Studentship: 'Defining the genetic characteristics of infectivity, replication and virulence for H9N2 viruses affecting poultry
Lead Research Organisation:
THE PIRBRIGHT INSTITUTE
Department Name: UNLISTED
Abstract
Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.
Technical Summary
Avian influenza (AI) viruses circulating in poultry continually undergo evolutionary adaptive changes. These adaptive changes may affect their cellular tropism, entry, replication, release of progeny virions or the ability to circumvent the host antiviral responses, resulting in alterations to infectivity, virulence and transmission of the virus. Recently, we and other research groups have identified a number of novel H9N2 genotype viruses that have become widely established in poultry in many countries in the Indian subcontinent and the Middle East [1,2]. These are reassortant viruses that contain internal genes from highly pathogenic (HPAI) H7N3 and H5N1 viruses and have substantial increases in their infection rates, virus shedding, clinical disease signs and transmissibility in chickens as compared to their likely progenitor viruses belonging to (A/Quail/ Hong Kong/G1/97) lineage ([3-5] and unpublished data). This increased pathogenicity is likely due to the different virus gene constellation acquired from the H7 and H5 HPAI viruses. In this project, comparative sequence information from reassortant and progenitor viruses will be used to map the genetic requirements that cause the reassortant viruses to display increased infectivity, replication and pathogenicity.
Utilising the influenza virus reverse genetic system, mutant viruses will be constructed where whole segments or point mutations will be made in viral segments and used to observe any differential variations. The biological and pathological behaviour of these variant genes will then be assessed firstly in vitro (using both cDNA transfection of individual virus genes and the creation of recombinant viruses) followed up by in vivo experiments with selected interesting mutant viruses. These studies will ultimately enable us to assign the viral gene segments and any specific motifs in them that drive an increase in virulence of these H9N2 viruses in chickens.
Utilising the influenza virus reverse genetic system, mutant viruses will be constructed where whole segments or point mutations will be made in viral segments and used to observe any differential variations. The biological and pathological behaviour of these variant genes will then be assessed firstly in vitro (using both cDNA transfection of individual virus genes and the creation of recombinant viruses) followed up by in vivo experiments with selected interesting mutant viruses. These studies will ultimately enable us to assign the viral gene segments and any specific motifs in them that drive an increase in virulence of these H9N2 viruses in chickens.
Planned Impact
unavailable
Organisations
- THE PIRBRIGHT INSTITUTE (Lead Research Organisation)
- Francis Crick Institute (Collaboration)
- UNIVERSITY OF BATH (Collaboration)
- Agricultural Research Centre (Collaboration)
- MSD Animal Health (Collaboration)
- University of Oxford (Collaboration)
- Zagazig University (Collaboration)
- IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON (Collaboration)
- Suez Canal University (Collaboration)
- Royal Veterinary College (RVC) (Collaboration)
- University of Tokyo (Collaboration)
- UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH (Collaboration)
- The Pirbright Institute (Collaboration)
Publications
Ali M
(2019)
Avian Influenza A(H9N2) Virus in Poultry Worker, Pakistan, 2015.
in Emerging infectious diseases
Baron MD
(2018)
Recent advances in viral vectors in veterinary vaccinology.
in Current opinion in virology
Bayraktar E
(2018)
First Molecular Characterization of Avian Metapneumovirus (aMPV) in Turkish Broiler Flocks
in Avian Diseases
Bayraktar E.
(2018)
First Molecular Characterization of Avian Metapneumovirus (aMPV) in Turkish Broiler Flocks
in AVIAN DISEASES
Bayraktara E
(2018)
First molecular characterisation of avian metapneumovirus (aMPV) in Turkish broiler flocks
in Avian Diseases
Bhat S
(2019)
Replicative fitness and transmission of G57 lineage and UDL01 like H9N2 viruses in chickens
in Access Microbiology
Chang P
(2019)
Amino Acid Residue 217 in the Hemagglutinin Glycoprotein Is a Key Mediator of Avian Influenza H7N9 Virus Antigenicity.
in Journal of virology
Chang P
(2019)
The application of CRISPR/Cas9 system in the generation of viral vectored avian influenza vaccines
in Access Microbiology
| Description | Our studies identified specific molecular determinants at position 26 in the polymerase gene segment 3 (PA) of H9N2 viruses that directly contribute in virus replication and pathogenesis in chickens. The outcome of these studies provided an evidence-base for H9N2 virus phenotypes that may pose greater disease risks to poultry and humans. We have demonstrated an interaction between PB1-F2 and chicken IKKß for the first time. Our results suggest that the PB1-F2 protein can operate at different points within innate immune signalling pathways in a strain-specific manner that is reminiscent of the influenza NS-1 protein, and that localization of PB1-F2 in the cell is a driving factor of the protein's functionality. Avian influenza A(H9N2) virus isolated from a poultry worker in Pakistan in 2015 was closely related to viruses detected in poultry farms. Observed mutations in the hemagglutinin related to receptor-binding affinity and antigenicity could affect cross-reactivity with pre-pandemic H9N2 vaccine strains Our recent study published in 2020 entitled "Contribution of segment 3 to the acquisition of virulence in contemporary H9N2 avian influenza viruses" (Journal of Virology 94, e01173-20 https://doi.org/10.1128/JVI.01173-20) led to define of the H9N2 viruses persisting in poultry across the Middle East and South Asia evolved to retained fitness and increased virulence. Analyse of representative viruses from different regions were H9N2 avian influenza is endemic in poultry showed that they carry a single amino acid mutation which is responsible for their greater fitness in poultry. The mutation enabling high growth of the contemporary H9N2 virus in cells, as well as in chickens. This genetic mutation that modulates this change is within the viral PA protein, a part of the virus polymerase gene that contributes to viral replication as well as to virus accessory functions-however, we found that the fitness effect is specifically due to changes in the virus protein polymerase activity. |
| Exploitation Route | Several research articles were published in high impact factors, these published data sets peoples are using for the selection of more efficacious vaccines against the filed avian influenza isolates. The data also presented how AIV overcome vaccine-induced antibody-based antiviral pressure and how a best new effective vaccine can be developed safeguarding economy, animal and public health and the environment. The research outputs increased our ability to enhances collaboration with researchers working on avian influenzas viruses. In particular, researcher in the countries where H9N2 viruses are endemic in poultry such as China, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Egypt. The research outputs were dissemination via presentations to stakeholders linked with animal health (poultry production) and public health officials and policymakers in different countries where the disease is causing severe losses to the poultry industry. |
| Sectors | Agriculture Food and Drink Education Environment Healthcare Pharmaceuticals and Medical Biotechnology |
| Description | The research identified factors that aid the virulence and persistence of avian influenza viruses in different animals and bird species. The outcome of this research directly feeds into surveillance and risk assessment of emerging and re-emerging viruses, enabling the implementation of rapid and appropriate disease mitigation strategies. The fact that PB1-F2 proteins with different amino acid sequences can use various mechanisms to achieve the same innate pathway antagonism indicates that this function is important, at least in avian cells. We suggest that mitochondrial localization of PB1-F2 restricts interaction with cytoplasmic-located IKKß, reducing NF?B-responsive promoter antagonism, but enhances antagonism of the IFN2 promoter through interaction with the mitochondrial adaptor MAVS. Our study highlights the differential mechanisms by which IAV PB1-F2 protein can dampen the avian host's innate signalling response and therefore how the virus prolongs infectious virus shedding and thus the transmission window. Work to counteract this could have a large impact on reducing the spread of disease. The research outputs were disseminated via presentations to stakeholders linked with animal health (poultry production) and public health officials and policymakers. For example, a presentation entitled " Sustainable poultry (meat and eggs) production in Pakistan: Challenges and Opportunities. Presented at UKRI-GCRF "Food Security, Agriculture, and Nutrition" workshop, Marriott Hotel, Islamabad, Pakistan. 9th- 10th March 2020. The presentation described how we can use our research outcome to reduce the disease impacts in animals and humans and increase productivity. The research outcome also enhanced our ability to establish more collaboration with researchers working on avian influenzas viruses. In particular, researcher in the countries where H9N2 viruses are endemic in poultry includes China, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Egypt. We defined the role of the Influenza A virus accessory protein PA-X in the virus virulence in chickens. our results demonstrate that the PA-X is an avian virulence factor in the H9N2 avian influenza virus. We found that the PA-X protein of the prototype H9N2 avian influenza virus of G1 lineage (A/chicken/Pakistan/UDL-01/2008) induced robust host cellular function shutoff mechanism in both mammalian and avian cells to increased fitness for replication in mammalian cells, but not avian cells. We further showed that PA-X affected embryonic lethality in ovo and led to more rapid viral shedding and widespread organ dissemination in vivo in chickens. Overall, we conclude PA-X may act as a virulence factor for H9N2 viruses in chickens, allowing faster replication and wider organ tropism. This work was published in the year 2021 in the Journal of General Virology 102 (3), 1531. https://doi.org/10.1099/jgv.0.001531. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2021 |
| Sector | Agriculture, Food and Drink,Creative Economy,Education,Environment,Healthcare,Manufacturing, including Industrial Biotechology |
| Impact Types | Societal Policy & public services |
| Description | Commonwealth Scholarship. Molecular determinants impacting avian influenza H9N2 virus evolution, replication fitness and virulence |
| Amount | £200,000 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | LKCS-2019- 665 |
| Organisation | British Council |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 11/2019 |
| End | 10/2022 |
| Description | Enhancing protective efficacy of avian influenza vaccines through targeted delivery of protective antigens to chicken immune cells |
| Amount | £98,212 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | BB/R50595X/1 |
| Organisation | Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 08/2017 |
| End | 09/2021 |
| Description | Pirbright Institute Flexible Talent Mobility Account |
| Amount | £255,000 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | BB/S507945/1 |
| Organisation | Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 11/2018 |
| End | 03/2022 |
| Description | Reducing the Economic and Zoonotic Impact of Avian Influenza (REZIAI): delivering novel vaccines and diagnostics from laboratory to the field. |
| Amount | £400,000 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | BB/S013792/1 |
| Organisation | The Pirbright Institute |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 02/2019 |
| End | 01/2021 |
| Description | Responsive mode: Avian influenza H7N9 virus evolution: defining the impact of internal genes on virus infection in avian and mammalian species |
| Amount | £668,314 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | BB/N002571/1 |
| Organisation | Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 06/2016 |
| End | 06/2019 |
| Description | The Global Challenges Research Fund |
| Amount | £640,473 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Research Councils UK (RCUK) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 03/2019 |
| End | 03/2024 |
| Description | iCASE studentship: Production and assessment of antiviral prophylactic properties of natural biomolecules against avian influenza and Newcastle disease viruses affecting poultry |
| Amount | £100,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 09/2019 |
| End | 09/2023 |
| Title | Detection of HA antigens of avian influenza viruses |
| Description | Assay for detection of recombinant HVT expressing HA antigens of avian influenza viruses |
| Type Of Material | Technology assay or reagent |
| Year Produced | 2018 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | This new method will help to detect recombinant HVT vaccine expressing HA antigen in infected cell. |
| Description | BBSRC - Oxford University iCASE Studentship (October 2019- September 2023). Production and assessment of antiviral prophylactic properties of natural biomolecules against avian influenza and Newcastle disease viruses affecting poultry production |
| Organisation | University of Oxford |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | This collaboration between The Pirbright Institute (UK), Oxford University (UK) and industrial partners in Italy. This project will conceived and developed bu MI. The PhD student (Holly Everest) in my group is investigating the antiviral prophylactic properties of natural biomolecules against avian influenza and Newcastle disease viruses affecting poultry production. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The partners in Italy will produce and purify natural antiviral molecules effective against avian influenza and other poultry viruses. |
| Impact | This project started in January 2020. |
| Start Year | 2020 |
| Description | Establishment of a novel poultry vaccine platform inducing rapid and strong immunity through targeted delivery of antigens to chicken immune cells |
| Organisation | MSD Animal Health |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | The research focus is to develop next-generation of poultry vaccines that induce rapid and strong immune responses in chickens. The candidate vaccine constricts will be developed at the Pirbright Institute |
| Collaborator Contribution | The collaborating partner "MSD Animal Health" will evaluate the potency and efficacy for registration and feasibility for commercial production. |
| Impact | Based on the project preliminary data a new project was developed entitled Protecting poultry from avian influenza, Newcastle disease, infectious bronchitis, and Gumboro disease with a single dose of a multivalent vaccine". This project further strengthened the collaborative research work with MSD Animal Health. |
| Start Year | 2021 |
| Description | Investigating antigenic determinants inducing stronger and broader cross-protective immunity among H5 avian influenza viruses |
| Organisation | Royal Veterinary College (RVC) |
| Department | Veterinary Basic Sciences |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | The overarching aims of the proposed research are to improve controls against H5 subtype of avian influenza viruses infecting poultry by investigating underlying mechanisms that define how vaccines renders effectiveness and develop novel approaches enhancing the effectiveness of H5 avian influenza vaccines. We recently generated a panel of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) that recognise a variety of different clades of H5 viruses. Propagation of AIV in eggs or cultured cells together with mAbs drives virus to escape from mAbs neutralisation activity. These classical virus neutralization assays (VN) followed by HA gene sequence analysis allowed us to defined the role of amino acid substitutions that are associated with evasion of antibody neutralization through emergence of antigenic variants and failure of vaccine efficacy. |
| Collaborator Contribution | provided intellectual input for achieving prescribed objectives of this work. |
| Impact | Talk entitled "Molecular determinants for antigenicity and vaccine efficacy of avian influenza viruses" was presented at Newton Agham Researcher Links Workshop " Novel Vaccines and Diagnostic Technologies against Emerging and re-emerging Veterinary Pathogens" at Rizal Park Hotel, Manila, Philippines, 4-7 February 2019. |
| Start Year | 2019 |
| Description | Investigating antigenic determinants inducing stronger and broader cross-protective immunity among H5 avian influenza viruses. |
| Organisation | Royal Veterinary College (RVC) |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | We developed research programme to characterise diversity of antigenic epitopes induce protective immunity in chickens against H5 subtypes of avian influenza viruses. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Collaborating partner Dr Nicola Lewis at Royal Veterinary College provide advise to on cartography programme to visualize the antigenic similarity or difference among different strains of influenza viruses. |
