Diffusion of High Pathogenicity H5N1 Avian Influenza in wild animal populations: a better understanding for a better mitigation – WILDFLU

Since 2021, highly pathogenic avian influenza clade 2.3.4.4.b H5N1 has affected wild species at unprecedent scales in terms of numbers of species and individuals, and geographic areas. Many of the newly affected species, notably colonial seabirds and marine mammals, share ecological characteristics that make them particularly susceptible to the disease, but also represent novel opportunities to study the complex ecological and evolutionary processes at play. In this context, we propose in the project to contribute to increase knowledge on how wild host ecology and history of avian influenza virus-host interactions, and related molecular and immunity mechanisms of interactions, may contribute to explain the dynamics of outbreaks and long terms effects on host populations. We aim at investigating (1) the role of host ecology and spatial processes in affecting exposure patterns (assed via serology), (2) whether Mx1 host protein plays a role in resistance agains the virus in non-classical wild bird host species, (3) how much acquired immunity may play a particular role in the response to infection in birds to new highly pathogenic viruses, and (4) how these result could affect mitigation measures such as the design of surveillance and vaccination of wild threatened species as a potential conservation tool. The project will benefit from pilot results already available to the partners.