Continental and intercontinental waves of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAI) in wild birds and domestic poultry have been punctuated by viral reassortment and spillover into mammalians. This global change in HPAI epidemiology has been associated with a hemagglutinin (HA) sub-clade, 2.3.4.4b. Recent evidence of increasing mammalian infections, and evidence of transmission among mammals (Agüero et al., 2023, Kobasa et al. 2023) and this has raised the concern of pandemic risk as the virus continues to also acquire mammalian adaptations associated with enhanced pathogenesis. Whilst transmission among mammals has not been well-established, outbreaks on mink farms in Spain and large die-offs of marine mammals (sea lions) with reassorted and mammalian-adapted viruses raise the possibility.
This webinar, presented by the Canadian Association for HIV Research, aims to provide participants with a scientific update on HPAI, with a focus on viral biology and pandemic preparedness.
Register here.