Scientists with the UBC faculty of medicine have received new research funding to prepare and respond to the threat of avian influenza, commonly called ‘bird flu’.
Funded by Genome British Columbia and the Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR), the suite of newly funded research projects brings together UBC, the BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC), the B.C. Ministry of Agriculture and Food, the Office of the Provincial Health Officer, and the B.C. Ministry of Health through a ‘One Health’ approach that considers the health of humans, animals and the environment.
The projects will study, evaluate and develop key tools to help public and animal health officials monitor, manage and control avian influenza. This includes developing antibody tests to detect the level of exposure in human populations, evaluating wastewater surveillance as an early warning system, enhancing genomic analysis methods to understand how the virus is changing, and more.
“We recognize the threat of avian influenza and with these research projects, we are putting ourselves in a place to respond and contain it quickly,” said Dr. Linda Hoang, clinical professor of pathology and laboratory medicine at UBC and medical director of the BCCDC Public Health Lab, who is principal investigator on one of the initiatives, called the H5N1 Unified Bioresponse.
“This research represents the coming together of work over the past 10 years and advances made during the COVID-19 pandemic,” adds Dr. Hoang. “We need to be ready to deploy our public health toolkit that includes genomics to look at the characteristics of the virus and how it changes, wastewater surveillance which can serve as an early warning, and serology testing so we will be able identify past exposures.”
The funding comes at a critical time, with the recent detection of the first domestically acquired human H5N1 case in B.C. In addition, human cases have been reported in the United States and elsewhere, most often following close contact with sick animals.
“Monitoring and understanding avian influenza H5N1 is crucial for preventing its spillover into the human population and mitigating its impact on the poultry and cattle industries,” said Dr. Naveed Janjua, clinical professor at UBC’s School of Population and Public Health, director of the UBC Centre for Disease Control and epidemiologist at BCCDC. “I would like to thank Genome BC, CIHR, and Mitacs for their current support and previous investments, which have enabled us to establish a system for ongoing monitoring of pathogens with pandemic potential. This current funding helps us better prepare for an avian influenza response.”
Avian influenza occurs naturally among wild aquatic birds. A global outbreak of avian influenza caused by the H5N1 virus has seen the virus spread to domestic birds with a significant impact on B.C.’s poultry sector. While avian influenza mostly affects birds, it can spread to other animals and has been found in mammals including dairy cattle, foxes, skunks, marine mammals and more.
While the overall risk to the general population remains low, the recent avian influenza activity and human cases underscore the urgent need to be prepared. As more humans are exposed to the virus, and the virus spreads to other mammals, there is an increased risk that the virus may change and spread more easily from person to person.
Genome BC announced funding for the research projects on February 19. Learn more about each of the initiatives below.
Faculty of Medicine-led Projects
Project: The H5N1 Unified Bioresponse
- Principal Investigator: Dr. Linda Hoang, clinical professor in the UBC Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
- Funding: $746,971 from Genome BC
- Description: This initiative consists of four sub-projects addressing various aspects of surveillance, testing and research to better understand how the virus is transmitted and how it may evolve. This includes (1) Investigate the possible role of wind in transmitting H5N1 within and between farms to better understand the spread of the virus, led by Dr. Chelsea Himsworth in the UBC School of Population and Public Health (2) Develop antibody tests to monitor exposure to H5N1 in human populations, led by Dr. Agatha Jassem in the UBC Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (3) Evaluate the use of wastewater surveillance testing to provide an early warning system, led by Dr. Natalie Prystajecky in the UBC Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (4) Monitor mutations in the virus to detect those with the potential to make H5N1 more adapted to humans, led by Dr. James Zlosnik in the UBC Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine.
Project: BIRD-WATCH: Building cloud-powered genomic tools for advanced surveillance and risk monitoring of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus
- Principal Investigator: Dr. Shannon Russell, clinical assistant professor in the UBC Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
- Funding: $250,000 from Genome BC
- Description: The project will create a cloud-based data platform for sharing genomic information from H5N1 viruses found in birds and poultry between public health and animal health partners. The project will enhance our understanding of how the virus spreads and changes in animal and human hosts, to support effective strategies for protecting public health, animal health and the agricultural industry.
Project: Developing a multiplex serology assay for the detection of highly pathogenic influenza
- Principal Investigator: Dr. Agatha Jassem, clinical associate professor in the UBC Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
- Funding: $150,000 CIHR Catalyst Grant
- Description: This project focuses on developing an antibody test will focus on serology testing for animal populations, primarily birds, which will provide an understanding of the true burden of infection and help us better understand transmission.
Project: Understanding dynamics of British Columbia smallholder livestock systems and One Health strategies to prevent, detect and control highly pathogenic avian influenza
- Principal Investigator: Dr. Anya Smith, clinical assistant professor in the UBC School of Population and Public Health
- Funding: $150,000 CIHR Catalyst Grant
- Description: This project aims to improve policies and programming for monitoring and mitigating highly pathogenic avian influenza and other diseases through the BC Premises ID program, which helps to track where livestock are in the province and the movement of livestock.