Cygnet River Virus, a Novel Orthomyxovirus from Ducks, Australia

Allan Kessell¹, Alex Hyatt, Debra Lehmann, Songhua Shan, Sandra Crameri, Clare Holmes, Glenn Marsh, Catherine Williams, Mary Tachedjian, Meng Yu, John Bingham, Jean Payne, Sue Lowther, Jianning Wang, Lin-Fa Wang, and Ina Smith

Author affiliations: Author affiliations: Gribbles Pathology, Glenside, South Australia, Australia (A. Kessell); Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, Geelong, Victoria, Australia (A. Hyatt, S. Shan, S. Crameri, C. Holmes, G. Marsh, C. Williams, M. Tachedjian, M. Yu, J. Bingham, J. Payne, S. Lowther, J. Wang, L.-F. Wang, I. Smith); Kangaroo Island Veterinary Clinic, Kangaroo Island, South Australia, Australia (D. Lehmann)

Abstract

A novel virus, designated Cygnet River virus (CyRV), was isolated in embryonated eggs from Muscovy ducks in South Australia. CyRV morphologically resembles arenaviruses; however, sequencing identified CyRV as an orthomyxovirus. The high mortality rate among ducks co-infected with salmonellae suggests that CyRV may be pathogenic, either alone or in concert with other infections.

In May 2010, an outbreak of disease at a duck farm at Cygnet River on Kangaroo Island, South Australia, Australia, occurred in 4-month-old Muscovy ducks (Cairina moschate). The ducks had been incorrectly fed during a week-long absence of the owner from the farm. The ducks were lethargic and had diarrhea, and the mortality rate among infected ducks was high. Of 150 ducks, 128 died in a 3-day period. Despite treatment with tetracycline, only 5 of the remaining 22 ducks survived.