Work to understand how avian influenza behaves in wild bird and mammal populations has been given a boost with the launch of a new £2.3 million research consortium.
Scientists from the Animal Plant Health Agency (APHA), alongside the British Trust for Ornithology, RSPB, University of Edinburgh and NatureScot, will collect and analyse samples from a range of bird and mammal populations to better understand how the virus behaves and fill current gaps in understanding about its transmission within wild birds, as well as the wider risks to mammals.
The most recent outbreaks of the current H5N1 strain of high pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI) were the largest ever in the UK.
To improve the existing data on wild birds, teams from across the consortia are sampling different bird species under license to assess the presence of active infection or antibodies from previous exposure to avian influenza viruses. This will help understand the extent to which native bird populations have developed an immune response to the virus and how the circulation of different avian influenza virus subtypes might impact upon the emergence of new notifiable avian influenza viruses.
During the recent HPAI outbreak in GB, the genetic make-up of the H5N1 virus changed on multiple occasions following the exchange of genetic material between notifiable and non-notifiable viruses.
Evaluating the spectrum of notifiable and non-notifiable viruses that are circulating in different wild bird species will fill a huge knowledge gap in understanding of the origin and risk of virus emergence.
The research team will also consider the impact of avian influenza on wild mammals. In GB, mammals have been affected where they have likely scavenged on birds that have died from the disease. The project will assess the susceptibility of different species and the potential mechanisms by which the virus spreads between bird species and mammals and what role mammals might play in disease spread during an outbreak – such as via the feet and fur. The team will test mammals including rats, foxes and otters in high-risk environments – where there have been mass mortality events recorded in birds in the past two years – to understand whether exposure from infected wild birds and the carcasses of animals that have succumbed to infection has led to an antibody response.
Professor Ashley Banyard, Influenza and Avian Virology workgroup leader at the Animal and Plant Health Agency, said: “Having access to a wider range of samples will mean we can study avian influenza viruses in much greater detail to learn more about how they behave and interact and how this might affect future disease outbreaks.
“This vital research project brings together some of the leading ornithological organisations to help gather the samples, and ultimately, following diagnostic testing, increase our understanding of avian influenza viruses across bird populations within Great Britain.”
The work, which will run until next year and is funded by Defra, will inform future risk assessments and strategies for disease control in both animal and human populations.