Lowly pathogenic avian influenza (H9N2) infection in Plateau pika (Ochotona curzoniae), Qinghai Lake, China

- We firstly found that specific antibodies to H9N2 virus of Plateau pikas.
- We firstly found that H9N2 virus could infect pikas without adaptation.
- Plateau pikas may contribute to avian influenza viruses' transmission.

Avian influenza viruses (AIVs) are globally important contagions. Several domestic mammals can be infected with AIVs and may play important roles in the adaptation and transmission of these viruses in mammals, although the roles of wild mammals in the natural ecology of AIVs are not yet clear. Here, we performed a serological survey of apparently healthy Plateau pikas at Qinghai Lake in China to assess the prevalence of exposure to AIVs. Ninety-two of 293 (31%) of wild Plateau pikas possessed serum antibodies against a lowly pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) H9N2 virus. Experimental inoculation of Plateau pikas with a LPAI H9N2 virus resulted in productive viral replication in respiratory tissues without prior adaptation. Our findings suggest that Plateau pikas represent a natural mammalian host to H9N2 AIVs and may play a role in the ongoing circulation of H9N2 viruses at Qinghai Lake in China. Surveillance for AIV infection in Plateau pika populations and other mammals that have close contact with the Plateau pikas should be considered.