| Impact | The work under this collaborative determined the antigenic differences among different clades of H5 avian influenza viruses circulating in birds. This project is multi-disciplinary. our laboratory mainly work on virology and immunology part of the project and we seek help on computer modeling part from the collaborating partner Dr Nicola Lewis. |
| Start Year | 2019 |
| Description | Morphological differences of Influenza A viruses |
| Organisation | University of Edinburgh |
| Department | The Roslin Institute |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Exchange of research methods and reagents |
| Collaborator Contribution | (1) Exchange of reagents and Research methods.(2) training of PhD students and Postdoctoral Scientists (3) use of research facilities |
| Impact | Research output were presented at Avian Influenza A virus budding morphology: spherical or filamentous? presented at The European Scientific Working group on Influenza (ESWI) Riga, Latvia. 10 to 13 September 2017 (2) .Budding morphology of avian influenza A viruses. Microbiology Society, annual Conference 2017, 306 April, EICC, Edinburggh, UK |
| Start Year | 2016 |
| Description | Placement Studentship: Production and characterisation of nanobodies recognising avian influenza and Newcastle disease virus surface glycoproteins using phage display technology |
| Organisation | University of Bath |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Studentship allocated to Roddy Brookes producing and characterising llama nanobodies which recognise avian influenza and Newcastle disease virus surface glycoproteins, using our established methods of phage display technology. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Supervisory contributions, expertise and research guidance for undergraduate placement, attributed to the Bachelor of Science award. |
| Impact | On-going. |
| Start Year | 2023 |
| Description | Rapid acquisition of mammalian characteristics by avian influenza virus in single host infections. |
| Organisation | Imperial College London |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Provided reagents and day to day technical help for undertaking this project and supervising postdoctoral researcher working on this project. Reagents include influenza reverse genetic plasmids and H9N2 and H7N9-specific antibodies. |
| Collaborator Contribution | this project will aim to understand AIV genetics that facilitate the rapid acquisition of mammalian adaptation characteristics in a single host infection. The partners with our collaborations determined adaptive genetic changes in the H9N2 avian influenza virus following infection in mice (mammalian hosts). Different strains of avian influenza Viruses generated by reverse gentic techniques were inoculated into mice and lungs sampled daily. RNA recovered from lung homogenates were deep sequenced and mutations arising were characterised for adaptation. Relative viral fitness and the rapidity of the accumulation of mutations was measured and compared amongst the viral strains. |
| Impact | The results of the our experimental studies showed the avian-origin viruses rapidly acquired mutations that increase virus fitness in mammalian species. Therefore, these viruses pose zoonotic and pandemic threat to public health. |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | Rapid acquisition of mammalian characteristics by avian influenza virus in single host infections. |
| Organisation | The Pirbright Institute |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Provided reagents and day to day technical help for undertaking this project and supervising postdoctoral researcher working on this project. Reagents include influenza reverse genetic plasmids and H9N2 and H7N9-specific antibodies. |
| Collaborator Contribution | this project will aim to understand AIV genetics that facilitate the rapid acquisition of mammalian adaptation characteristics in a single host infection. The partners with our collaborations determined adaptive genetic changes in the H9N2 avian influenza virus following infection in mice (mammalian hosts). Different strains of avian influenza Viruses generated by reverse gentic techniques were inoculated into mice and lungs sampled daily. RNA recovered from lung homogenates were deep sequenced and mutations arising were characterised for adaptation. Relative viral fitness and the rapidity of the accumulation of mutations was measured and compared amongst the viral strains. |
| Impact | The results of the our experimental studies showed the avian-origin viruses rapidly acquired mutations that increase virus fitness in mammalian species. Therefore, these viruses pose zoonotic and pandemic threat to public health. |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | The GCRF One Health Poultry Hub |
| Organisation | Royal Veterinary College (RVC) |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | The focus of the research is to achieve sustainable global intensification of poultry meat and egg production whilst reducing risks to human and animal health and welfare. We are undertaking research to investigate the diversity of avian influenza viruses prevalent in poultry and wild birds in south east Asia. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Royal Veterinary College, London is leading this GCRF One Health Poultry Hub. The project will address the need to meet rising demand for poultry meat and eggs in developing countries, while minimising risk to international public health. Population growth is driving global demand for poultry, meat and egg production; this unfortunately creates conditions in which animal diseases can spread to humans ('zoonoses'). These include bacterial food poisoning and strains with avian influenza with epidemic or pandemic potential. The GCRF One Health Poultry Hub will adopt a 'One Health' approach to the issue of combatting animal-to-human diseases by bringing together a team of laboratory, clinical, veterinary and social scientists. This team will test and evaluate novel interventions. The need for safe poultry production is most urgent in South and South East Asia, so the RVC and its partners will then use their local networks in these regions to put its positive research to immediate use. |
| Impact | Development of international interdisciplinary partnership of 55 investigators from 13 countries to address the emerging global challenges of food security and public health associated with intensification of poultry production. |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | The Pirbright "Livestock Antibody Hub" funded by Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation |
| Organisation | The Pirbright Institute |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Me and my team established collaboration in the "Livestock Antibody Hub" funded ($5.5 million) by the from Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Focus of our partnership is to develop techniques and capacity to analyse immune cells (B cells) of cattle, poultry and pigs that produce virus neutralizing antibodies. This research will support rational development of next generation of vaccines and to explore antibody-based passive immunization approaches for treatment and prophylaxis of infectious viral diseases affecting livestock and humans. Our initial focus is to target major animal viral pathogens that cause severe losses within Low and Middle-Income Countries (LMIC) animal production systems including avian influenza virus (AIV), Newcastle disease virus (NDV), infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV), infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) and foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV). |
| Collaborator Contribution | This is a collaborative project and partners are providing help in provision of reagents and techniques for analysis of diversity of B cells repertoire that produce infleunza virus-specific antibodies, single cell sequencing and bioinformatic analysis. This project will further strengthen our on-going research collaborations with many research groups in academia as well as with animal health industry (Zoetis, Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health, Merck, CEVA, Jovac, YeBio, ILRI, Galvmed, The Roslin Institute, HuMabs, AbCellera and Distributed Bio) to take the research outputs from laboratory to the field. The outputs of research will be improved vaccines and diagnostics enabling to reduce the impact of infectious diseases on farm animals, which offer substantial direct and indirect economic, public health, environmental and social benefits to the UK and rest of the world. |
| Impact | Development of passive immunization approaches against avian influenza viruses affecting poultry (project incited in January 2020). |
| Start Year | 2020 |
| Description | Understanding diversity of avian influenza viruses and improvement disease control in poultry and humans |
| Organisation | Agricultural Research Centre |
| Department | Veterinary Serum and Vaccine Research Institute |
| Country | Egypt |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | This project helped my research group to establish research collboration between the Pirbright Institute and the scientists at the collaborating laboratories listed above and an excellent opportunity for building a joint "ONE HEALTH" platfor. I am sharing knowledge, reagents and techniques to improve efficacious vaccines and diagnostic tools against avian influenza viruses. The easy availability of better control tools against avian influenza viruses will aid in the reduction of poultry production losses and thus be important for global food security and improved animal welfare whilst also reducing zoonotic transmission to humans. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Each collaborating institute and team member has specific expertise and facilities in areas relevant to this research programme. Collaborators in different institutions have extensive experience collecting field samples and implementing vaccination and large scale surveillance programmes. Each partner institutions have unique experience in monitoring the endemic prevalence of many animal diseases including avian influenza in both domestic and wild birds from which UK is under constant threat. The partners are sharing knowledge, expertise and facilities to investigate fundamental biology of influenza viruses and predict their epidemiological relevance, to assess potential risks and to devise appropriate intervention strategies. The knowledge, reagents and field samples will be available through this partnership. which will be essential for development of informed control policies and tools(vaccines and diagnostics) that may contribute to reducing the ever increasing threat from endemic, emerging and re-emerging influenza virus variants posing risk to animals and humans. Also, All researchers involved will benefit through ongoing professional development and advanced training in new technologies and new systems-level approaches to disease management. Exchange visits of researchers from collaborating laboratories to undertake training in a number of disciplines including disease surveillance, molecular virology, epidemiology, immunology, vaccinology and diagnostics will have a tangible impact on capacity building and training of next generation researchers in control of infectious animal and zoonotic diseases. |
| Impact | The ultimate aims of this collaboration are to reduce the impact of influenza virus on poultry production and reduce their zoonotic transmission to humans. The collaboration will improve resources and capacity for disease control systems. Achieving these specific goals will prove a step-change in AIV disease management and increase in poultry productivity directly drives economic prosperity of farmers and allied communities. The will directly impact on socio-economic well-being of partner countries. |
| Start Year | 2017 |
| Description | Understanding diversity of avian influenza viruses and improvement disease control in poultry and humans |
| Organisation | Francis Crick Institute |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | This project helped my research group to establish research collboration between the Pirbright Institute and the scientists at the collaborating laboratories listed above and an excellent opportunity for building a joint "ONE HEALTH" platfor. I am sharing knowledge, reagents and techniques to improve efficacious vaccines and diagnostic tools against avian influenza viruses. The easy availability of better control tools against avian influenza viruses will aid in the reduction of poultry production losses and thus be important for global food security and improved animal welfare whilst also reducing zoonotic transmission to humans. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Each collaborating institute and team member has specific expertise and facilities in areas relevant to this research programme. Collaborators in different institutions have extensive experience collecting field samples and implementing vaccination and large scale surveillance programmes. Each partner institutions have unique experience in monitoring the endemic prevalence of many animal diseases including avian influenza in both domestic and wild birds from which UK is under constant threat. The partners are sharing knowledge, expertise and facilities to investigate fundamental biology of influenza viruses and predict their epidemiological relevance, to assess potential risks and to devise appropriate intervention strategies. The knowledge, reagents and field samples will be available through this partnership. which will be essential for development of informed control policies and tools(vaccines and diagnostics) that may contribute to reducing the ever increasing threat from endemic, emerging and re-emerging influenza virus variants posing risk to animals and humans. Also, All researchers involved will benefit through ongoing professional development and advanced training in new technologies and new systems-level approaches to disease management. Exchange visits of researchers from collaborating laboratories to undertake training in a number of disciplines including disease surveillance, molecular virology, epidemiology, immunology, vaccinology and diagnostics will have a tangible impact on capacity building and training of next generation researchers in control of infectious animal and zoonotic diseases. |
| Impact | The ultimate aims of this collaboration are to reduce the impact of influenza virus on poultry production and reduce their zoonotic transmission to humans. The collaboration will improve resources and capacity for disease control systems. Achieving these specific goals will prove a step-change in AIV disease management and increase in poultry productivity directly drives economic prosperity of farmers and allied communities. The will directly impact on socio-economic well-being of partner countries. |
| Start Year | 2017 |
| Description | Understanding diversity of avian influenza viruses and improvement disease control in poultry and humans |
| Organisation | Imperial College London |
| Department | MSk Lab |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | This project helped my research group to establish research collboration between the Pirbright Institute and the scientists at the collaborating laboratories listed above and an excellent opportunity for building a joint "ONE HEALTH" platfor. I am sharing knowledge, reagents and techniques to improve efficacious vaccines and diagnostic tools against avian influenza viruses. The easy availability of better control tools against avian influenza viruses will aid in the reduction of poultry production losses and thus be important for global food security and improved animal welfare whilst also reducing zoonotic transmission to humans. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Each collaborating institute and team member has specific expertise and facilities in areas relevant to this research programme. Collaborators in different institutions have extensive experience collecting field samples and implementing vaccination and large scale surveillance programmes. Each partner institutions have unique experience in monitoring the endemic prevalence of many animal diseases including avian influenza in both domestic and wild birds from which UK is under constant threat. The partners are sharing knowledge, expertise and facilities to investigate fundamental biology of influenza viruses and predict their epidemiological relevance, to assess potential risks and to devise appropriate intervention strategies. The knowledge, reagents and field samples will be available through this partnership. which will be essential for development of informed control policies and tools(vaccines and diagnostics) that may contribute to reducing the ever increasing threat from endemic, emerging and re-emerging influenza virus variants posing risk to animals and humans. Also, All researchers involved will benefit through ongoing professional development and advanced training in new technologies and new systems-level approaches to disease management. Exchange visits of researchers from collaborating laboratories to undertake training in a number of disciplines including disease surveillance, molecular virology, epidemiology, immunology, vaccinology and diagnostics will have a tangible impact on capacity building and training of next generation researchers in control of infectious animal and zoonotic diseases. |
