Avian influenza (AI) is an infectious disease of birds caused by type A strains of the influenza virus. Wild aquatic birds, in particular certain species of waterfowl and shorebirds, are natural reservoirs for AI viruses (Clark and Hall 2006). AI viruses are generally classified as being low or highly pathogenic according to the severity of the disease in domestic chickens based on criteria set forth by the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH; WOAH 2018). Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) viruses can severely affect domestic animal, wildlife, and occasionally human health (Clark and Hall 2006).

The Eurasian (EA) lineage goose/Guangdong H5 clade 2.3.4.4 AI virus was detected in wild birds for the first time in North America in 2014 (Lee et al. 2015). Reoccurrence of the EA lineage of HPAI in wild birds in the United States of America (USA) was confirmed in...

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