virus, all viruses from these families were included. Original research on
epidemiology, molecular virology, pathogenesis, immunity, diagnosis, and control as they relate to these
viruses were covered. The focus of larynotracheitis virus was more applied field/vaccine work rather than
molecular virology. Note that work on avian influenza viruses was not covered. May 15-18, 2011. There
were 185 participants from 26 counties. The program included 49 oral presentaions and 26 posters. Keynote
presentations were given by Patti Miller (SEPRL, USA), Guus Koch (CVI, the Netherlands), Sjaak de Wit
(GD Animal Health Service, The Netherlands), Paul Brittan (Institute for Animal Health, Comton
Laboratory, UK), Silke Rautenschlein (Univeristy of Veterinary Medicine, Hanover, Germany), Claudio
Afonso (SEPRL, USA), and Guillermo Zavala (UGA, PDRC, USA).
Coordination of scientific and technical studies in collaboration with other laboratories,
organisations or collaborating centres

Conducted Indonesia AI vaccine efficacy studies and constructed a reverse genetic low pathogenic H5N1
vaccine seed strain. This project was in collaboration with Ministry of Agriculture in Indonesia, AAHL
(Australia), FAO (Indonesia and Rome), OIE (Paris), USDA/APHIS and USAID.

Conducted Egyptian AI vaccine efficacy studies and constructed reverse genetic low pathogenic H5N1
vaccine seed strains. This project was in collaboration with National Laboratory for Quality Production
(Cairo, Egypt), Central Laboratory for Evaluation of Veterinary Biologicals (Cairo, Egypt), FAO (Cairo and
Rome), and USAID.

Conducted studies and provided data on vaccine efficacy and pathogenesis of H5N1 HPAI in domestic ducks
to Ministry of Agriculture, Vietnam
Publication and dissemination of any information within the remit of the mandate given by the
OIE that may be useful to Member Countries of the OIE
 Presentations at International Conferences
Day, J.M. Research Update on Enteric Disease in Poultry. 4th Meeting of The Association of Specialists in
Avian Medicine for Central Mexico (AECACEM). Queretaro, Mexico, March 16-18, 2011.
Day, J.M. Development and application of an RT-PCR diagnostic test for novel poultry picobirnavirus. 17th
Congress of the World Veterinary Poultry Association. Cancun, Mexico, August 14-18, 2011.
Day, J.M. Enteric viruses of chickens and turkeys, and Application of metagenomics in poultry research.
Australian Veterinary Poultry Association annual meeting. Melbourne, Australia, November 3-4, 2011.
Kapczynski, D. R. Adjuvant effects of chitosan and calcium phosphate particles formulated into inactivated
Newcastle disease vaccines for protection of chickens against virulent challenge. 1st International Avian
Respiratory Disease Conference, Athens, Ga, May 15th-18th, 2011.
Kapczynski, D. R. Intranasal Application of Alpha Interferon Reduces Morbidity Associated with Low
Pathogenic Avian Influenza Infection. 11th Avian Immunology Research Group meeting, Budapest, Hungary,
October 7-10th, 2010.
Miller, P.J., Wolf, P.C., Mickley, R.M., Mustante, A.R., Emanueli, D.C., Shively, K.J., Afonso, C.L. 2011.
Virulent Newcastle disease viruses isolated from cormorant and gull species in the states of the Atlantic
Flyway in 2010 [abstract]. 1st International Avian Respiratory Disease Conference, Athens, Georgia, USA,
May 15-18, 2011
Spackman, E. Protection of chickens to antigenically variant avian influenza virus challenge after
immunization with two antigenically unrelated strains of the same subtype. 17th Congress of the World
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Annual reports of OIE Reference Centres, 2011
Research on Emerging Avian Diseases
Veterinary Poultry Association, Cancun, Mexico, August 14-18, 2011. Swayne, D.E. Caught in the Crossfire
Between Successful Operational Biosecurity and New Regulations: Can an Old Biosecurity Laboratory Meet
the Post-9/11 Facility Standards for Research?, ARS 1st International Biosafety and Biocontainment
Symposium, Baltimore, Maryland, USA, 6-9 February 2011
Suarez, D.L. “Vaccination and its Importance for the Control of Avian Influenza”.XVII Congress of the World
Veterinary Poultry Association, Cancun, Mexico August 14, 2011.
