As Avian Metapneumovirus (aMPV) was spreading rapidly across the nation’s commercial poultry industry in late 2023 there were several theories as to the reasons why.
Experts quickly pointed out poultry movement and biosecurity lapses as possibilities.
Now a research team led by Dr. Yuko Sato, associate professor of veterinary diagnostic and production animal medicine, is exploring a new theory.
“Wild birds have been proposed to play a role in aMPV spread in the U.S., however that role remains unclear,” Sato said. “Wild turkeys are one of the most closely related species to domestic poultry and our team hypothesizes that they may serve as a reservoir and played a role in the rapid spread of the disease.
“Given the routine use of live attenuated vaccines in commercial poultry, we aimed to investigate whether the vaccine strain of aMPV might be spilling over into the wild turkey population.”
Sato and her research team were recently awarded a $100,000 grant from the College of Veterinary Medicine to investigate the potential role of wild turkeys in the epidemiology of the emerging aMPV outbreak.
aMPV is a highly contagious virus that causes acute upper respiratory disease. The Iowa State research team will capitalize on samples collected through the Iowa Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR) long-term wild turkey project to evaluate evidence of viral exposure. The Iowa DNR is in the fourth year of a 10-year telemetry study, where blood and other biological samples are collected from hens each winter when they are captured and fitted with radiotransmitters.
Notably, these samples pre-date the outbreak in commercial poultry. Results could guide the development and implementation of effective measures toward the prevention and possibly the eradication of this emerging infectious disease. They can also inform on whether this disease or its vaccine application is of relevance to wild turkeys, a native species in decline across the Midwest.
“We’re anticipating that this project will help identify the role of wild birds and in particular wild turkeys, have played in the current circulating outbreak,” Sato said. “Hopefully our research will contribute to strategies for managing and potentially eradicating aMPV, thus mitigating its impact on the poultry industry and wild bird populations.”
Other members of the research team in the Department of Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine include Dr. Mohamed El-Gazzar, associate professor; Dr. Silvia Carnaccini, assistant professor; Dr. Rachel Ruden, state wildlife veterinarian with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and affiliate associate professor; Dr. Eman Gadu, postdoctoral research associate; and Dr. Maria Chaves, Ph.D. student. Partners from the Iowa DNR include Dan Kaminski, wildlife research biologist and project lead, and Jim Coffey, forest wildlife biologist.
May 2025