Avian flu H5N1 discussion - news/case lists links - 2022+

[Commonground]

11 Feb 2026
‘Concerning’ bird flu study findings prompt ‘essential’ surveillance call

Researchers have stressed the need for ongoing surveillance after two studies tracking avian influenza’s ability to adapt to other species returned “concerning” results.

One study, published in Nature Communications, examined the B3.13 genotype of H5N1, which has been circulating in US dairy herds since 2024.

more....

https://www.vettimes.com/news/vets/livestock/concerning-bird-flu-study-findings-prompt-essential-surveillance-call

[Commonground]

FAOGeneva
@FAOGeneva

9:01 AM · Feb 20, 2026

Avian influenza is spreading fast, impacting wild birds, poultry,
mammals and even humans.

It’s mutating. It’s everywhere. And it’s not just a threat to animals.

@FAO is helping countries prepare and respond to this global health risk.

Discover how https://bit.ly/3G4XVAV

https://x.com/FAOGeneva/status/2024846961044504819

Four reasons why avian influenza should be on your radar: https://www.fao.org/newsroom/story/f...-your-radar/en

[Pathfinder]

Coscoroba swan

The coscoroba swan (Coscoroba coscoroba) is a species of waterfowl in the subfamily Anserinae of the family Anatidae.[3][4] It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay, and the Falkland Islands.[5]


/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coscoroba_swan
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Concerning the recent outbreaks of avian influenza in wild birds in Brazil, Uruguay, and Chile, the virus was identified in the coscoroba swan in all three cases.

/https://flutrackers.com/forum/forum/south-america/h5n1-tracking-ab/brazil-aa/1013474-brazil-2025-2026-bird-flu-in-wild-birds
/https://flutrackers.com/forum/forum/south-america/h5n1-tracking-ab/chile/964333-chile-bird-flu-in-wild-birds-and-mammals-december-8-2022
/https://flutrackers.com/forum/forum/south-america/h5n1-tracking-ab/uruguay-aa/1030901-uruguay-avian-influenza-in-wild-birds-2026

[Commonground]

Yale School of Public Health
March 2, 2026
Forecasting the Next Pandemic

Led by scientists from Yale and the University of Oklahoma, the Verena research initiative is using AI and team science to predict viral threats

... https://ysph.yale.edu/news-article/f...next-pandemic/

[Commonground]

Canada and CSL Seqirus, a Global Leader in Influenza Vaccines, agree on new Pandemic Preparedness Contract
30 minutes ago

• CSL Seqirus will supply millions of doses of adjuvanted cell-based vaccine to support Canadians, in the event the World Health Organization (WHO) declares an influenza pandemic.
• The continued detection of influenza viruses of pandemic potential, including highly pathogenic avian influenza infecting wild birds, poultry and mammals, underscores the pandemic threat posed by influenza and the potential public health risk.¹

MONTREAL, March 6, 2026 /CNW/ – CSL Seqirus has been awarded a new contract agreement to support the influenza pandemic preparedness plans of the Canadian government’s Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC).


Under the terms of the agreement, CSL Seqirus has committed to rapidly manufacture and deliver millions of doses of cell-based adjuvanted influenza vaccines to help protect Canadians if an influenza pandemic is declared by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Under a previous agreement with PHAC, CSL Seqirus was contracted to provide an egg-based influenza vaccine in the event of a pandemic. This shift towards cell-based vaccines builds on the successful introduction of cell-based Flucelvax^® , Influenza Vaccine (surface antigen, inactivated, prepared in cell cultures), into Canada’s seasonal influenza program over the past six years.

“This new contract with CSL Seqirus strengthens Canada’s ability to respond quickly to a potential future flu pandemic. By securing access to millions of doses of flu vaccine if a pandemic is declared by the WHO, we are reinforcing our commitment to protecting health and being prepared and ready to act in the face of emerging public health threats,” says the Honourable Marjorie Michel, Minister of Health.

continued: https://aijourn.com/canada-and-csl-s...ness-contract/

[Pathfinder]

Community-Based Surveillance for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Viruses among Deceased Birds

Posted March 07, 2026.
Download PDF

View ORCID ProfileLyudmyla Marushchak, View ORCID ProfileCaitlin Cotter, View ORCID ProfileJudith Oguzie, Philip Keiser, Thang Nguyen-Tien, Jessica Rodriguez, View ORCID ProfileIsmaila Shittu, View ORCID ProfileClaudia Trujillo-Vargas, Amanda Wolff, Shivonne Ryans, Robert Kaufman, Jillian Clack, Susan McLellan, Gene Olinger, View ORCID ProfileGregory C. Gray

doi: https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.03.06.710164

This article is a preprint and has not been certified by peer review [what does this mean?].

Abstract

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) viruses of H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b, are spreading worldwide, posing a threat to wildlife, domestic animals, and humans. In 2025, a multidisciplinary collaboration for HPAI H5N1 surveillance among birds within Galveston County, Texas, was initiated. Between November and December 2025, oropharyngeal and cloacal swabs were collected from wild and domestic birds reported as dead or dying by Galveston County residents. Specimens were studied with molecular assays, Sanger sequencing, virus isolation, and next-generation sequencing. Molecular evidence of HPAI H5N1 was detected in 7 of 10 (70%) birds, and the virus was successfully cultured in MDCK cells. Next-generation sequencing analysis of eight influenza A genome segments demonstrated a 4:4 gene segment reassortant constellation within clade 2.3.4.4b, consistent with genotype D1.1. Community members exposed to HPAI were offered antiviral prophylaxis. No human infections were identified. This surveillance demonstrates that community involvement combined with cross-sectoral collaboration can ensure rapid detection and characterization of circulating avian influenza viruses. Sustained local surveillance is essential for early warning, risk assessment, and prevention of virus spread to poultry, mammals, and humans.
...

https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.03.06.710164v1

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Excerpt from the PDF:
...
Discussion
...
In this surveillance work, we detected avian influenza A H5N1 viruses consistent with
genotype D1.1 genome constellation from dead birds. Identification of a D1.1-like genome
constellation in the context of avian mortality is epidemiologically important, as it indicates
ongoing circulation of this reassortant virus in wild bird populations and underscores the role of
wild birds as both maintenance hosts and sources of repeated introductions into new settings.

