The plight and role of wild birds in the current bird flu panzootic

Abstract

The current avian influenza panzootic is unprecedented and catastrophic for birds. With a focus on the implications of this panzootic for poultry, there is limited attention on wild birds. We highlight shortcomings and geographic biases in reporting leading to a severe underappreciation of wildlife mortality. We estimate the scale of mortality amongst wild birds is in the millions rather than tensof-thousands reported, through comparison of notification data to accounts literature. The outbreaks amongst wild birds are causing population and species level concerns which may drive extinctions and jeopardise decades of conservation efforts.

Evaluating threats to South Shetland Antarctic fur seals amidst population collapse

“…The recently evolved H5N1 2.3.4.4b lineage of avian influenza emerged in 2021, and has spread globally at unprecedented rates (Lycett et al 2019, Klaassen & Wille 2023). This strain of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has recently killed hundreds of thousands of seabirds around the world, and it transmits to pinnipeds, leading to an unusual mortality event of harbour Phoca vitulina and grey seals Halichoerus grypus in the northeast United States during 2022–2023.…”

Long distance avian migrants fail to bring 2.3.4.4b HPAI H5N1 into Australia for a second year in a row

“…The current high pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 lineage 2.3.4.4b panzootic is having a profound impact on the poultry industry and wildlife (1, 2). HPAI H5N1 emerged in poultry in 1996 and has caused outbreaks in wild bird populations episodically since 2005 (3), with the epidemiology of the virus changing substantially with the emergence of new lineages.…”

Editorial: Will 2023-24 be Remembered for Avian Influenza?

“…The list of predators and scavengers is steadily growing pointing to the unique nature of the new strain of avian influenza in affecting many non-avian species. Additionally, the new strain appears to be killing far more avian species than any of the previous strains -356 species at last count (Klaassen and Wille 2023).…”