Isolation of ortho- and paramyxoviruses from wild birds in Western Australia, and the characterization of novel influenza A viruses.

As part of the World Health Organization's international programme on the ecology of influenza, cloacal swabs were collected from 3,736 birds belonging to 67 species over a 3-year period in Western Australia for the isolation of ortho- and paramyxoviruses. A total of 24 influenza A viruses were isolated from various species of ducks, shearwaters , noddies , terns and a coot , and were subtyped as H1N9 , H3N8 , H4N4 , H4N6 , H6N2 , H6N4 , H?N2, H?N6 and H? N9 . The H? haemagglutinins did not react in tests with reference antisera. Whether they represent a novel haemagglutinin subtype or atypical members of an established subtype remains to be determined, although preliminary results indicate that they may be atypical members of the H7 subtype. The H1N9 isolate is the first reported isolate of this particular antigenic combination. A total of 17 Newcastle disease viruses was isolated from ducks, noddies , terns and a black- fronted plover : preliminary results suggest that they are avirulent for domestic chickens. This study indicates that ortho- and paramyxoviruses are present in a variety of wild birds in Australia.