| Impact | The ultimate aims of this collaboration are to reduce the impact of influenza virus on poultry production and reduce their zoonotic transmission to humans. The collaboration will improve resources and capacity for disease control systems. Achieving these specific goals will prove a step-change in AIV disease management and increase in poultry productivity directly drives economic prosperity of farmers and allied communities. The will directly impact on socio-economic well-being of partner countries. |
| Start Year | 2017 |
| Description | Understanding diversity of avian influenza viruses and improvement disease control in poultry and humans |
| Organisation | Imperial College London |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | This project helped my research group to establish research collboration between the Pirbright Institute and the scientists at the collaborating laboratories listed above and an excellent opportunity for building a joint "ONE HEALTH" platfor. I am sharing knowledge, reagents and techniques to improve efficacious vaccines and diagnostic tools against avian influenza viruses. The easy availability of better control tools against avian influenza viruses will aid in the reduction of poultry production losses and thus be important for global food security and improved animal welfare whilst also reducing zoonotic transmission to humans. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Each collaborating institute and team member has specific expertise and facilities in areas relevant to this research programme. Collaborators in different institutions have extensive experience collecting field samples and implementing vaccination and large scale surveillance programmes. Each partner institutions have unique experience in monitoring the endemic prevalence of many animal diseases including avian influenza in both domestic and wild birds from which UK is under constant threat. The partners are sharing knowledge, expertise and facilities to investigate fundamental biology of influenza viruses and predict their epidemiological relevance, to assess potential risks and to devise appropriate intervention strategies. The knowledge, reagents and field samples will be available through this partnership. which will be essential for development of informed control policies and tools(vaccines and diagnostics) that may contribute to reducing the ever increasing threat from endemic, emerging and re-emerging influenza virus variants posing risk to animals and humans. Also, All researchers involved will benefit through ongoing professional development and advanced training in new technologies and new systems-level approaches to disease management. Exchange visits of researchers from collaborating laboratories to undertake training in a number of disciplines including disease surveillance, molecular virology, epidemiology, immunology, vaccinology and diagnostics will have a tangible impact on capacity building and training of next generation researchers in control of infectious animal and zoonotic diseases. |
| Impact | The ultimate aims of this collaboration are to reduce the impact of influenza virus on poultry production and reduce their zoonotic transmission to humans. The collaboration will improve resources and capacity for disease control systems. Achieving these specific goals will prove a step-change in AIV disease management and increase in poultry productivity directly drives economic prosperity of farmers and allied communities. The will directly impact on socio-economic well-being of partner countries. |
| Start Year | 2017 |
| Description | Understanding diversity of avian influenza viruses and improvement disease control in poultry and humans |
| Organisation | Suez Canal University |
| Country | Egypt |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | This project helped my research group to establish research collboration between the Pirbright Institute and the scientists at the collaborating laboratories listed above and an excellent opportunity for building a joint "ONE HEALTH" platfor. I am sharing knowledge, reagents and techniques to improve efficacious vaccines and diagnostic tools against avian influenza viruses. The easy availability of better control tools against avian influenza viruses will aid in the reduction of poultry production losses and thus be important for global food security and improved animal welfare whilst also reducing zoonotic transmission to humans. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Each collaborating institute and team member has specific expertise and facilities in areas relevant to this research programme. Collaborators in different institutions have extensive experience collecting field samples and implementing vaccination and large scale surveillance programmes. Each partner institutions have unique experience in monitoring the endemic prevalence of many animal diseases including avian influenza in both domestic and wild birds from which UK is under constant threat. The partners are sharing knowledge, expertise and facilities to investigate fundamental biology of influenza viruses and predict their epidemiological relevance, to assess potential risks and to devise appropriate intervention strategies. The knowledge, reagents and field samples will be available through this partnership. which will be essential for development of informed control policies and tools(vaccines and diagnostics) that may contribute to reducing the ever increasing threat from endemic, emerging and re-emerging influenza virus variants posing risk to animals and humans. Also, All researchers involved will benefit through ongoing professional development and advanced training in new technologies and new systems-level approaches to disease management. Exchange visits of researchers from collaborating laboratories to undertake training in a number of disciplines including disease surveillance, molecular virology, epidemiology, immunology, vaccinology and diagnostics will have a tangible impact on capacity building and training of next generation researchers in control of infectious animal and zoonotic diseases. |
| Impact | The ultimate aims of this collaboration are to reduce the impact of influenza virus on poultry production and reduce their zoonotic transmission to humans. The collaboration will improve resources and capacity for disease control systems. Achieving these specific goals will prove a step-change in AIV disease management and increase in poultry productivity directly drives economic prosperity of farmers and allied communities. The will directly impact on socio-economic well-being of partner countries. |
| Start Year | 2017 |
| Description | Understanding diversity of avian influenza viruses and improvement disease control in poultry and humans |
| Organisation | University of Tokyo |
| Department | International Research Center for Infectious Diseases |
| Country | Japan |
| Sector | Hospitals |
| PI Contribution | This project helped my research group to establish research collboration between the Pirbright Institute and the scientists at the collaborating laboratories listed above and an excellent opportunity for building a joint "ONE HEALTH" platfor. I am sharing knowledge, reagents and techniques to improve efficacious vaccines and diagnostic tools against avian influenza viruses. The easy availability of better control tools against avian influenza viruses will aid in the reduction of poultry production losses and thus be important for global food security and improved animal welfare whilst also reducing zoonotic transmission to humans. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Each collaborating institute and team member has specific expertise and facilities in areas relevant to this research programme. Collaborators in different institutions have extensive experience collecting field samples and implementing vaccination and large scale surveillance programmes. Each partner institutions have unique experience in monitoring the endemic prevalence of many animal diseases including avian influenza in both domestic and wild birds from which UK is under constant threat. The partners are sharing knowledge, expertise and facilities to investigate fundamental biology of influenza viruses and predict their epidemiological relevance, to assess potential risks and to devise appropriate intervention strategies. The knowledge, reagents and field samples will be available through this partnership. which will be essential for development of informed control policies and tools(vaccines and diagnostics) that may contribute to reducing the ever increasing threat from endemic, emerging and re-emerging influenza virus variants posing risk to animals and humans. Also, All researchers involved will benefit through ongoing professional development and advanced training in new technologies and new systems-level approaches to disease management. Exchange visits of researchers from collaborating laboratories to undertake training in a number of disciplines including disease surveillance, molecular virology, epidemiology, immunology, vaccinology and diagnostics will have a tangible impact on capacity building and training of next generation researchers in control of infectious animal and zoonotic diseases. |
| Impact | The ultimate aims of this collaboration are to reduce the impact of influenza virus on poultry production and reduce their zoonotic transmission to humans. The collaboration will improve resources and capacity for disease control systems. Achieving these specific goals will prove a step-change in AIV disease management and increase in poultry productivity directly drives economic prosperity of farmers and allied communities. The will directly impact on socio-economic well-being of partner countries. |
| Start Year | 2017 |
| Description | Understanding diversity of avian influenza viruses and improvement disease control in poultry and humans |
| Organisation | Zagazig University |
| Country | Egypt |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | This project helped my research group to establish research collboration between the Pirbright Institute and the scientists at the collaborating laboratories listed above and an excellent opportunity for building a joint "ONE HEALTH" platfor. I am sharing knowledge, reagents and techniques to improve efficacious vaccines and diagnostic tools against avian influenza viruses. The easy availability of better control tools against avian influenza viruses will aid in the reduction of poultry production losses and thus be important for global food security and improved animal welfare whilst also reducing zoonotic transmission to humans. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Each collaborating institute and team member has specific expertise and facilities in areas relevant to this research programme. Collaborators in different institutions have extensive experience collecting field samples and implementing vaccination and large scale surveillance programmes. Each partner institutions have unique experience in monitoring the endemic prevalence of many animal diseases including avian influenza in both domestic and wild birds from which UK is under constant threat. The partners are sharing knowledge, expertise and facilities to investigate fundamental biology of influenza viruses and predict their epidemiological relevance, to assess potential risks and to devise appropriate intervention strategies. The knowledge, reagents and field samples will be available through this partnership. which will be essential for development of informed control policies and tools(vaccines and diagnostics) that may contribute to reducing the ever increasing threat from endemic, emerging and re-emerging influenza virus variants posing risk to animals and humans. Also, All researchers involved will benefit through ongoing professional development and advanced training in new technologies and new systems-level approaches to disease management. Exchange visits of researchers from collaborating laboratories to undertake training in a number of disciplines including disease surveillance, molecular virology, epidemiology, immunology, vaccinology and diagnostics will have a tangible impact on capacity building and training of next generation researchers in control of infectious animal and zoonotic diseases. |
| Impact | The ultimate aims of this collaboration are to reduce the impact of influenza virus on poultry production and reduce their zoonotic transmission to humans. The collaboration will improve resources and capacity for disease control systems. Achieving these specific goals will prove a step-change in AIV disease management and increase in poultry productivity directly drives economic prosperity of farmers and allied communities. The will directly impact on socio-economic well-being of partner countries. |
| Start Year | 2017 |
| Description | "Challenges for Poultry Industry". Organised by Fakieh Poultry at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, 2nd -3rd December 2018, |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Conference discussed prevention and control of infectious diseases affecting poultry production. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | "Interactive session with poultry stakeholders". Title: Overview of Avian Influenza group Research at The Pirbright Institute. Presented at University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS) Lahore, Pakistan, 3rd August 2018. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | The workshop discussed the economic impacts and prevention strategies against avian influenza viruses affecting poultry production and zoonotic infections. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | 2. Overview of Avian Influenza group Research at The Pirbright Institute. Presented at "Interactive session with poultry stakeholders" at University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS) Lahore, Pakistan, 3rd August 2018. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Dissemination of research Project outcomes These include presenting research data for vaccine seed strains with emergent field avian influenza variants; The zoonotic risk posed by emerging avian influenza viruses circulating in the wild birds and poultry. Impact of virus evolution on vaccine efficacy and persistence in poultry. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | Avian Influenza H9N2 and H7N9 evolution, fitness in poultry and zoonotic potential presented by Munir Iqbal at UC DAVIS EDUCATION CONFERENCE ON ONE HEALTH FOR FOOD SAFETY, AGRICULTURE, AND ANIMAL HEALTH |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | The research was discussed with academic and non-academic participants the risks of avian influenza viruses currently circulating in poultry and carry potential to cause zoonotic infections. Since avian influenzas viruses (AIVs) exist in many subtypes and co-infection of two or more different AIV subtypes in an individual bird can lead to the generation of novel reassortant viruses. The emergent reassortant viruses may carry differential phenotypic characteristics (virulence, host-transmission and host-range) compared to their parental viruses. Our studies revealed that experimental co-infection of chickens with two different subtypes of avian influenza viruses (H9N2 and H7N9) led to the emergence of novel reassortant H9N9 viruses which carry greater virulence for poultry and an increased zoonotic and pandemic potential. Our results also provided evidence that both H9N2 and H7N9 viruses can rapidly acquire antigenic changes in vaccinated birds causing vaccine failure and cocirculation of these viruses can also rapidly lead to rapid generation of novel reassortment viruses with increased virulence and host-range posing threat to both animals and humans. This presentation increased awareness among the audience risk posed by co-circulation of different subtypes of avian influenza viruses in poultry and wild birds and how best we can detect emerging threats and develop the disease risks and disease mitigation strategies. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://www.wifss.ucdavis.edu/onehealthsummer21/ |
