You may have seen some news stories about AI spreading all around the world taking away our jobs and changing our lives forever. Of course, that is Artificial Intelligence, and as a creator and writer, I have my concerns. The bad news is the AI that concerns me is Avian Influenza, the subject of this week’s Wildlife Matters Investigates.
What is Avian Influenza?
Avian influenza, also known as bird flu, is an infection in birds caused by several strains of the influenza A virus. It is found in bird populations worldwide, and some of these strains have spread from intensively farmed poultry into wild bird populations. Some specific AI viruses, such as the H5, H7, and H9 strains, have also spread from infected birds to mammals, including humans, although this is usually rare.
We have been aware of Avian Influenza for many years, decades, in fact, but the virus rarely escapes the confines of intensive chicken farms.
Once HPAI is found in a poultry farm, the response is direct and brutal. All the chickens would be destroyed—a tragedy in itself—and the farm and buildings would be decontaminated with a chemical cocktail.
Then, an exclusion zone would be established, and any other poultry on other farms locally—generally within a 10 km zone—would be monitored. If the virus was found, the whole process began again.
This crude and barbaric method was adequate, but in 2020, things changed.
More specifically, the Avian Influenza virus changed – or, to be factual, it mutated. Something we are more aware of following that other virus that shut down the world and confined us all to our own homes for months, also back in 2020.
The H5N1 Avian Influenza virus has spread further than ever among wild bird populations but has also developed the ability to jump species, specifically into mammal species.
Tens of Millions of domestic poultry have been culled or died from the new variant, and millions of wild birds have died. However, very few government agencies are taking action. Some are counting dead birds, but no data has been released. What is clear is the devastating impact of the HPAI virus on wild bird populations.
There has been a rise in the death of wild bird species and the animals that consume them worldwide. Moreover, the current outbreak is affecting more bird species than previous ones. Raptors and seabirds, which were previously not affected, have been hit hard. But we don’t know why.
The genetic changes have likely enabled the virus to spread to more bird species as it mutates through each species – meaning we are now facing multiple strains of the virus. We must improve our understanding of how non-avian animals are exposed to the virus, which is essential.
HPAI infects every organ of a bird’s body. So when a fox eats an infected bird, it exposes its mouth, nose, and stomach to many viruses as it eats its meal. The same is true for Raptors, Owls, and other carnivores that feed on infected dead birds.
An outbreak of HPAI on a Spanish Fur Farm in October 2022 remains unexplained. According to Montserrat et al. 2022 report, the fur farm had over thirty barns, and nearly 52,000 American mink (Neovison vison) were held in captivity.
Thirteen animals were sampled in areas with high mortality, and the results were positive for PCR. The virus sequence showed four samples were closely clustered with sequences from European gull samples from various countries, including Spain, in 2022.
Although wild birds that scavenge the feed were probably the source of the virus, no confirmed source or spread pathway between the mink has been established. It is also possible that infected poultry feed could have been the source of infection.
Aerosol transmission between the mink has been hypothesised due to the positivity of oral-pharyngeal and lung swabs and the hotspots of increased mortality seen within the barns. However, it is still unclear whether faecal-oral or indirect transmission pathways from handling animals or exposure to another, as yet unknown, common source can be ruled out over time.
Avian Influenza H5N1 was first detected in Newfoundland and Labrador in Canada 2022. It was believed to have travelled with migrating wild birds from Europe, mainly Geese and Swan species, which appear to be hosts for the virus.
It soon spread south into North America, where millions of poultry had to be destroyed, and the native wild sea birds were severely affected.
In January 2023, it was reported that a large colony of more than 500 sea lions had died from a virus in Peru (Gamarra-Toledo et al., 2023). Further investigation revealed that over four weeks, starting from November 2022, more than 22,000 sea birds in various coastal areas had died, with an estimated total of 50,000 dead birds.
Between January and February 2023, a shocking total of 634 sea lions, including both Otaria flavescens and Arctocephalus australis, were found dead in Peru. Clinical signs were observed in some live sea lions, which subsequently died, including tremors, convulsions, paralysis, and respiratory signs such as nasal and buccal secretions.
