Why does high path AI affect the meat of poultry but not low path?

Why does high path AI affect the meat of poultry but not low path?

• A. Low path causes viremia infecting all tissues; high path affects only respiratory and GI
• B. Low path only affects the respiratory tract
• C. High path causes viremia infecting all tissues; low path typically only affects respiratory and GI
• D. High path is milder than low path

Answer: (C)

High-path avian influenza has the ability to disseminate beyond the lungs and gut because the virus can replicate in many tissues. This comes from a polybasic cleavage site in the HA protein that allows host proteases present throughout the body to activate the virus, enabling widespread replication. As a result, the virus can enter the bloodstream (viremia) and spread to multiple organs, including muscle tissue used for meat. That systemic involvement means the virus can be present in meat from infected birds. Low-path avian influenza, on the other hand, remains largely restricted to tissues where specific proteases needed for HA activation are available, mainly the respiratory tract and the gastrointestinal tract. Viremia is rare, so spread to distant organs and muscle tissue is much less likely. Thus, the reason high-path AI affects the meat of poultry while low-path AI does not is that high-path causes viremia with widespread tissue infection, whereas low-path typically confines infection to the respiratory and GI tracts.

High-path avian influenza has the ability to disseminate beyond the lungs and gut because the virus can replicate in many tissues. This comes from a polybasic cleavage site in the HA protein that allows host proteases present throughout the body to activate the virus, enabling widespread replication. As a result, the virus can enter the bloodstream (viremia) and spread to multiple organs, including muscle tissue used for meat. That systemic involvement means the virus can be present in meat from infected birds.

Low-path avian influenza, on the other hand, remains largely restricted to tissues where specific proteases needed for HA activation are available, mainly the respiratory tract and the gastrointestinal tract. Viremia is rare, so spread to distant organs and muscle tissue is much less likely.

Thus, the reason high-path AI affects the meat of poultry while low-path AI does not is that high-path causes viremia with widespread tissue infection, whereas low-path typically confines infection to the respiratory and GI tracts.