Chapter 31 Ecology and Evolution of Avian Influenza A Viruses in Wild Birds

Authors:

• Wille, Michelle

Details:

Genetics and Evolution of Infectious Diseases, 2024-12-31

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Influenza A virus is arguably one the most important zoonotic viruses carried by birds. While this is a multihost virus, wild birds are believed to be the central reservoir of all influenza A viruses. The reservoir hosts for avian influenza viruses are members of the Anseriformes (ducks, geese) and Charadriiformes (gulls, shorebirds). Arguably, the ecology of avian influenza is best described in Mallards in the Northern Hemisphere. However, virus dynamics in the southern hemisphere and other avian taxa (swans, shorebirds, gulls) do not fit this narrative. Bird migration and ecology dictate not only virus ecology but also viral genetics, whereby allopatric separation of avian taxa and populations between Eurasia and the Americas has resulted in a major geographic division in phylogenetic trees. In this chapter, I review key aspects of the ecology and evolution of low pathogenic avian influenza in wild birds, and highlight role of wild birds in the rapidly changing highly pathogenic avian influenza panzootic.