Most of the dead sea lions were female, indicating the natural colonising behaviour of mothers with pups at this time of year rather than dimorphic susceptibility. Several abortions were also recorded. The clinical signs of systemic infection, pneumonia, and acute encephalitis suggest that the virus causing the deaths was HPAI. The high mortality rate in wild birds, including sea birds, is evidence of exposure to the virus.
At the time of writing, it is not yet confirmed if the virus can be transmitted from mammal to mammal through direct contact, such as nose-to-nose contact, aerosol droplets in exhaled breath, faecal shedding of the virus, or other undefined indirect pathways.
In the UK, there have been several confirmed cases of HPAI – H5N1 infections in mammals, including red foxes (Vulpes vulpes), Eurasian otters (Lutra lutra), harbour seals (Phoca vitulina), grey seals (Halichoerus grypus), common dolphins (Delphinus delphis), and harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena).
The UK government has stated that the confirmed cases of HPAI H5N1 infections in mammal species are all carnivore species that scavenge, which is believed to be the transmission route, although this was not confirmed.
It has been confirmed that domestic pigs, donkeys, and goats have tested positive for influenza A (H5N1). To date, the virus has been found in dead animals or those with respiratory or neurological signs such as tremors and convulsions. These animals have been infected with the virus despite being omnivores or herbivores. The information source is DEFRA.
The World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) provides more information on global cases of mammal infection with influenza A of avian origin through their dashboard and situation reports.
It states that Bird Flu (HPAI H5N1) is circulating in wild birds, especially breeding seabirds. It has caused significant mortality in some species, such as Great Skua and Gannet. This is a clear warning.
As migratory waterbirds return to the UK in autumn 2023, we should also expect to see more localised epidemics in some of these species. HPAI is undoubtedly a significant cause of concern for the conservation of wild birds.
The evidence suggests the primary path for HPAI transmission in wild birds is through saliva and nasal secretions, which can occur when the birds undertake their display rituals, preening, and feeding chicks. HPAI can also be transmitted by the predation of sick birds from faeces, often called guano, in and around nests and resting areas close to nests, and maybe even via shared freshwater bathing areas.
The Government is currently stating that the transmission of the virus through scavengers’ consumption of dead birds is thought to be very low. They have not commented on the carnage in the wild seabird populations, the impact this will have on raptors and owls, or how it may impact garden and woodland birds. We know that Swans, Geese, and Ducks, all common on our inland waterways, are known hosts of the HPAI virus. Of course, poultry farms, especially the intensive ones, are at maximum risk, which has obvious potential to impact human health.
It is known that (HPAI) can persist in the environment for some time but that high temperatures and ultraviolet radiation can destroy it. Indeed, we should take preventative action around poultry farms to reduce or eliminate this risk – but we are not. We should also be clear that HPAI is not an airborne disease.
Back to wild birds, Wildlife Matters believes the only way to monitor HPAI’s impact on our seabird populations is to monitor and record not only the number of dead birds but also their species.
NGOs worldwide are collecting data on dead birds, but this data is only being shared with governments and will not be available to the public. We believe that is wrong.
In the UK, each nation has established its working groups to understand and limit the spread of the disease, but these groups only have limited measures to action their findings.
Nature Scot has established the Scottish Avian Influenza Task Force and the NatureScot Scientific Advisory Committee AI sub-group, from which it has released guidance and, in some areas, restricted activities in seabird colonies.
In England, the Animal & Plant Health Agency (APHA) has been working with groups to monitor captive birds, such as chickens and geese, on poultry farms, wildlife rescues, and wild bird populations. They also have an expert panel of ornithological experts established in 2004 when Avian Influenza was first found in the UK. Wales and Northern Ireland have held regular working group meetings to prepare for and manage localised outbreaks.
The Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) works with these groups on a UK-wide basis to help them understand the impact of HPAI through national monitoring schemes and in partnerships with both the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB).
