Scientists with the BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) received new research funding to better understand how the avian influenza virus changes as it spreads in animals and people and prepare tools that can be rolled out to support the province’s response to the threat.
Funded by Genome British Columbia and the Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR), the research brings together BCCDC, the University of British Columbia (UBC), the Ministry of Agriculture and Food, the Office of the Provincial Health Officer, and Ministry of Health and is based on a One Health approach that considers the health of animals, humans and environment.
"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," says Dr. Naveed Janjua, director of the University of British Columbia Centre for Disease Control (UBC CDC). "Scientists at BCCDC are at the forefront of this effort, developing tools and systems to monitor the virus and reduce its impact. 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 viruses occur 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 BC’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 in North America.
While the overall risk to people remains low, there have been sporadic cases in humans, mostly following exposure to infected animals. Recently, Canada’s first human case of locally acquired avian influenza was detected in BC. This is why the public health response to avian influenza is working at the intersection of human and animal health through a One Health approach.
“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.
“This research represents the coming together of work over the past 10 years and advances made during the COVID-19 pandemic," said Dr. Hoang, who is the medical director of the BCCDC Public Health Lab, clinical professor in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at UBC and principal investigator of the H5N1 Unified Bioresponse (HUB), a set of four research projects funded by Genome BC. "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 H5N1 Unified Bioresponse (HUB) includes four projects and was awarded $746,971 from Genome BC:
- Investigate the possible role of wind in transmitting H5N1 within and between farms to better understand the spread of the virus
“Research on the potential role of wind in avian influenza transmission will complement the expertise already developed on detecting viruses in the environment,” said Dr. Cheslea Himsworth, the B.C. Ministry of Agriculture and Food’s Deputy Chief Veterinarian and clinical assistant professor with the UBC School of Population and Public Health, who is leading the project. “Through earlier partnerships between the B.C. government and Genome BC we have developed and deployed an innovative genomics technology to monitor avian influenza viruses in wetland ecosystems, and we anticipate that the results of this research project will expand that tool kit.”
- Develop antibody tests to monitor exposure to H5N1 in human populations
“Serology or antibody testing can look for evidence that someone has been exposed to avian influenza in the past. Having this test on hand in BC will be critical for rapidly determining if the virus has spread person to person when a case is identified and will create the capacity to study how much of the population has been infected, particularly in situations where farm workers have been exposed to infected flocks or if there are cases with no clear source of exposure identified,” said Dr. Agatha Jassem, co-program head of the virology lab at the BCCDC Public Health Laboratory at BCCDC and clinical associate professor in the Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine at UBC.
- Evaluate the use of wastewater surveillance testing to provide an early warning system
Dr. Natalie Prystajecky, program head for the Environmental Microbiology program at the BCCDC Public Health Laboratory and clinical associate professor in the Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine at UBC, is leading this project and is the co-principal investigator on a national wastewater surveillance project that have overlapping goals.
“The overall objective of this research program is to evaluate, optimize and harmonize wastewater and environmental sampling and analytical methods and strategies across Canada for wetland monitoring and livestock wastewater monitoring that could be used for real-time monitoring for viruses,” she says. “This work is focused on having shared One Health surveillance measures across Canada for migratory wild birds, farm animals and people to enhance Canada's ability to respond to the outbreak.”
- Monitor mutations in the virus to detect those with the potential to make H5N1 more adapted to humans
Investments made into the Public Health Laboratory allow scientists to genetically sequence many pathogens, including avian influenza. By analyzing the genome of the virus, scientists are able to monitor how it changes over time as it spreads.
“Genomics and bioinformatics provide the highest resolution data possible. This is cutting edge work and the great benefit of all teams working together means it can be translated into workable actions,” said Dr. James Zlosnik, senior scientist for bioinformatics at the BCCDC Public Health Laboratory and clinical assistant professor in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at UBC.
BIRD-WATCH: Building cloud-powered genomic tools for advanced surveillance and risk monitoring of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus – awarded $250,000 from Genome BC
Working with the Ministry of Agriculture and Food, Dr. Shannon Russell, a senior scientist with the BCCDC Public Health Laboratory and a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at UBC, is leading the project to 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, a One Health approach.
“This will help us better understand avian influenza virus circulating in wild birds and poultry,” she said. “Understanding how this virus spreads and changes in animal and human hosts will enable us to develop effective strategies to protect public health, animal health and the agricultural industry.”
Developing a multiplex serology assay for the detection of highly pathogenic influenza – awarded a $150,000 CIHR Catalyst Grant
This second project focused on developing an antibody test will focus on serology testing for animal populations, primarily birds. Dr. Jassem, who is also co-leading this project alongside Dr. Himsworth, says serology testing is a tool that will provide an understanding of the true burden of infection and help us better understand transmission.
Understanding dynamics of British Columbia smallholder livestock systems and One Health strategies to prevent, detect and control highly pathogenic avian influenza – awarded a $150,000 CIHR Catalyst Grant
Dr. Anya Smith, a senior scientist in enteric, zoonotic, and vector-borne diseases with Public Health Response at BCCDC and clinical assistant professor at the UBC School of Population and Public Health, is leading a project 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.
“The Premises ID Program is one tool we have to mitigate threats like the spread of disease among poultry and livestock and support producers in emergency situations,” she says. “We are interested in how the BC program compares to other Premises ID programs and how to increase participation among smaller livestock and poultry producers.”