Suarez, D.L. Bioinformatics Analysis of Variability of Newcastle Disease Virus Diagnostic Primer and Probes
and the Potential for False Negative Detection. The 1st International Avian Respiratory Disease Conference,
Athens, GA, U.S.A., May 15-18, 2011.
Swayne, D.E. Most Recent Developments in AI Vaccines: New Vaccines and New Ways to Use Existing
Vaccines and H5N1 HPAI Vaccination: Opportunities and Challenges, China and Vietnam Forum on HPAI
Risk management and Control, Beijing, China, 8-9 March 2011
Swayne, D.E. Update on OFFLU Work Plan: Influenza Research and Surveillance in Animals, and SEPRL
Avian Influenza Virus and Newcastle Disease Virus Research Activities, Joint 17th Annual Meetings of the
National Laboratories for Avian Influenza and Newcastle Diseases of European Union Member States 2011,
Brussels, Belgium, 5-6 April 2011
Swayne, D.E. Avian Influenza Viruses at the Human-Animal Interface: What Have We Learned About Public
Health Risk?, 57th International Military Veterinary Medical Symposium, Wroclaw, Poland, 8-13 May 2011
Swayne, D.E. Global Assessment of Avian Influenza Control Strategies: Interrelationships between
Surveillance, Outbreak Reporting and Vaccination, 4th OIE Regional Expert Group Meeting for
Implementation of the Programme on Surveillance of Wild Birds and Domestic Animals along Migratory
Flyways, Tokyo, Japan, 21-22 June 2011
Swayne, D.E. Global Assessment of Avian Influenza Control Strategies, Especially the Role of Vaccine
Efficacy and Vaccination Effectiveness, Influenza2011 Zoonotic Influenza and Human Health, Oxford, United
Kingdom, 7-9 September 2011
Swayne, D.E. Global Avian Influenza Situation and Control Strategies, Focus Group Discussion on
Sustainability and Evolution of the Indonesian Poultry Vaccination Policy for HPAI Control, Directorate
General of Livestock and Animal Health Services, Ministry of Agriculture, Government of Indonesia, Jakarta,
Indonesia, November 3, 2011
Yu, Q. Deletion of the M2-2 Gene from Avian Metapneumovirus Subgroup C (aMPV-C) Impairs Virus
Replication and Immunogenicity in Turkeys. The 1st International Avian Respiratory Disease Conference,
Athens, GA, U.S.A., May 15-18, 2011.
Zsak, L. The Complete Genome Sequence and Genetic Analysis of phiCA82 a Novel Uncultured Microphage
from the Turkey Gastrointestinal System. 17th World Veterinary Poultry Association meeting, Cancun,
Mexico, August 14-18, 2011.
 Scientific Publications
Abbas, W.A., Spackman, E., Fouchier, R., Smith, D., Ahmed, Z., Siddique, N., Sarmento, L., Naeem, K.,
McKinley, E., Hameed, A., Rehmani, S., Swayne, D.E. H7 avian influenza virus vaccines protect chickens
against challenge with antigenically diverse isolates. Vaccine 29:7424-7429, 2011.
Cagle, C., To, T.L., Nguyen, T., Wasilenko, J., Adams, S. Cardona, C., Spackman, E., Suarez, D.L., and
Pantin-Jackwood, M. Pekin and Muscovy ducks respond differently to vaccination with a H5N1 highly
pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) commercial inactivated vaccine. Vaccine. 29 (38):6549-57, 2011
Chmielewski, R., Swayne, D.E. Avian influenza: Public health and food safety concern. Annual Review of
Food Science and Technology 2:37-57, 2011.
Annual reports of OIE Reference Centres, 2011
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Research on Emerging Avian Diseases
Chmielewski, R.A., Beck, J.R., Swayne, D.E. Thermal inactivation of avian influenza virus and Newcastle
disease virus in a fat-free egg product. Journal of Food Protection 74(7):1161-1168, 2011.