| Description | Avian Influenza Research at Pirbright |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Presented a talk as an invited speaker to the Animal Diseases Surveillance and Control Team at The Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), London, UK sharing the research goals and achievements performed at the Pirbright Institute. The topics focused on (i) understanding the genetic and antigenic evolution of avian influenza viruses, (ii) drivers of zoonotic potential, (iii) improvement of poultry vaccine potency, (iv) investigating molecular markers of antigenic variants, (v) improving avian influenza detection and diagnostic approaches, e.g. lateral flow devices and (vi) development of novel vaccine candidates to improve protective efficacy including vector- and multivalent-based vaccines and targeted delivery of antigens. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Avian Influenza Vaccines Research at Pirbright |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Delivered a presentation to key research grant funders and stakeholders in the UK, including BBSRC and DEFRA, associated with animal welfare, disease control, and the research goals and achievements performed at the Pirbright Institute. The topics focused on (i) understanding the genetic and antigenic evolution of avian influenza viruses, (ii) drivers of zoonotic potential, (iii) improvement of poultry vaccine potency, (iv) investigating molecular markers of antigenic variants, (v) improving avian influenza detection and diagnostic approaches, e.g. lateral flow devices and (vi) development of novel vaccine candidates to improve protective efficacy including vector- and multivalent-based vaccines and targeted delivery of antigens. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Avian Influenza: Global Situation & Control Strategies |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Presented a talk as an invited speaker at the International Symposium on Poultry Health Challenges in Pakistan. Organized by the World Veterinary Poultry Association (WVPA-Pakistan Branch) at Serena Hotel Faisalabad, Pakistan. Poultry production continues to face several challenges caused by avian influenza, including: (1) virus evolution & antigenic diversity, (2) emergence of new virus variants, (3) co-circulation of multiple variants of same pathogen, (4) mixed infection of different viruses (immunosuppression), (5) maternally derived antibody interference, and (6) poor quality vaccines and sub-optimal vaccination practices. From these challenges, the topic of discussion and research drives optimal vaccination strategies to improve: (1) potency: a single dose to induce faster, stronger and durable immunity against multiple pathogens, (2) effectiveness: protect from clinical disease, reduced shedding and transmission, (3) affordability: cheap to produce and easy to deliver, (4) safety: no adverse impact to host or environment, (5) stability: retain efficacy for at least 1 year at indicated temperature, (6) DIVA: to allow differentiation between infected and vaccinated animals. Implementing new emerging vaccine approaches can: (1) enhance the efficacy, duration, and breadth of immunity, (2) reduce production losses, (3) improve cost-effectiveness, (4) improve productivity and economy, (5) improve animal welfare, and (6) reduce prevalence of viruses and protect public health (reduced virus prevalence = reduced zoonosis). |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Avian influenza viruses can combine two techniques to evade vaccine immunity |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | A study by researchers at The Pirbright Institute reveals more clues about how avian influenza viruses can evade vaccine immunity, aiding their spread in the field. The findings are published in Emerging Microbes and Infections. Influenza viruses are able to mutate, which can enable them to evade immunity generated by natural infection or vaccination. Influenza viruses have four main ways of duping the immune system so that they can continue to infect and spread between birds. Pirbright scientists investigated two of these to further understand how the H9N2 avian influenza virus can change its genetic makeup to overcome poultry vaccines. One of the methods the virus can use is to alter one of its surface proteins, haemagglutinin (HA), which enables the virus to enter the cell and replicate. HA is also a common target for the immune system's antibodies, which block the virus from binding to cell receptors. By changing just one or two protein components, HA can latch on far more tightly to the cell, preventing antibodies from stopping the virus. However, this can come at a cost, as particularly strong binding can prevent effective replication. The other method scientists investigated is how H9N2 viruses disguise themselves by adding sugar chains to the surface of their HA proteins. This can block antibodies from binding, but also has varying fitness outcomes for the influenza virus. The researchers found that the location of the sugar chain on HA could determine how effectively the virus replicated. They also demonstrated that the two evasive techniques could either compliment or act against each other - if an influenza virus had gained mutations that enable it to bind more strongly to cells, a sugar chain in the right position could restore its ability to replicate effectively. In contrast, weakly binding influenza viruses do not benefit from HA sugar additions, which instead reduce the virus's ability to replicate. Professor Munir Iqbal, head of the Avian Influenza Group at Pirbright said, "We can use this knowledge to develop new vaccines that will help antibodies to recognise how the flu virus can change. This will provide protection to birds even as the virus evolves. We can also use this information to understand how viruses survive in poultry despite vaccination and monitor new adaptions that may appear in the field." This research was funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and the British Council with support from the Newton Fund. Article: Sealy, J. E., Peacock, T. P., Sadeyen, J. R., Chang, P., Everest, H. J., Bhat, S., Iqbal, M. (2020). Adsorptive mutation and N-linked glycosylation modulate influenza virus antigenicity and fitness. Emerging Microbes & Infections, advance online publication, 12 November 2020, doi: 10.1080/22221751.2020.1850180 [SOURCE: The Pirbright Institute] |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| URL | https://www.star-idaz.net/2020/12/avian-influenza-viruses-can-combine-two-techniques-to-evade-vaccin... |
| Description | Avian influenza viruses in Bangladesh, Vietnam, and Sri Lanka: investigating genotype to phenotype (antigenicity, virulence, host-range). Webinar on 28th March 2021. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Presented talk by Munir iqbal describing ongoing research outcomes. We identified genetic determined that modules avian influenza H5 and H9 antigenicity virulence and transmission fitness in different host species. The role of identified markers that change the virus binding to host cells and impact on virus-host interaction leading to mild or severe disease manifestation in chickens and mammalian species (humans). |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Avian influenza: tackling large numbers of outbreaks this winter in the UK |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Nearly two years on, the COVID-19 pandemic is still dominating the news and continues to cause concern for populations across the globe. However, UK poultry and wild bird populations are currently facing their own health threat. We are not the only ones that have faced lockdowns because of spreading viruses, UK poultry and captive birds have also faced a similar situation to protect them from avian influenza. Scientists at The Pirbright Institute are working to increase understanding of how genetic changes in influenza A viruses can impact disease spread, host responses to infection and the pathology associated with the disease. What is the avian influenza virus? Avian influenza viruses are Influenza A viruses that circulate and transmit amongst birds. The disease is what we commonly know as 'bird flu'. Influenza A viruses can infect a range of hosts, including humans and two subtypes H1N1 and H3N2 circulate as seasonal flu each winter in the UK. Avian influenza viruses are different to those that can infect humans in that they cannot easily infect humans and must change and adapt to do so. Aquatic birds are a natural reservoir for avian influenza viruses, these birds typically experience fewer clinical symptoms but can spread disease to domestic birds, particularly in the migratory season, between October and March. Avian influenza viruses are categorised as either highly pathogenic (HPAI) or low pathogenic (LPAI) and this categorisation is linked to the severity of disease in chickens. HPAI has a high mortality rate which can be up to 100%, other symptoms can include swelling of the head, death of cells in the comb and wattle, red discolouration of legs and feet and diarrhoea. HPAI causes disease in more organs than just those in the respiratory or gastrointestinal tracts like LPAI, which mostly presents as respiratory symptoms such as a snick (like a sneeze), a rattle in the chest (known as rales) and discharge from the eyes and nose. What is causing bird flu outbreaks in domestic birds now? We are currently in the normal migratory season of wild birds. In the spring and summer months, these birds spend their time breeding and raising their young in North-eastern Asia where they mix with other bird species which enables virus transmission and mutation. Then, when they migrate for the autumn and winter months, they shed virus in their faeces along the way. One of the migratory paths is across Northern Europe and this includes the UK. This year, in the UK, the first avian influenza outbreak was on 15 October and was discovered in captive aquatic birds. To date (17 December 2021) there have been 50 outbreaks in England, 1 in Wales and 2 in Scotland, this has resulted in over half a million birds being destroyed to control the spread of disease. Are there more outbreaks this year compared to other years? The number of outbreaks this year has been the most extensive ever. There have been over 50 outbreaks in the UK, compared to 26 outbreaks last year. Although it is hard to pin down the reason for this high number, we know it is not linked to the COVID-19 pandemic. The UK's response to the spread of avian influenza has been rapid, and from 29 November birds were required to be housed inside with additional biosecurity measures put in place such as foot dips and disinfecting clothing. Testing and surveillance of wild birds have shown that there is a high prevalence of the virus in these birds currently, and this is contributing to the spread of disease to farm and domestic bird populations. A more detailed look at the genetic make-up of these viruses shows that they are different to those from previous years. This is predicted to be as a result of the virus infecting multiple birds across a range of species, and this provides the perfect opportunity for the virus to evolve. Analysis of these genetic changes does not raise any alarm bells for increased transmission to humans, but they are likely impacting the spread and severity of disease in birds. What should we do if we find a dead bird or are concerned about bird health? If the public finds dead waterfowl birds they are encouraged not to touch them but to report them to Defra using the appropriate phone number that can be found on the website, also any other wild birds found dead in numbers of five or greater should be reported. What is Pirbright doing to tackle this virus? Researchers at Pirbright are attempting to enhance the control and detection of avian influenza in poultry populations as well as extend our basic knowledge about the virus in avian and mammalian hosts. The research groups led by Professor Munir Iqbal and Dr Holy Shelton are investigating how avian influenza virus strains originated from wild birds can rapidly adapt to cause disease outbreaks in poultry and gain the potential to infect humans. In addition, Professor Munir Iqbal is developing improved poultry vaccines that prevent virus replication and spread. These vaccines are particularly useful in countries where avian influenza is regularly found in the domestic poultry and the control and prevention of spread isn't easy, such as in the UK. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://www.pirbright.ac.uk/news/2021/12/avian-influenza-tackling-large-numbers-outbreaks-winter-uk |
| Description | BBSRC Partnering Seminar, University of Liverpool, Tamilnadu Veterinary and Animal Science University |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Talk presented entitled " Molecular determinants of antigenicity of H7 and H9 avian Influenza viruses". The research data shared with the colleagues working to reduce the impact of avian infectious diseases on poultry production. The discussion led to more collaboration and work together, acquiring reagents and protocols for further research and development activities. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Bird flu genetic make-up different from previous years |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Research outputs were mass comminated for the general public via a news story. Lockdowns due to spreading viruses are continuing to affect UK poultry and captive bird owners and scientists say the latest research into this year's avian influenzas shows a different genetic make-up. The number of outbreaks this year has been the most extensive ever across the UK with more than 50 cases, compared to just 26 last year. Testing and surveillance of wild birds have shown that there is a high prevalence of the virus currently in birds, and this is contributing to the spread of disease to farm and domestic bird populations. Dr Holly Shelton, head of Pirbright's Influenza Viruses group, is looking at understanding how genetic changes in influenza A viruses can impact disease spread, host responses to infection and the pathology associated with the disease. Shelton said avian influenza viruses are different to those that can infect humans in that they cannot easily infect and must change and adapt to do so. Aquatic birds are a natural reservoir for avian influenza viruses but typically experience fewer clinical symptoms despite spreading the disease to domestic birds in the migratory season between October and March. Bird migration Responding to questions on what was causing bird flu outbreaks in domestic birds, she said: "In the spring and summer months these birds spend their time breeding and raising their young in north-eastern Asia where they mix with other bird species. This enables virus transmission and mutation. Then, when they migrate for the autumn and winter months, they shed viruses in their faeces along the way. "One of the migratory paths is across northern Europe and this includes the UK. This year in the UK, avian influenza was first discovered on 15 October in captive aquatic birds. To date (17 December), there have been 50 outbreaks in England, 1 in Wales and 2 in Scotland. This has resulted in over half a million birds being destroyed to control the spread of the disease." Testing and surveillance Government testing and surveillance of wild birds have shown a high prevalence of the virus in these birds which was contributing to the spread of the disease to farm and other domestic bird populations. The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds said this week that avian influenza had already killed more than 850 barnacle geese at its Mersehead reserve near Dumfries. "We are probably approaching 4,000 - certainly over 3,000 - mostly barnacle geese. It is pretty large scale and likely to get worse. It is unprecedented. I have worked in the area for 25 years and I don't ever remember us seeing this many birds dying," said the charity's area manager, Andrew Bielinski. "A more detailed look at the genetic make-up of these viruses shows that they are different to those from previous years. This is predicted to be a result of the virus infecting multiple birds across a range of species, and this provides the perfect opportunity for the virus to evolve. "Analysis of these genetic changes does not raise any alarm bells for increased transmission to humans, but they likely impact the spread and severity of disease in birds." Enhancing control Research at Pirbright is looking at enhancing control and detection of avian influenza as well as extending knowledge about the virus in avian and mammalian hosts. The Influenza Viruses group is involved in the assessment of which avian influenza virus strains can rapidly adapt to cause potential infections of humans. In addition, Shelton's group is mapping the changes in the chicken respiratory and gastrointestinal microbiome following virus infection and assessing whether the application of probiotics can be useful in controlling virus shedding or transmission in birds. The Influenza Group, led by Professor Munir Iqbal, is developing improved poultry vaccines that can prevent virus replication and spread. These vaccines are particularly useful in countries where avian influenza is regularly found in the domestic poultry and the control of prevention of spread isn't easy, such as the UK. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://www.poultryworld.net/health-nutrition/bird-flu-genetic-make-up-different-from-previous-years... |
| Description | Bird flu: What is it and what's behind the outbreak? ( BBC New) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Discussion with BBC News Editors (Helen Briggs & Jeremy Howell). As the The world is going through its worst-ever outbreak of bird flu which led the deaths of hundreds of thousands of wild birds and millions of domestic ones. It is also being found in mammals, so what are the threats from this virus to economy, food security, animal welfare and public health. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-63464065 |