Beyond identification of the 4:4 reassortant genotype D1.1 constellation, the detection of
specific molecular markers associated with mammalian adaptation and immune modulation is
epidemiologically significant. Substitutions in the polymerase genes (PB2 I495V, A676T; PB1
S375N) have been experimentally linked to enhanced polymerase activity and increased
virulence in mammalian hosts, suggesting potential for improved replication efficiency outside
avian species [21; 22]. NA substitutions (P272S and N329S) may influence antigenicity and
antiviral susceptibility [23], while NS1 D171N and NS1 P87S may contribute to modulation of
innate immune responses and immune evasion [24; 25]. Although no zoonotic transmission was
detected in this investigation, the presence of these mutations within wild bird–derived H5N1
viruses underscores the dynamic evolutionary landscape of clade 2.3.4.4b viruses. Continuous
genomic monitoring is therefore essential to detect accumulation of adaptive mutations that
could increase pathogenicity, transmissibility, or zoonotic risk.

From a One Health perspective, confirmation of D1.1 in dead birds also serves as an early
warning for nearby poultry operations and the potential of mammalian spillover, given that
carcasses and contaminated environments can facilitate the exposure of scavengers, predators,
and peridomestic animals. Accordingly, surveillance is essential to monitor the emergence and
spread of reassortant genotypes and to strengthen ongoing risk assessment efforts.
...

[Commonground]

March 13, 2026

Raucous bird tornado touches down as snow geese make annual flight to Arctic
Snow geese have been arriving in growing numbers at the 6,300-acre Middle Creek property since the late 1990s.

KLEINFELTERSVILLE, Pa. (AP) — A few dozen birdwatchers gathered in the predawn darkness to wait for the moment when thousands of migrating snow geese stopped honking and preening to suddenly take flight from a Pennsylvania reservoir.



-snip-

The Pennsylvania reservoir was built a half-century ago to attract waterfowl, and over the years the gaggle has grown. Pennsylvania Game Commission environmental education specialist Payton Miller described it as a raucous bird tornado that lifts off the water.

“All it takes is for me to come out here on a really nice morning where there’s a huge morning flight and I’m kind of reminded how awesome it is to see such a large number of such a beautiful bird,” Miller said. “I never get sick of it.”

... https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2026/03/13/snow-geese/

[Pathfinder]

USDA: Current HPAI outbreak has impacted more than 197 million birds

March 19, 2026 By Brent Barnett Filed Under: Avian influenza, foreign animal disease, Human Interest, Livestock, News, Poultry
...
Dr. Chelsey Shivley is a veterinarian and serves as the acting critical issues manager for the agency’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

“This outbreak was first detected back in February 2022,” she said, “and now represents the largest animal disease outbreak that we’ve ever dealt with here in the United States.”

She tells Brownfield more than 197 million birds have been infected with the virus.
...
Shivley says there are fears more cases will be detected in the weeks to come.
...

https://www.brownfieldagnews.com/news/usda-current-hpai-outbreak-has-impacted-more-than-197-million-birds/

[Commonground]

Avian bird flu surges in New York urban wildlife, increasing disease concerns
7 Apr 2026

Excerpt:

The wet market problem

Migration, crowding and cold weather aren’t the only amplifiers of avian flu in New York. Live animal and poultry markets also appear to be key culprits. (The working theory is that H5N1 turned pathogenic on crowded poultry farms, then spread widely via migratory birds.)

“For many infectious diseases, especially those with density-dependent transmission like influenza, density is the biggest risk factor,” a senior disease ecologist for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stated on background. “In the context of a wet market, it’s the combination of high density and high diversity of bird species together, which creates countless opportunities for viral strains to emerge.”

Wet markets sell perishable foods including raw meat and, in some cases, live animals, which may be slaughtered on-site. Though often imagined as exotic or exclusive to the Asian continent, wet markets exist across the globe. What makes a market “wet” is not geography or species, but water: floors routinely hosed down to rinse away the blood and residue of slaughter.

There are wet markets in every New York City borough — more than 80 in total. Most slaughter and sell birds, including chickens, ducks, pigeons, fowl and quail. Roughly a quarter also offer mammals, such as rabbits, goats, sheep and cows. Many are located within just a block of elementary schools, residential buildings and public parks, creating opportunities for viral spillover.

For more than a decade, live bird markets in New York City have experienced avian influenza outbreaks. Most recently, in February 2025, a series of H5N1 detections across the city prompted Governor Kathy Hochul to temporarily shut down all live bird markets for “depopulation” and disinfection.

-snip-

Megacities like New York face intensifying risks. In just a few years, H5N1 has infected thousands of wild birds and a growing number of mammals. If the virus can move this readily across species in one of the world’s most heavily surveilled urban regions, it raises questions about what may be happening, or about to happen, in other urban centers, especially those with migratory wildlife, large live animal markets and weaker surveillance.

In highly dense, urban environments, even small margins of risk can carry outsized consequences. “New York is almost a worst-case scenario,” the CDC official stated on background. “You can be connected to every corner of the globe within a day. That’s a disease ecologist’s worst nightmare.”


https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/av...ease-concerns/