Cilloniz C, Pantin-Jackwood MJ, Ni C, Carter VS, Korth MJ, Swayne DE, Tumpey TM, Katze MG. Molecular
signatures associated with Mx1-mediated resistance to highly pathogenic influenza virus infection:
mechanisms of survival. 2011 Dec 21. [Epub ahead of print] (doi:10.1128/JVI.06156-11)
Costa, T.P., Brown, J.D., Howerth, E.W., Stallknecht, D.E., Swayne, D.E. Effect of homosubtypic and
heterosubtypic low pathogenic avian influenza exposure on H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza virus
infection in wood ducks (Aix sponsa). PLoS One 6(1):e15987, 2011.
Diel DG, Susta L, Cardenas Garcia S, Killian ML, Brown CC, Miller PJ, Afonso CL. Complete Genome and
Clinicopathological Characterization of a Virulent Newcastle Disease Virus Isolated from Poultry in South
America. J Clin Microbiol. 2011 Nov 30. [Epub ahead of print] (doi:10.1128/JCM.06018-11)
Diel, D.G., Miller, P.J., Wolf, P.C., Mickley, R.M., Musante, A.R., Emanuali, D.C., Shively, K.J., Pedersen,
K., Afonso, C.L. Characterization of Newcastle Disease Viruses Isolated from Cormorant and Gull Species in
the United States in 2010. Avian Diseases. Epub ahead of print. Oct 6, 2011. (doi: 10.1637/9886-081111Reg.1)
Deng, Q., Weng, Y., Lu, W., Demers, A., Song, M., Wang, D., Yu, Q., and Li, F. Topology and cellular
localization of the small hydrophobic protein of avian metapneumovirus. Virus Research 160:102-107, 2011.
Ecco, R., Brown, C,, Cagle,C., Miller P., Susta L., Pantin-Jackwood M., Afonso C. In vivo transcriptional
cytokine responses and association with clinical and pathological outcomes in chickens infected with different
Newcastle disease virus isolates. Vet Immunol Immunopathol. 141(3-4):221-9, 2011
Ecco R, Susta L, Afonso CL, Miller PJ, Brown C. Neurological lesions in chickens experimentally infected
with virulent Newcastle disease virus isolates. Avian Pathol. 40(2):145-52, 2011
Ewald, S.J., Kapczynski, D.R., Livant, E.J., Suarez, D.L., Ralph, J., Mcleod, S., Miller, C. Association of Mx1
Asn 631 variant alleles with enhanced resistance and altered cytokine response in chickens infected with a
highly pathogenic avian influenza virus. Immunogenetics. 63(6):363-375, 2011
Goekjian, V.H., Smith, J.T., Howell, D.L., Senne, D.A., Swayne, D.E., Stallknecht, D.E. Avian influenza
viruses and avian paramyxoviruses in wintering and breeding waterfowl populations in North Carolina, USA.
Journal of Wildlife Diseases 47(1):240-245, 2011.
Hai, R., García-Sastre, A., Swayne, D.E., Palese, P. A reassortment-incompetent live attenuated influenza
virus vaccine for protection against pandemic virus strains. Journal of Virology 85(14):6832-6843, 2011.
Harrison L, Brown C, Afonso C, Zhang J, Susta L. Early occurrence of apoptosis in lymphoid tissues from
chickens infected with strains of Newcastle disease virus of varying virulence. J Comp Pathol. 145(4):327-35,
2011
Hu, H., Roth, J., Estevez, C. N., Zsak, L., Liu, B., and Yu, Q. Generation and evaluation of a recombinant
Newcastle disease virus expressing the glycoprotein (G) of avian metapneumovirus subgroup C as a bivalent
vaccine in turkeys. Vaccine, 29(47):8624-33, 2011.
Kapczynski, D.R., Liljebjelke, K.A., Kulkarni, G., Hunt, H.D., Jiang, H., Petkov, D. Cross reactive cellular
immune responses in chickens previously exposed to low pathogenic avian influenza. Biomed Central (BMC).
