Lebarbenchon Camille auteur aut IRD Feare C.J. auteur aut IRD Renaud François auteur aut IRD Thomas F. auteur aut IRD Gauthier-Clerc M. auteur aut IRD text journalArticle eng text/pdf born digital access Understanding of ecologic factors favoring emergence and maintenance of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) viruses is limited. Although low pathogenic avian influenza viruses persist and evolve in wild populations, HPAI viruses evolve in domestic birds and cause economically serious epizootics that only occasionally infect wild populations. We propose that evolutionary ecology considerations can explain this apparent paradox. Host structure and transmission possibilities differ considerably between wild and domestic birds and are likely to be major determinants of virulence. Because viral fitness is highly dependent on host survival and dispersal in nature, virulent forms are unlikely to persist in wild populations if they kill hosts quickly or affect predation risk or migratory performance. Interhost transmission in water has evolved in low pathogenic influenza viruses in wild waterfowl populations. However, oropharyngeal shedding and transmission by aerosols appear more efficient for HPAI viruses among domestic birds. specialized 052 16 7 1057-1062 2010 1080-6040 https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010049639 10.3201/eid1607.090389 1080-6040 [F B010049639] https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010049639 https://www.documentation.ird.fr/intranet/publi/2010/07-2/010049639.pdf Accès réservé (Intranet de l'IRD) IRD - Base Horizon / Pleins textes 2010-08-03 2017-08-23 fdi:010049639 fre