Abstract Title
Avian influenza virus surveillance across New Zealand and its subantarctic islands
Abstract
Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 virus has never been detected in New Zealand. Its introduction would be catastrophic for the country’s poultry, livestock, and native avian and marine mammal species. Migratory birds are a key route through which HPAI H5N1 could enter New Zealand. Despite this risk, little is known about the viruses that naturally circulate in New Zealand’s wild birds and how these viruses are transmitted between these species. Surveillance efforts have largely focused on mainland waterfowl neglecting New Zealand’s offshore and subantarctic islands which host a diverse range of avian species. To expand our knowledge of avian influenza viruses across New Zealand, we sampled wild aquatic birds from New Zealand, its outer islands and subantarctic territories. Metatranscriptomic analysis of 700 individuals spanning 33 species revealed no detection of HPAI during the annual 2023-2024 migration. However, a single detection of low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) H1N9 was found in red knots (Calidris canutus) at the Firth of Thames, a key site at the terminus of the East Asian-Australasian Flyway that hosts thousands of migratory birds annually. In addition, we uncover the global connectedness and transmission pathways of other avian viruses harboured in these species, highlighting the potential risk for a HPAI incursion. This research provides a foundation for improved avian influenza monitoring and deepens our understanding of the evolutionary dynamics of avian influenza viruses across New Zealand.
Co-Author(s)
Waller, S.
Abstract Category
Notable outbreaks, field and molecular epidemiology, and surveillance in wild birds