Avian influenza infection and antibodies not identified in eastern wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris) sampled on the Delmarva Peninsula

Although highly pathogenic avian influenza presents a notable threat to domestic turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo domesticus), there have been minimal infections identified in wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) across the United States. Indeed, recent infections in wild turkeys have either been linked back to or suspected to be the result of spillback from nearby infected domestic turkeys. This study presents avian influenza sampling data for Eastern wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris) across the Maryland portion of the Delmarva Peninsula, in the winter of 2023–2024, with an objective of identifying any circulating influenza A viruses (IAVs), as well as determining the extent of previous exposure to IAVs in this population. We collected swab samples from 36 female wild turkeys. No IAV viral RNA was detected in any sample, based on real-time reverse transcriptase PCR. We collected sera from 31 of the 36 sampled individuals, all of which had biomimetic enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (bELISA) S/N values >0.7 (range: 0.79–1.29) indicating a lack of antibodies to IAVs. Although our sample size is limited, these results indicate no evidence of current or recent previous IAV infection in sampled birds.