Waterbirds, mainly migratory species such as Swans, Geese, and Ducks, pose distinct challenges from seabirds, and the working groups will need to consider specific aspects related to monitoring and management in the event of a new surge in HPAI cases.
We can all help. It is important to report sightings of dead birds that may be affected by HPAI to the Defra Helpline 03459 335577
At the time of writing, in Scotland, England, and Wales, you should do this if you find one or more dead birds of prey or owl, three or more dead gulls or wild waterfowl—such as swans, geese, and ducks—or five or more dead birds of any species.
This seems like a clumsy and complicated reporting system, but please persist if you see dead or dying birds. Defra will collect samples from these birds and determine how the disease is distributed geographically and in which species. However, it’s essential to know that not all birds reported will be collected.
If you find dead waterfowl (swans, geese, or ducks) or other dead wild birds like gulls or birds of prey in Northern Ireland, please check the DAERA website for reporting options. It is also essential to say that If you come across any dead or visibly sick birds, do not touch or pick them up.
It seems clear that HPAI is here to stay. It has mutated regularly as it has moved through bird species to the point where it can and has jumped from avian to mammal species.
Whilst the numbers of mammals are relatively low at present there have been isolated cases of avian influenza in carnivorous or omnivorous mammals such as domestic cats, tigers, leopards, bobcats, grey wolves, foxes, coyotes, minks, civets, ferrets, fishers, skunks, opossums, racoons, black bears, brown bears, grizzly bears, harbour seals, grey seals, porpoises, white-sided dolphins, bottlenose dolphins, South American sea lions, European otters, and sea otters and recently, in polar bears.
It is a fact that Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreaks in wild birds and farmed poultry are no longer rare in Europe.
Before 2009, it was an infrequent occurrence. In 2009, the HPAI H5 virus outbreaks in Europe were caused by HPAI H5N1 clade 2.2 viruses.
Then, from 2014 onwards, HPAI H5 clade viruses dominated outbreaks, with abundant genetic reassortments yielding subtypes H5N1, H5N2, H5N3, H5N4, H5N5, H5N6, and H5N8. These were all in avian species.
Then, in 2020, we began to see the latest HPAI variants capable of infecting mammals.
There is a clear five-year cycle of development from the first detection of HPAI in 2004, so we should anticipate a new mutation of the HPAI virus at some point in 2024 -25.
We also know that most HPAI H5 virus detections in wild and domestic birds within Europe occur during southwest/westward autumn migration and within large local waterbird colonies during the winter.
So, we know the HPAI virus is deadly to bird species, mutates on a regular, approximately five-year cycle, and can jump species to mammals and maybe beyond.
We know the source is intensive poultry farms around the world. The virus escapes them, enters wild populations that migrate annually, and takes the virus with them so it will spread to all parts of the world.
And we don’t have any effective vaccine, solution or plan to deal with it.
Wildlife Matters finds this astounding and very worrying. The apparent malaise of governments worldwide is a huge concern.
We have to stop intensively farming all animals and ensure that if animals are bred for meat, then they have the right to be kept in clean, infection-free conditions. Indeed, if you continue eating meat, this is the minimum standard you would expect.
Our primary concern at Wildlife Matters is the wild bird populations, which are being devastated globally by this virus. We want to see that the wild populations are protected in every way possible from the impacts of our failing food system and animal husbandry.
There is a debate about the continued consumption of animals and their byproducts, such as dairy. We have lived a vegan lifestyle for eight years and have never felt healthier; whilst we agree everyone has a choice, we also believe it is clear that the current worldwide food industry based on meat and highly processed foods has a direct link to the increase in diseases such as diabetes, cancer and heart disease.
We believe we are all animals, that humans are a part of nature, just as wild and farmed animals are, and that there is no need to eat them. Eating animals is a choice, one that should be personal, but one that should be made with the full understanding of the consequences to the animals that are considered food and by taking responsibility for your health and the impacts upon your health from eating animal products, including meat.
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Further Reading
British Government Avian Flu in Wild Birds
WHO World Organisation for Animal Health
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