| Description | Combating avian influenza through systematic analysis of antigenic drift, genetic variation, and development of novel diagnostic tools and vaccines. Presented at as PI of the ZELS project at ZELS grant holders and Stakeholders meeting in Hanoi, Vietnam 23th-24th January 2017. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Engagement and dissemination of research outcome to representatives of research funding bodies such as Department for International Development (DFID), Medical Research Council (MRC) and the researchers working on different research projects funded by BBSRC under Zoonoses and Emerging Livestock Systems (ZELS). |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | Could Bird Flu become a pandemic? (Aljazeera TV) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | The discussion ( Inside Story) has been impacts of high pathogenicity avian influenza on poultry and whether bird flu become a pandemic?. The inside story was presented by Al Jazeera English corresponded "Mohammed Jamjoom" the discussion focus remains as the world is experiencing its largest recorded outbreak of bird flu, populations of poultry and wild birds are becoming infected. So what are threats of these viruses on food supplies, economy and public health. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spp2Cg-jqoc |
| Description | Deimante Lukosaityte: Microbiology Society conference 2019. Poster presentation: Chicken protection against H9N2 virus by passive immunization |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Described techniques for development of next generation of vaccines against viral diseases affecting animals and humans. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Demonstrating Mathematics (Angita Shrestha) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Angita Shrestha (PhD student within Avian Influenza group) provided help in a Maths session to the new Oxford Doctoral Training Porgramme (DTP) cohort. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | Determinants of antigenicity of H9 Avian Influenza Viruses. UK-China Swine and Poultry Workshop.17-18 June 2019, The Pirbright Institute, UK. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | The talk and the discussion on the improvement of disease control systems (vaccines and diagnostics) to prevent avian influenza viruses infection in poultry and zoonotic infections in humans. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Developing Novel Multivalent Vaccines for Poultry Viral Diseases |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Munir Iqbal present talk Presented at the Oxford University Human and Veterinary Vaccinology Course on 30th October 2024, Pirbright, UK. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Emerging Threats: The Evolution and Persistence of Avian Influenza Viruses in Poultry |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Presented a talk as an Invited speaker at the 2023 International Symposium on Important Animal Diseases and Zoonoses of Yangzhou University, China. Poultry production continues to face several challenges caused by avian influenza, including: (1) virus evolution & antigenic diversity, (2) emergence of new virus variants, (3) co-circulation of multiple variants of same pathogen, (4) mixed infection of different viruses (immunosuppression), (5) maternally derived antibody interference, and (6) poor quality vaccines and sub-optimal vaccination practices. From these challenges, the topic of discussion and research drives optimal vaccination strategies to improve: (1) potency: a single dose to induce faster, stronger and durable immunity against multiple pathogens, (2) effectiveness: protect from clinical disease, reduced shedding and transmission, (3) affordability: cheap to produce and easy to deliver, (4) safety: no adverse impact to host or environment, (5) stability: retain efficacy for at least 1 year at indicated temperature, (6) DIVA: to allow differentiation between infected and vaccinated animals. Implementing new emerging vaccine approaches can: (1) enhance the efficacy, duration, and breadth of immunity, (2) reduce production losses, (3) improve cost-effectiveness, (4) improve productivity and economy, (5) improve animal welfare, and (6) reduce prevalence of viruses and protect public health (reduced virus prevalence = reduced zoonosis). |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Enhancing the Potency of Poultry Vaccines by Selectively Targeting Antigens to Chicken Antigen-Presenting Cells |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Presented a talk as an invited speaker at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich, Munich, Germany. Poultry production continues to face several challenges caused by avian influenza, including: (1) virus evolution & antigenic diversity, (2) emergence of new virus variants, (3) co-circulation of multiple variants of same pathogen, (4) mixed infection of different viruses (immunosuppression), (5) maternally derived antibody interference, and (6) poor quality vaccines and sub-optimal vaccination practices. Our research on our newly developed targeted-delivery vaccine platform addresses these challenges by improving: (1) potency: a single dose to induce faster, stronger and durable immunity against multiple pathogens, (2) effectiveness: protect from clinical disease, reduced shedding and transmission, (3) affordability: cheap to produce and easy to deliver, (4) safety: no adverse impact to host or environment, (5) stability: retain efficacy for at least 1 year at indicated temperature, and (6) overcome maternally derived antibodies. This platform therefore (1) enhances the efficacy, duration, and breadth of immunity, (2) reduces production losses, (3) improves cost-effectiveness, (4) improves productivity and economy, (5) improves animal welfare, and (6) reduces prevalence of viruses and protect public health (reduced virus prevalence = reduced zoonosis). Additionally, collaborations with industrial partners can integrate this research to adapt to new antigenic variants and/or hosts. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Enhancing the potency of poultry vaccines and overcoming maternally derived antibody interference |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Presented a talk as keynote speaker at the GARAD-2023 conference at Harbour Hotel Guildford, UK. Poultry production continues to face several challenges caused by avian influenza, including: (1) virus evolution & antigenic diversity, (2) emergence of new virus variants, (3) co-circulation of multiple variants of same pathogen, (4) mixed infection of different viruses (immunosuppression), (5) maternally derived antibody interference, and (6) poor quality vaccines and sub-optimal vaccination practices. Our research on our newly developed targeted-delivery vaccine platform addresses these challenges by improving: (1) potency: a single dose to induce faster, stronger and durable immunity against multiple pathogens, (2) effectiveness: protect from clinical disease, reduced shedding and transmission, (3) affordability: cheap to produce and easy to deliver, (4) safety: no adverse impact to host or environment, (5) stability: retain efficacy for at least 1 year at indicated temperature, and (6) overcome maternally derived antibodies. This ensures early vaccination is possible and this vaccine platform can aid control of avian influenza in early poultry populations. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Evolution of H9N2 avian influenza virus under immune pressure. Presented at 10th International Symposium on Avian Influenza, 15th - 18th April 2018, The Grand Hotel, Brighton, UK. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | The primary aim of the workshop was to forge long-term research partnerships between early-career researchers, livestock industry and national disease control authorities in the UK and the Philippines. In addition, the activity hopes provide information about the emerging and next generation diagnostic and vaccine strategies and their utilization to reduce the impact of viral diseases on livestock and poultry. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://www.slideshare.net/zerep_cire/2019-newton-agham-researcher-links-workshop-vaccines-and-diagn... |
| Description | Five decades of innovation in Biotech |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Presented a talk as an invited speaker at the Professor Tony Cass retirement event at the Royal Society of Chemistry, Burlington House, London. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Genetic engineering speeds up poultry vaccine development |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Researchers report the rapid generation of a bivalent vaccine against Marek's disease and avian influenza Scientists at The Pirbright Institute have used genetic engineering to develop a vaccine that protects birds against both Marek's disease and avian influenza. They say the process is faster and more efficient compared to previous methods, which will allow poultry vaccine producers to rapidly update vaccine strains in order to keep up with virus evolution. In a study published in the journal Vaccines, the team used the gene editing tool CRISPR/Cas9 to insert an avian influenza gene into the turkey herpesvirus (HVT) that is used in Marek's disease vaccines. The gene codes for haemagglutinin (HA), an influenza protein that is key for virus entry into host cells and is therefore an important target of the host immune response to block infection. "HVT is already widely used in vaccines against Marek's disease and can be administered to eggs, enabling automated delivery and providing birds with protection from the day they hatch. The additional HA gene we have incorporated will be expressed by HVT when it replicates in host cells, meaning that a single dose of vaccine induces immunity against both viruses", explained Professor Munir Iqbal, Head of the Avian Influenza group at Pirbright. "The genetic engineering process we have developed using CRISPR/Cas9 is far quicker and more efficient than previous technologies, as well as being very consistent and accurate. These attributes are essential for providing fast and reliable vaccine production to protect poultry", Prof Iqbal added. Mutations can occur with high frequency in HA proteins, enabling influenza viruses to evade immunity generated by vaccines. Using CRISPR/Cas9 to create new vaccines will help tackle evolving viruses by reducing the time it takes manufacturing companies to adapt their vaccine strains to match these mutations, allowing faster responses to outbreaks and providing better protection. Although this gene editing method is very reliable, a small number of HVT viruses fail to incorporate the HA gene into their own genome effectively. To ensure HA is being expressed in the vaccine, the team exploited the HA protein's ability to bind to molecules on the surface of red blood cells. Chicken cells infected with the successfully modified HVT virus express HA on their surface which red blood cells attach to, forming a clump that can be visualised using microscopy. This simple test improves the speed at which suitable vaccine candidates can be identified and has a much broader application as it can also be used for other viruses that incorporate proteins which interact with red blood cells. "Improving how we make vaccines is critical for preventing avian influenza outbreaks. Our work could help reduce the spread of disease between birds and reduce the risk of infection for people who work closely with poultry", Prof Iqbal said. "Now that we have developed a rapid method for generating this modified vaccine, our next steps will be to study the vaccine's effectiveness in field trials." |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| URL | https://www.cabi.org/vetmedresource/news/66612 |
| Description | Global epidemic trend of avian influenza virus and its harm to public health |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Talk as an invited speaker at The 2023 China-ASEAN Seminar on Prevention and Control of Cross-border Animal Diseases, Guangxi Veterinary Research Institute, Nanning, Guangxi, China. The persistence of avian influenza viruses in bird populations increases zoonotic and pandemic risks. Research focuses on reducing prevalence of viruses and protect public health (reduced virus prevalence = reduced zoonosis). To address this, topics discussed included research focuses in: (1) virus evolution & antigenic diversity, (2) emergence of new virus variants, (3) co-circulation of multiple variants of same pathogen, (4) mixed infection of different viruses (immunosuppression), (5) maternally derived antibody interference, and (6) poor quality vaccines and sub-optimal vaccination practices. From these challenges, the topic of discussion and research drives optimal vaccination strategies to improve: (1) potency: a single dose to induce faster, stronger and durable immunity against multiple pathogens, (2) effectiveness: protect from clinical disease, reduced shedding and transmission, (3) affordability: cheap to produce and easy to deliver, (4) safety: no adverse impact to host or environment, (5) stability: retain efficacy for at least 1 year at indicated temperature, (6) DIVA: to allow differentiation between infected and vaccinated animals. Implementing new emerging vaccine approaches can: (1) enhance the efficacy, duration, and breadth of immunity, (2) reduce production losses, (3) improve cost-effectiveness, (4) improve productivity and economy, (5) improve animal welfare, and (6) reduce prevalence of viruses and protect public health. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | H9N2 avian influenza viruses: impact of evolutionary changes on virus antigenicity, receptor binding and zoonotic potential. Presented at "Conference on Animal Infectious Diseases and Human Health" held at The Veterinary Biotechnology Branch of Chinese Association of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine & the Veterinary Immunology Branch of Chinese Society for Immunology. August 7th-10th, 2018 Harbin, China. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Focus of the conference was to improve control against infectious diseases affecting poultry and livestock. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | H9N2 avian influenza viruses: impact of evolutionary changes on virus antigenicity, receptor binding and zoonotic potential. Presented at "Conference on Animal Infectious Diseases and Human Health" held at The Veterinary Biotechnology Branch of Chinese Association of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine & the Veterinary Immunology Branch of Chinese Society for Immunology. August 7th-10th, 2018 Harbin, China. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Dissemination of research outcomes to prevent and control of infectious diseases of animals and humans. - Avian influenza virus evolution and efficacy. - |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | High pathogenicity avian Influenza (HPAI) H5 in Europe -Epidemiology and Surveillance. Presented via Webinar, organized by Boehringer Ingelheim, 3rd July 2020. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Talk entitled; High pathogenicity avian Influenza (HPAI) H5 in Europe -Epidemiology and Surveillance. talk was organized by Boehringer Ingelheim, 3rd July 2020 and presented via Webinar. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| Description | How virus tracking can help us prevent future pandemics |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | UAR interviewed Professor Munir Iqbal, head of the Avian Influenza group at The Pirbright Institute, https://www.pirbright.ac.uk/users/prof-munir-iqbal. The Pirbright Institute specialises in the research and diagnosis of livestock viral diseases and viruses that spread from animals to humans. The Institute is part of an international network that tracks viruses and formulates ways to control and prevent outbreaks, such as creating new vaccines and better diagnostics. While the Covid-19 pandemic grabs the headlines there are other, potentially more deadly viruses, spreading through the animal kingdom, which may have the capacity to infect humans. Perhaps the most well-known pandemic agent - before Covid-19 - was the flu virus. The 1918 influenza pandemic, caused by an H1N1 virus of avian origin, was the most severe pandemic in recent history, infecting one-third of the world's population and killing at least 50 million worldwide. These viruses evolve, so every year the world is at risk of a new strain of flu. One related virus that caused the 2009 swine flu pandemic killed over 200,000 people worldwide. Professor Munir Iqbal heads up the Avian Influenza Virus group at The Pirbright Institute. This group is imitating natural selection and evolution of influenza viruses in the lab. They hope to identify how viruses might change - potentially to be more dangerous. By identifying those changes they can make informed decisions about how to create vaccines against these potential new strains. A new strain, H7N9, emerged in China in February 2013, infecting both poultry and humans. Since then, there have been over 1500 confirmed human infections from this strain with an estimated 40% fatality rate. By 2017 the Chinese government had, very rapidly for a new vaccine, implemented a mass vaccination programme against H7N9 in poultry. This was accompanied by a striking reduction in human infection from this virus. At first this seemed to be good news, but it turns out that suboptimal vaccine practices were creating an evolutionary pressure for the virus to change - to escape the effects of vaccination. As the virus evolved it didn't infect human populations so well, but it became more aggressive in the poultry, even if they had been vaccinated. Iqbal explains, "At The Pirbright Institute, we study how these viruses evolve to persist in poultry and overcome vaccines, and how mutations impact virus virulence, transmission and, pathogenicity. Ultimately this will give us information on bird-to-human transmission and help develop diagnostic tools and vaccines to better fight the virus." Disease transmission has to be studied in chickens but disease virulence can be quantified using chicken eggs. 14 day-old fertilised eggs are infected with the virus which then replicate. The faster the virus replicates in the embryo, the more virulent the strain. "The quantity of virus being produced often equates to the aggressiveness of the disease. Very often viral infection depends on the amount of virus that you come in contact with. One particle might not infect animals or humans, but thousands could. In the same way, a smaller amount of virus might be needed to infect poultry compared to humans. We live alongside loads of virus without getting sick until we come across an amount large enough to cause an infection," explains Iqbal. By imitating the natural selection process in the lab, the researchers identified the specific mutation that allowed the Chinese H7N9 virus to escape vaccine-induced immunity. They were also able to predict the evolution of influenza viruses. Three mutations that were observed in the lab have since been found in the field in 2019. "These changes can have a huge impact in terms of virus transmission, virus virulence and virus transfusion across species from avian-to-human, avian-to-avian, or even to different mammalian species," adds Iqbal. Fortunately for us, these three mutations prevent H7N9 viruses from binding to human cells, but increase their binding, replication and stability in chicken cells and embryos. This means that the strains that had evolved around the vaccination posed a lower threat to humans, but an increased risk to poultry. Mass vaccination of poultry against H7N9 strains in China might have been beneficial to humans, driving virus evolution away from a human pandemic, but it also meant that the evolved viruses posed an even greater threat to poultry. However, this might not be the case for all strains warns Iqbal. Not all mutations that arise due to vaccine induced evolution, push viral strains away from human infection. In the future, other mutations may have human pandemic potential or be even more deadly to poultry. Influenza viruses are a particular risk, as they infect a huge range of animals and mutate rapidly, which gives them the capacity to jump species and evade the immune system. They are particularly a cause for concern, because they circulate in livestock such as pigs and poultry which regularly come into close contact with humans. Using a method that can predict how vaccination may change influenza virus characteristics is potentially valuable for making new vaccines against these fast evolving viruses. These predictions could also provide advanced warning of mutations that could increase likelihood of human infection. Looking out for these viral mutations in the global health surveillance programme can help in the monitoring for potential threats. This might allow us to get ahead of them, by developing and using new vaccines, before new viral variants have a chance to spread and spiral out of control in a new pandemic. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| URL | https://www.understandinganimalresearch.org.uk/news/research-medical-benefits/how-virus-tracking-can... |
| Description | Identification of antigenic epitopes to broaden and enhance the efficacy of avian influenza vaccines. Presented at 6th Animal Vaccines and immune Adjuvant Technologies Salon & Advanced seminar, Shandong-Binzhou Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine Academy, China, 18-20 October 2019. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | The talk and the discussion was the best practices to improve control systems (vaccines and diagnostics) for prevention of avian influenza viruses infection in poultry and zoonotic infections in humans. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Immuno-pathobiology of H9N2 avian influenza viruses: looking at how the viruses evolve and persist in poultry. Presented at "Techniques for Healthy Farming and Diseases Prevention & Control of Livestock and Poultry. Beijing, August 13th-15th, 2018. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Dissemination of research outputs. Improvement of vaccines and diagnostics. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | Improving the efficacy of poultry vaccines |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Presented a talk as an invited speaker at the International Conference: Current Trends, Prospects & Opportunities in Vaccine Research at the Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biology (CEMB), University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan. Poultry production continues to face several challenges caused by avian influenza, including: (1) virus evolution & antigenic diversity, (2) emergence of new virus variants, (3) co-circulation of multiple variants of same pathogen, (4) mixed infection of different viruses (immunosuppression), (5) maternally derived antibody interference, and (6) poor quality vaccines and sub-optimal vaccination practices. Our research on our newly developed targeted-delivery vaccine platform addresses these challenges by improving: (1) potency: a single dose to induce faster, stronger and durable immunity against multiple pathogens, (2) effectiveness: protect from clinical disease, reduced shedding and transmission, (3) affordability: cheap to produce and easy to deliver, (4) safety: no adverse impact to host or environment, (5) stability: retain efficacy for at least 1 year at indicated temperature, and (6) overcome maternally derived antibodies. This platform therefore (1) enhances the efficacy, duration, and breadth of immunity, (2) reduces production losses, (3) improves cost-effectiveness, (4) improves productivity and economy, (5) improves animal welfare, and (6) reduces prevalence of viruses and protect public health (reduced virus prevalence = reduced zoonosis). Additionally, collaborations with industrial partners can integrate this research to adapt to new antigenic variants and/or hosts. This ensures early vaccination is possible and this vaccine platform can aid control of avian influenza in early poultry populations. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Improving vaccines and diagnostics for Avian influenza viruses affecting poultry. Presented at the International Poultry Expo "Poultry Science Conference", Lahore, Pakistan, 13-15 September 2019. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | The talk and the discussion was the best practices to improve control systems (vaccines and diagnostics) for prevention of avian influenza viruses infection in poultry and zoonotic infections in humans. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Influenza update meeting (Pengxiang Chang) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | presented work entitled: Antigenic characterization of avian influenza H7N9 virus by in vitro immune escape mutant selection method. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | Innovate Guildford (Angita Shrestha): |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | GENERAL SCIENCE |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | International Conference |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Global Alliance for Research on Avian Diseases conference health in Hanoi 17-19 January 2018. Purpose of the conference was to establish global partnerships and links between academic researchers and the poultry industry to improve joined up work in regards to preventing, controlling and combating avian diseases. The conferences provided a forum for discussion and exchange of ideas around the single theme of exploiting available opportunities to deal with emerging and existing infectious avian diseases in poultry production systems and to safeguard food supplies and human health. Conference speakers discuused basic, applied and commercial aspects of research on avian diseases including: • Evolution and Epidemiology of Avian Pathogens • Host-Pathogen Interactions - Virulence and Pathogenicity • Pathogen Mechanisms of Immune Evasion • Next Generation Disease Control Strategies • Vaccines • Immunity • Diagnostics • Zoonoses and Socio-economic impacts of avian diseases • Global Research Opportunities and Threats |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| URL | http://www.theeventsportal.com/GARAD-2018/3/Home |
| Description | Investigating antigenic determinants inducing stronger and broader cross-protective immunity among H5 avian influenza viruses. Presented by Rebecca Daines |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | The global poultry industry is under immense strain to meet the demand for food for our ever-increasing population. This forces the need for larger poultry flocks, often with unsatisfactory disease control protocols, providing the perfect scenario for disease spread, in particular avian influenza virus (AIV). The epidemiology of AIV consistently evolves by mutation and re-assortment, encouraging the emergence of new subtypes with the ability to escape current vaccine-induced immune responses. These new subtypes can cause a significant threat to both animal and human health. The most recent report from the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) between 2013 and 2018 reported 68 countries and territories affected by highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in domestic birds with estimated losses of 122 million birds due to illness or cull. The current circulating subtypes to be of a global public health concern are the H5 and H7 AIV subtypes, having demonstrated the ability to develop zoonotic potential, often driven by the increasing human activities involved to meet resource demand. Current precautionary control methods predominantly focus on biosecurity and vaccination developed from local circulating strains. Vaccination utilises the strain specific structure of the viral surface proteins, haemagglutinin and neuraminidase, the target of the immune response and also the site of viral binding, to elicit the production of specific antibodies. However, due to constant mutation and reassortment, new strains emerge which are no longer fully-neutralised by the antibodies induced from vaccination as the structure of the antigenic sites of surface proteins are no longer complimentary. The acquired evolutionary mutations can also contribute in enhancing viral fitness, transmissibility and/or host range. We are investigating the antigenic determinants of the H5 subtypes of AIV to allow a deeper understanding of the pattern of mutations and consequential fitness costs of the viruses which escape from vaccine-induced antibody immune pressure. From the results of this analysis, a recombinant AIV with the haemagglutinin of known sequence can induce an immune response that provides a broader cross-protective immunity to different antigenic divergent strains/clades of H5 AIV. A broader cross-reactive vaccine will impact the poultry industry socio-economically in respect of potentially preventing morbidity and/or mortality of domestic poultry from the H5 AIV infection, The ultimate aim of our research is for the findings to be put forward as a potential global vaccine candidate and evaluated for its efficacy. To facilitate a wider dissemination and awareness of this project, the findings will be published in relevant veterinary journals and where possible, higher impact journals. Utilising our collaborators in the UK, Pakistan, Vietnam, Egypt and Bangladesh, stakeholders and global corporations such as OIE, World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the improved vaccine would be integrated into endemic countries, primarily targeting those already using vaccination as a method of AIV control in poultry. If the vaccine is successfully integrated into the AIV policy for global control, it will reduce the virus prevalence in the environment, the emergence of antigenically distinct strains, thus minimising the risk of zoonotic transmission and emergence of novel AIV strains with pandemic potential. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| Description | Latest Pirbright collaboration uncovers genetic markers that could guide avian influenza surveillance |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Research outputs were mass comminated for the general public via a news story. This was published online at the Pirbright Institute webpage and One Health Poultry Health webpage and distributed wildly on social media including Facebook, Twitter, In Share. Researchers at The Pirbright Institute have identified the genetic markers on avian influenza ('bird flu') viruses that could help the viruses to jump the species barrier and cause disease in people, in collaboration with other members of the One Health Poultry Hub. Co-investigators Professor Munir Iqbal and Dr Joshua Sealy worked with scientists at Imperial College London, the University of Glasgow and The Francis Crick Institute, to show how the genetic traits of avian influenza H9N2 viruses influence their preference for infecting bird or human cells. The paper detailing their findings, 'Genetic determinants of receptor-binding preference and zoonotic potential of H9N2 avian influenza viruses' is published in the Journal of Virology. The research identifies genetic traits that alter a key H9N2 viral protein, called haemagglutinin, that makes it easier for the virus to recognise and bind to different cell receptors. This is the first step of viral infection, and the general inability of avian influenza viruses to effectively bind to human receptors is a major reason why they do not, in general, jump the species barrier to people. However, given that human infections with H9N2 have been detected on an almost monthly basis since 2015, there may be a capacity for these viruses to evolve and gain the ability to efficiently target cellular receptors in people. This latest discovery reveals which haemagglutinin properties of existing H9N2 strains allow them to bind to human receptors more effectively. These included small genetic differences as well as the overall structure and charge of the haemagglutinin protein. These findings will help guide future avian influenza surveillance by providing the genetic markers that signify the emergence of viruses with the potential to transmit to people. There have been more than 60 cases recorded of people infected with H9N2 influenza viruses to date in 2020, all in countries where the virus is endemic. However, these viruses have not adapted to spread efficiently from person to person, a key element of a virus that has the potential to cause a pandemic. Professor Iqbal and his team at Pirbright have previously described H9N2 viruses which showed a preference for human-like receptors. Professor Iqbal said: "Understanding more about which traits increase the likelihood of H9N2 viruses jumping into humans help to identify viruses that could pose a future threat. Keeping an eye on viruses with these traits can help us to be prepared in the event that one of them evolves to pass between people rather than only from birds to humans." This research was funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) the Medical Research Council (MRC) both part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://www.pirbright.ac.uk/news/2021/01/latest-pirbright-collaboration-uncovers-genetic-markers-cou... |