5(4):S13(1-4), 2011
McKinley, E., Spackman, E., Pantin-Jackwood M.J. The pathogenesis of H3N8 canine influenza virus in
chickens, turkeys and ducks. Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses 4:353-356, 2010.
Miller, P.J., and Afonso, C.L. Newcastle Disease Virus. In: eLS. John Wiley &
Sons Ltd, Chichester. July; 2011 http://www.els.net [doi:10.1002/9780470015902.a0001077.pub3]
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Annual reports of OIE Reference Centres, 2011
Research on Emerging Avian Diseases
Rue CA, Susta L, Cornax I, Brown CC, Kapczynski DR, Suarez DL, King DJ, Miller PJ, Afonso CL. Virulent
Newcastle disease virus elicits a strong innate immune response in chickens. J Gen Virol. 92(Pt 4):931-9, 2011
Sá e Silva, M., Mathieu, C.M., Beck, J.R., Kwon, Y.K., Pantin-Jackwood, M., Swayne, D.E. Experimental
infection with low and high pathogenicity H7N3 Chilean avian influenza viruses into two wild duck species:
Chiloe Wigeon and Cinnamon Teal. Avian Diseases 55(3):459-461, 2011.
Spatz, S. J., Keeler, C. L., Kutish, G. F., Riblet, S.M., Volkening, J. D., Zsak, L., Afonso, C. L., Mundt, E. S.,
Rock, D. L. and Garcia, M. Comparative full genome analysis of four infectious laryngotracheitis virus (Gallid
herpesvirus-1) virulent isolates from the United States. Virus Genes. 2011 Dec 16. [Epub ahead of print] (DOI
10.1007/s11262-011-0696-3).
Susta L, Miller PJ, Afonso CL, Brown CC. Clinicopathological characterization in poultry of three strains of
Newcastle disease virus isolated from recent outbreaks. Vet Pathol. 48(2):349-60, 2011
Wang, L., Z. Qin, M. Pantin-Jackwood, O. B. Faulkner, D.L. Suarez, M. Garcia, B. Lupiani, S. Reddy, Y.
Saif, C.W. Lee. 2011. Development of DIVA (differentiation of infected from vaccinated animals) vaccines
utilizing heterologous NA and NS1 protein strategies for the control of triple reassortant H3N2 influenza in
turkeys. Vaccine. 29:7966-7974.
Wasilenko, J., Pantin-Jackwood, M., Khan, T., Ahmed, A., Rehmani, S., Lone, N., Swayne, D., Spackman, E.
Characterization of H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses isolated from poultry in Pakistan 20062008. Virus Genes. Epub. 2011. (DOI 10.1007/s11262-011-0689-2)
Weng, Y., Lu, W., Harmon, A., Xiang, X., Deng, Q., Song, M., Wang, D., Yu, Q., and Li, F. The cellular
ESCRT pathway is not involved in avian metapneumovirus budding in a virus-like-particle expression system.
Journal of General Virology, 92: 1205-13, 2011.
Wilcox, B.R., Knutsen, G., Anderson, M., Berdeen, J., Goekjian, V., Poulson, R., Goyal, S., Sreevatsan, S.,
Cardona, C., Berghaus, R., Swayne, D.E., Yabsley, M., Stallknecht, D. Influenza-A viruses in ducks in
northwestern Minnesota: fine scale spatial and temporal variation in prevalence and subtype diversity. PLOS
One 6(9): e24010, 2011.
Yu, Q., Estevez, C.N., Roth, J.P., Hu, H., and Zsak, L. Deletion of the M2-2 gene from avian
metapneumovirus subgroup C impairs virus replication and immunogenicity in turkeys. Virus Genes, 42:339–
346, 2011.
Zsak, L., J Michael Day, J. M., Oakley, B. B., Seal, B. S. The complete genome sequence and genetic analysis
of FCA82 a novel uncultured microphage from the turkey gastrointestinal system. Virology J. 8:331, 2011.
_______________
Annual reports of OIE Reference Centres, 2011
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