ACDP experts in H5N1 bird flu fight

Geelong experts are at the forefront of the fight against a highly contagious bird flu strain being spread by migratory birds.

Dr Frank Wong from ACDP. Picture: Supplied

Geelong experts are at the forefront of the fight against bird flu as a highly contagious strain spread by migratory birds sparks global concern.

The H5N1 strain has reportedly been found in mammals including bears, while Argentina and Uruguay recently detected their first infections.

Dr Frank Wong, bird flu expert at CSIRO’s Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness (ACDP) in Geelong, said it helped other countries in the Asia-Pacific region affected by current outbreaks to track the virus.

“We analyse hundreds of avian influenza virus samples collected by the National Avian Influenza in Wild Birds surveillance program,” Dr Wong said.

“This work, in collaboration with all Australian states and territories, keeps track of local low pathogenic viruses that occur naturally in Australian wild birds and provides important information for potential early warning of new viruses that may be carried into Australia.”

Highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses cause severe disease and high mortalityin infected poultry, accordingto the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,while low pathogenic viruses cause either no signs or mild disease.

Dr Wong said all high pathogenicity H5N could have severe impacts to affected poultry or farmed birds like chickens.

“What is different with the current highly pathogenic H5N1 strain is that it has become adapted to being carried and transmitted by wild birds, especially water birds such as ducks and geese that migrate long distances between countries and even continents,” Dr Wong said.

“This has allowed the current H5N1 strain to be quickly and widely spread to many different countries along migratory water bird flyways, as well as by movements of infected poultry.

“Because there is so much virus in both wild and farmed bird populations, this increases the risks of spillover infections to other birds that don’t naturally carry bird flu, and occasionally to mammals that prey or scavenge on dead birds.”

Incursion into Australia could have “devastating consequences” for poultry industries and unpredictable consequences to our wild bird populations, Dr Wong said.

Dr Wong said Australia and Antarctica remained the only continents that had not been impacted by the strain.

“Australia has a lower risk for the virus to be introduced because we are not in the migratory pathways, and do not have the same species of ducks and geese associated with spreading the bird flu virus,” he said.

“However, there may be an increased risk due to the continuing spread of the virus in other countries including in Southeast Asia.

“Australian animal health authorities and infectious disease experts are keeping abreast of the situation overseas.”

Dr Wong said there were efforts to increase awareness across poultry industries and other relevant sectors to be vigilant with biosecurity practices, and to immediately report unusual observations like sudden mass bird deaths.

“ACDP continues to contribute to these efforts both in the analysis of virus surveillance in wild birds and by the rapid diagnosis of suspected disease samples using state-of-the-art diagnostic technologies, including next-generation sequencing and virus genome tracking,” he said.

Dr Wong said H5N1 remained low risk to humans.

“Although sporadic spillover infections of some mammals and humans have occurred, mainly due to direct contact with infected birds, it remains a bird-adapted virus that does not easily transmit between mammals or human-to-human,” he said.

Originally published as ACDP experts in H5N1 bird flu fight