| Description | Lorin Adams (Gordon's School Careers Fair) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | Describe the research that lead to improve control systems against infectious viral diseases of animals and from animals to humans. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Mapping antigenic determinants of H9N2 avian influenza viruses and improving vaccines and diagnostics" presented at Foreign Talent Lecture: New strategies and new techniques for the prevention and control of major avian diseases. Shandong Binzhou Animal Science & Veterinary Medicine Academy, Binzhou, China. 6th August 2018. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | The focus of the meeting was to improve the control systems against poultry diseases including development of improved vaccines and diagnostics |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | Molecular Determinants for Antigenicity and Vaccine Efficacy of H9 and H7 Avian Influenza Viruses. Newton Agham Researcher Links Workshop: Novel vaccines and diagnostics technologies against Emerging and re-emerging veterinary Pathogens. 4-7 February 2019 at Rizal Pak Hotel, Manila, Philippines. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | The talk and the discussion on the improvement of disease control systems (vaccines and diagnostics) to prevent avian influenza viruses infection in poultry and zoonotic infections in humans. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Molecular determinants modulating avian influenza H7N9 virus antigenicity. Presented at The Microbiology Society Annual Conference 2019, 8-11 April ICC Belfast, UK. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | The talk and the discussion on the improvement of disease control systems (vaccines and diagnostics) to prevent avian influenza viruses infection in poultry and zoonotic infections in humans. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Molecular determinants of antigenicity of H7 and H9 avian Influenza viruses. Presented as invited speaker at BBSRC UK-India Partnering Award seminar: University of Liverpool. 2 May 2019. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | The talk and the discussion on the improvement of disease control systems (vaccines and diagnostics) to prevent avian influenza viruses infection in poultry and zoonotic infections in humans. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Multiple talks at XXIInd World Veterinary Poultry Association Congress - WVPAC 2023, Verona, Italy |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | three independent talks titled: (1) Selectively targeting antigens to chicken immune cells induces faster and very strong immunity in chicks with high levels of maternally derived antibodies, (2) The impact of avian influenza vaccination on zoonotic infections: lessons learned from the H7N9 avian influenza control, (3) Investigating molecular markers influences the haemagglutination activity of the H9N2 avian influenza viruses. Poultry production continues to face several challenges caused by avian influenza, including: (1) virus evolution & antigenic diversity, (2) emergence of new virus variants, (3) co-circulation of multiple variants of same pathogen, (4) mixed infection of different viruses (immunosuppression), (5) maternally derived antibody interference, and (6) poor quality vaccines and sub-optimal vaccination practices. From these challenges, the topic of discussion and research drives optimal vaccination strategies to improve: (1) potency: a single dose to induce faster, stronger and durable immunity against multiple pathogens, (2) effective: protect from clinical disease, reduced shedding and transmission, (3) affordability: cheap to produce and easy to deliver, (4) safety: no adverse impact to host or environment, (5) stability: retain efficacy for at least 1 year at indicated temperature, (6) DIVA: to allow differentiation between infected and vaccinated animals. Implementing new emerging vaccine approaches can: (1) enhance the efficacy, duration, and breadth of immunity, (2) reduce production losses, (3) improve cost-effectiveness, (4) improve productivity and economy, (5) improve animal welfare, and (6) reduce prevalence of viruses and protect public health (reduced virus prevalence = reduced zoonosis). |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Munir Iqbal: Cheltenham Science Festival |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Describe the research that lead to improve control systems against infectious viral diseases of animals and from animals to humans. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | New rapid protection bird flu vaccine |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Article published in the magazine "Poultry World) by Freelance journalist Natalie Berkhout describing the development of a new methods have been developed to enhance the immune response that vaccines produce and reduce the amount of virus that birds shed into the environment. One technique involves tagging flu virus proteins with a marker that makes them easier for antigen-presenting cells (APCs) to capture. These immune cells can efficiently process the tagged proteins, resulting in a robust and long-lasting antiviral response in chickens. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://www.poultryworld.net/health-nutrition/health/new-rapid-protection-bird-flu-vaccine/ |
| Description | Newton Agham Researcher Links Workshop on "Novel Vaccines and Diagnostic Technologies Against Emerging and Re-emerging Veterinary Pathogens, Rizal Park Hotel, Manila, Philippines 4-7 February 2019 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | The primary aim of this workshop was to forge long-term research partnerships between early-career researchers, livestock industry and national disease control authorities in the UK and the Philippines. The workshop provided information on emerging and next generation diagnostic and vaccine strategies and their utilization to reduce the impact of viral diseases on livestock and poultry. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://www.slideshare.net/zerep_cire/2019-newton-agham-researcher-links-workshop-vaccines-and-diagn... |
| Description | One Health: Zoonosis and Their Control Through the Use of Vaccines |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Presented a talk as an invited speaker at the conference entitled "National Dialogue on Agricultural Research" at the National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC), Islamabad, Pakistan. The persistence of avian influenza viruses in bird populations increases zoonotic and pandemic risks. Research focuses on reducing prevalence of viruses and protect public health (reduced virus prevalence = reduced zoonosis). To address this, topics discussed included research focuses in: (1) virus evolution & antigenic diversity, (2) emergence of new virus variants, (3) co-circulation of multiple variants of same pathogen, (4) mixed infection of different viruses (immunosuppression), (5) maternally derived antibody interference, and (6) poor quality vaccines and sub-optimal vaccination practices. From these challenges, the topic of discussion and research drives optimal vaccination strategies to improve: (1) potency: a single dose to induce faster, stronger and durable immunity against multiple pathogens, (2) effectiveness: protect from clinical disease, reduced shedding and transmission, (3) affordability: cheap to produce and easy to deliver, (4) safety: no adverse impact to host or environment, (5) stability: retain efficacy for at least 1 year at indicated temperature, (6) DIVA: to allow differentiation between infected and vaccinated animals. Implementing new emerging vaccine approaches can: (1) enhance the efficacy, duration, and breadth of immunity, (2) reduce production losses, (3) improve cost-effectiveness, (4) improve productivity and economy, (5) improve animal welfare, and (6) reduce prevalence of viruses and protect public health. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Pengxiang Chang: Talk presentation:The application of CRISPR/Cas9 system in the generation of viral vectored avian influenza vaccines at Microbiology Society conference, UK. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | The talk and the discussion on the improvement of vaccines to prevent avian influenza viruses infection in poultry and zoonotic infections in humans. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://microbiologysociety.org/event/annual-conference/annual-conference.html |
| Description | Pengxiang Chang:Influenza update meeting. The application of CRISPR/Cas9 in the development of vaccines against avian influenza virus |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Described techniques to improve and produce new effective vaccines against viral diseases of animals and humans. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Pirbright Institute research teams studying characteristics of influenza virus that may alter disease outcomes in poultry. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Avian influenza, commonly known as "bird flu," is a disease caused by multiple strains of influenza virus. The viruses can infect a wide range of animals, including people and pigs, but the natural reservoir lies in populations of wild aquatic birds such as ducks and gulls, according to an announcement from The Pirbright Institute in the U.K., which is conducting research to better understand avian influenza viruses to help prevent the disease in poultry. Flu virus strains are categorized by the combination of the two proteins found on the outside of the virus: hemagglutinin (H) and neuraminidase (N) -- for example, H5N6 or H9N2. The H protein binds to cell receptors in order to initiate infection, while the N protein helps release new viruses from an infected cell, the institute explained. Strains are also classified by severity. Low-pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) viruses cause clinical signs such as mild breathing problems, decreased egg production and growth. Some birds, particularly ducks and geese, do not display any signs of LPAI infection and are still able to spread the disease, Pirbright said. When LPAI viruses circulate in high-density poultry areas, the viruses can mutate into highly pathogenic strains. Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) viruses have severe and often fatal effects on some species of birds such as chickens, Pirbright noted, but some HPAI strains cause mild or no clinical signs of disease in wild birds and domestic waterfowl. These strains are notifiable, meaning government control measures must be put in place. Avian influenza can be carried vast distances by wild migratory birds and can infect domesticated poultry through direct contact or through contaminated droppings and bodily fluids, Pirbright said. Because of this, there is a year-round risk of avian influenza, which can increase depending on the disease status in a region and the migration season of wild aquatic birds. According to Pirbright, good biosecurity is essential in preventing poultry from being exposed to the disease and can be practiced on a commercial farm, with game birds or even with just a few backyard hens. Why is influenza so difficult to prevent? The institute explained that influenza viruses are constantly changing, and when they replicate, small errors called mutations are copied into their genome. Some of these will alter the virus's proteins, allowing the virus to escape detection by the immune system. All flu viruses also have the potential to undergo a process called reassortment, where two or more strains of influenza infect the same animal, allowing them to swap parts of their genome, Pirbright said. The resulting viruses can potentially have different characteristics than the original strains, such as the ability to replicate in different species, including people, the institute added. Avian influenza viruses such as H5N1 or H7N9 have infected people, predominantly in Southeast Asia, but in these cases, the virus has been transmitted directly from infected birds to people, with no onward spread. There is some evidence that avian influenza can be passed from person to person, and while there are no records of efficient or sustained human transmission, there is a constant risk that one of the new strains may spread easily among people, which could result in a new influenza virus pandemic, Pirbright said. Changes in the virus genetics from mutation or reassortment make it very difficult to anticipate how influenza viruses will spread through a population and whether current vaccines will be suitable for the strains that are circulating, Pirbright announced. The influenza research programs at Pirbright are progressing understanding of the virus and finding better ways to prevent its spread. Pirbright Institute group leaders Dr. Holly Shelton and professor Munir Iqbal are researching how the characteristics of influenza viruses can change the outcomes of disease. Studying flu at the molecular level allows them to find out how the virus evolves to overcome avian immunity and how changes in their genome can alter disease severity and their ability to affect different species, the announcement said. Shelton's and Iqbal's teams are working on identifying genetic markers for specific disease traits that can be used in surveillance systems to provide forewarning of strains that could cause pandemics. For example, Shelton's Influenza Viruses group is looking at which characteristics allow the viruses to become resistant to antiviral drugs that are currently used to treat human infections of influenza, allowing surveillance to provide an early warning of viruses that could cross into humans and be difficult to control, Pirbright said. The team is also investigating how long it takes for avian influenza viruses to adapt to new mammalian species. According to the institute, establishing which strains can rapidly adapt and identifying the genetic changes made to enable infection of mammalian cells will help with surveillance efforts and potentially lead to the development of techniques that will help prevent these mutations occurring. Vaccination and rapid diagnosis are very important for influenza prevention and control, but it is still not currently possible to protect against all influenza strains, Pirbright said, noting that Iqbal's Avian Influenza group is exploring which sites on the virus trigger the chicken immune system to respond quickly and fight off infection. This will better inform scientists' ability to match vaccines to strains in the field and could help to develop vaccines that are more effective. Iqbal's group is also developing multivalent vaccines that protect chickens and ducks from several avian influenza subtypes at once as well as test kits for rapid diagnosis of different subtypes at the flock-side, the announcement said. Visit Pirbright's Influenza Viruses and the Avian Influenza group pages to find out more about their research. Source: The Pirbright Institute, which is solely responsible for the information provided and is wholly owned by the source. Informa Business Media and all its subsidiaries are not responsible for any of the content contained in this information asset. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://www.feedstuffs.com/nutrition-health/protecting-poultry-avian-influenza |
| Description | Poultry Stakeholders meeting hosted by Al Dousari Veterinary Services and Agriculture Co (Qatar ) in Qatar, 15 October 2019 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | The focus of talk was best practices for prevention and control of Avian influenza disease outbreaks in poultry Vaccines and diagnostics for the control of avian influenza in poultry |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Poultry Stakeholders meeting hosted by Almarai, 15 October 2019 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Engagement with Almarai Poultry. The focus of the meeting with Almarai Poultry disease control team was to share knowledge on improved vaccination and diagnostic techniques against avian influenza viruses affecting poultry production. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Poultry Stakeholders meeting in Kuwait city 16 October 2019 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Prevention and control of avian influenza outbreaks in poultry. Described new vaccination and diagnostic technologies that provide more robust cross-protective immunity in emerging antigenic divergent strains of avian influenza viruses. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Preventing a future pandemic by imitating natural selection |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | By Munir Iqbal A new type of avian influenza that can infect poultry and humans, called H7N9, emerged in China in February 2013. Since then, there have been over 1500 confirmed human infections with an estimated 40% case fatality rate. In the wake of COVID-19, these numbers may seem to be relatively small. But these statistics provide an example of the issues we face in controlling influenza viruses in animals and how understanding more about these viruses can help us to predict, prevent and control outbreaks, protecting both poultry and human health. Influenza viruses infect a huge range of animals, but the strains that are of greatest concern to us are those that circulate in livestock such as pigs and poultry, where people in farming industries have close contact with the animals. Influenza viruses can rapidly mutate, allowing them to escape the immune responses of the animals they infect and even jump to new species. There have been five major epidemic waves of H7N9 in China. The final wave in 2016-2017 saw the originally mild disease of poultry mutate to cause higher levels of mortality in chickens and spread almost everywhere in China. The severity of H7N9 AIV situation prompted the Chinese government to implement a mass vaccination programme against H7N9 in poultry in 2017. Since its use, the number of poultry outbreaks along with human infections has dropped dramatically, with only three human infection cases reported during 2017 to 2018 and one human infection case reported during 2018 to 2019. This may sound like vaccination has solved the problem and the virus will now be eradicated. Unfortunately, this is not the case - despite the reduction in disease outbreaks due to vaccination, these viruses have not been eradicated. This is partly because of influenza's high mutation rate - vaccination can inadvertently encourage the evolution of viruses with mutations that allow them to escape vaccine-induced immunity. Once a virus escapes, it can spread rapidly, thereby making the vaccine ineffective and a new one must be designed. This is where our research comes in. Our aim is to understand how H7N9 viruses could potentially mutate in the field in response to vaccination, and how these genetic changes could alter how the virus acts (for example, by making it more dangerous to poultry or by helping it to infect humans more effectively). By imitating the natural selection process in the lab, we found several mutations and identified that one specific mutation allows the virus to escape from vaccine-induced immunity. Importantly, three other mutations that we observed in our lab studies had been found in the field in 2019 indicating that our method can predict the evolution of influenza viruses. These three mutations prevent H7N9 viruses from binding to human cells, but increase their binding, replication and stability in chicken cells and embryos. This could mean that the strains which have these mutations pose a lower threat to human health, but increase the risk to poultry. This shows that mass vaccination of poultry against H7N9 strains in China drives virus evolution away from human pandemic. But viruses with 'escape mutations' remain a significant risk to poultry due to their ability to escape vaccine-induced immunity and persist in poultry. Our studies may also help to explain the Chinese government's successful control of H7N9 infection in humans by mass poultry vaccination. On one hand, the mass poultry vaccination protects the poultry from H7N9 infection and greatly reduces the risk of human infections as the majority of human H7N9 cases are linked to exposure to infected poultry or contaminated environments. On the other hand, even when some viruses escape the vaccine-induced immunity, they pose reduced risk to humans due to the lost human receptor binding. However, this may not be the case for all strains. Other mutations may arise in the future that have human pandemic potential or are even more deadly to poultry. Using a method that can predict how vaccination may change influenza virus characteristics is hugely valuable as it can provide advanced warning of mutations that could increase likelihood of human infection. Incorporating these mutations into global health surveillance efforts can help relevant authorities to monitor potential threats and get ahead of them before they have a chance to spiral out of control. Professor Munir Iqbal is head of the Avian Influenza Group at The Pirbright Institute. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| URL | https://www.newton-gcrf.org/impact/data-insights-blog/preventing-a-future-pandemic-by-imitating-natu... |
| Description | Preventing and controlling avian influenza infections in poultry and humans |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Poultry production continues to face several challenges caused by avian influenza, including: (1) virus evolution & antigenic diversity, (2) emergence of new virus variants, (3) co-circulation of multiple variants of same pathogen, (4) mixed infection of different viruses (immunosuppression), (5) maternally derived antibody interference, and (6) poor quality vaccines and sub-optimal vaccination practices. From these challenges, the topic of discussion and research drives optimal vaccination strategies to improve: (1) potency: a single dose to induce faster, stronger and durable immunity against multiple pathogens, (2) effectiveness: protect from clinical disease, reduced shedding and transmission, (3) affordability: cheap to produce and easy to deliver, (4) safety: no adverse impact to host or environment, (5) stability: retain efficacy for at least 1 year at indicated temperature, (6) DIVA: to allow differentiation between infected and vaccinated animals. Implementing new emerging vaccine approaches can: (1) enhance the efficacy, duration, and breadth of immunity, (2) reduce production losses, (3) improve cost-effectiveness, (4) improve productivity and economy, (5) improve animal welfare, and (6) reduce prevalence of viruses and protect public health (reduced virus prevalence = reduced zoonosis). |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Protecting poultry from avian influenza |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Avian influenza, commonly known as "bird flu," is a disease caused by multiple strains of influenza virus. The viruses can infect a wide range of animals, including people and pigs, but the natural reservoir lies in populations of wild aquatic birds such as ducks and gulls, according to an announcement from The Pirbright Institute in the U.K., which is conducting research to better understand avian influenza viruses to help prevent the disease in poultry. Flu virus strains are categorized by the combination of the two proteins found on the outside of the virus: hemagglutinin (H) and neuraminidase (N) -- for example, H5N6 or H9N2. The H protein binds to cell receptors in order to initiate infection, while the N protein helps release new viruses from an infected cell, the institute explained. Strains are also classified by severity. Low-pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) viruses cause clinical signs such as mild breathing problems, decreased egg production and growth. Some birds, particularly ducks and geese, do not display any signs of LPAI infection and are still able to spread the disease, Pirbright said. When LPAI viruses circulate in high-density poultry areas, the viruses can mutate into highly pathogenic strains. Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) viruses have severe and often fatal effects on some species of birds such as chickens, Pirbright noted, but some HPAI strains cause mild or no clinical signs of disease in wild birds and domestic waterfowl. These strains are notifiable, meaning government control measures must be put in place. Avian influenza can be carried vast distances by wild migratory birds and can infect domesticated poultry through direct contact or through contaminated droppings and bodily fluids, Pirbright said. Because of this, there is a year-round risk of avian influenza, which can increase depending on the disease status in a region and the migration season of wild aquatic birds. According to Pirbright, good biosecurity is essential in preventing poultry from being exposed to the disease and can be practiced on a commercial farm, with game birds or even with just a few backyard hens. Why is influenza so difficult to prevent? The institute explained that influenza viruses are constantly changing, and when they replicate, small errors called mutations are copied into their genome. Some of these will alter the virus's proteins, allowing the virus to escape detection by the immune system. All flu viruses also have the potential to undergo a process called reassortment, where two or more strains of influenza infect the same animal, allowing them to swap parts of their genome, Pirbright said. The resulting viruses can potentially have different characteristics than the original strains, such as the ability to replicate in different species, including people, the institute added. Avian influenza viruses such as H5N1 or H7N9 have infected people, predominantly in Southeast Asia, but in these cases, the virus has been transmitted directly from infected birds to people, with no onward spread. There is some evidence that avian influenza can be passed from person to person, and while there are no records of efficient or sustained human transmission, there is a constant risk that one of the new strains may spread easily among people, which could result in a new influenza virus pandemic, Pirbright said. Changes in the virus genetics from mutation or reassortment make it very difficult to anticipate how influenza viruses will spread through a population and whether current vaccines will be suitable for the strains that are circulating, Pirbright announced. The influenza research programs at Pirbright are progressing understanding of the virus and finding better ways to prevent its spread. Pirbright Institute group leaders Dr. Holly Shelton and professor Munir Iqbal are researching how the characteristics of influenza viruses can change the outcomes of disease. Studying flu at the molecular level allows them to find out how the virus evolves to overcome avian immunity and how changes in their genome can alter disease severity and their ability to affect different species, the announcement said. Shelton's and Iqbal's teams are working on identifying genetic markers for specific disease traits that can be used in surveillance systems to provide forewarning of strains that could cause pandemics. For example, Shelton's Influenza Viruses group is looking at which characteristics allow the viruses to become resistant to antiviral drugs that are currently used to treat human infections of influenza, allowing surveillance to provide an early warning of viruses that could cross into humans and be difficult to control, Pirbright said. The team is also investigating how long it takes for avian influenza viruses to adapt to new mammalian species. According to the institute, establishing which strains can rapidly adapt and identifying the genetic changes made to enable infection of mammalian cells will help with surveillance efforts and potentially lead to the development of techniques that will help prevent these mutations occurring. Vaccination and rapid diagnosis are very important for influenza prevention and control, but it is still not currently possible to protect against all influenza strains, Pirbright said, noting that Iqbal's Avian Influenza group is exploring which sites on the virus trigger the chicken immune system to respond quickly and fight off infection. This will better inform scientists' ability to match vaccines to strains in the field and could help to develop vaccines that are more effective. Iqbal's group is also developing multivalent vaccines that protect chickens and ducks from several avian influenza subtypes at once as well as test kits for rapid diagnosis of different subtypes at the flock-side, the announcement said. Visit Pirbright's Influenza Viruses and the Avian Influenza group pages to find out more about their research. Source: The Pirbright Institute, which is solely responsible for the information provided and is wholly owned by the source. Informa Business Media and all its subsidiaries are not responsible for any of the content contained in this information asset. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://www.feedstuffs.com/nutrition-health/protecting-poultry-avian-influenza |
| Description | Protecting poultry from avian influenza through passive immunisation. Presented at Foreign Experts Seminar "New strategies and new tools for the prevention and control of major poultry diseases. Shandong-Binzhou Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine Academy, China, 20-22 September 2019. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | The talk and the discussion was the best practices to improve control systems (vaccines and diagnostics) for prevention of avian influenza viruses infection in poultry and zoonotic infections in humans. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Rebecca Daines: Cheltenham Science Festival |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Described the research undertaken at the Pirbright Institute that lead to improve control systems against infectious viral diseases of animals and from animals to humans. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Recombinant single chain variable fragment (scFv) antibody protects chickens from avian influenza. Presented at Systems Immunology Workshop: Adaptive immune repertoires and beyond. 16th-17th January 2020. University of Surrey, UK |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | A talk entitled "Recombinant single chain variable fragment (scFv) antibody protects chickens from avian influenza" was presented at the workshop exploring new technical advances for analysis and production of antibodies for prophylaxes and treatment of animal and humans diseases. Both academics and staff linked with animal and public health industry attended this workshop. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| Description | Researchers at Pirbright investigate the emergence of new bird flu viruses with the potential to infect people |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Following the news brief of our research outcomes for the general public and media was published on The Pirbright Institute and widely distributed through social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin. Pirbright scientists have discovered that infection with two strains of avian flu can lead to the emergence of a new virus strain with the potential to jump from birds to humans. Human cases of avian influenza are extremely rare but can occur if a person comes into very close contact with an infected or dead bird. The study shows that avian influenza virus strains H9N2 and H7N9 can share genetic information to create an H9N9 strain with the potential to cause more severe disease in poultry and pose a threat to human health. Avian influenza, also known as 'bird flu', is a type of influenza that spreads among birds. The UK faces a seasonal increase in the risk of avian influenza outbreaks which are associated with the migration patterns of wild birds. Avian influenza is found across the globe, and in countries where multiple strains circulate it is important to monitor the emergence of new strains. Low virulence H9N2 and H7N9 circulate in poultry in Asia but do not cause severe disease. However, they are known to swap genetic information which can result in the emergence of an H9N9 strain, which can cause severe disease. In collaboration with the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), researchers at Pirbright discovered that the H9N9 strain was able to multiply significantly better in poultry cells, indicating the potential to cause more severe disease. They also discovered that it had a higher replication rate in human cells and could bind to these cells better than H9N2. The H9N9 strain can infect and transmit between ferrets highlighting the potential to cause disease in humans. The study, published in the Journal of Virology, shows that strains already circulating in poultry populations can exchange genetic material, leading to the creation of new strains. This increases the risk of the virus jumping from avian hosts to humans and other mammals. The study concludes that H7N9 and H9N2 viruses circulating in the same regions pose a pandemic threat, which demonstrates the need for constant monitoring for the emergence of new virus strains. Professor Munir Iqbal, Head of the Avian Influenza Group at Pirbright said: "This is the first study to show that infection with circulating H9N2 and H7N9 influenza viruses could create new virus strains such as H9N9 that cause more disease in poultry and pose a greater risk to human health. If a host is infected with two different strains, there is always a chance that they will swap genetic material to create a new strain. When this happens, it could lead to many outcomes, for example, the virus becoming more or less able to cause disease in a host, or a virus acquiring the ability to jump between hosts. This leads to viruses that primarily cause disease in animals having the ability to infect humans, which is what we have observed in this study. More research is needed to determine which avian flu viruses could combine and pose a threat to poultry and human health." This study was supported by grants funded by the UK Research and Innovation Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council under Newton Fund UK-China-Philippines-Thailand Swine and Poultry Research Initiative and Zoonoses and Emerging Livestock Systems (ZELS) with grants from FCDO and Dstl. The work was also funded by the GCRF One Health Poultry Hub and Defra (UK, including the Devolved Administrations of Scotland and Wales). |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://www.pirbright.ac.uk/news/2022/01/researchers-pirbright-investigate-emergence-new-bird-flu-vi... |
| Description | Sushant Bhat:Pirbright Dragon Fair |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Described the research undertaken at the Pirbright Institute that lead to improve control systems against infectious viral diseases of animals and from animals to humans. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Sustainable poultry (meat and eggs) production in Pakistan: Challenges and Opportunities. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Discussion on sustainable poultry (meat and eggs) production in Pakistan: Challenges and Opportunities. Presented at UKRI-GCRF "Food Security, Agriculture, and Nutrition" workshop, Marriott Hotel, Islamabad, Pakistan. 9th- 10th March 2020. organised by UKRI GCRF team. The outcomes include the establishment of collaborative links with key stakeholders including policymakers and disease control officials. Closer links were established with official responsible for animal health and food security officials including Minister for Science and Technology of Pakistan, High commissioner of UK High Commission in Pakitan. Discussion agenda and key outcomes were also communicated to the President of Pakistan, Chairman of Higher Education Commission Pakitan and representatives from FAO and UKRI GCRF team. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| URL | https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/626768-upsign-network-ukri-to-organise-global-development-workshops |
| Description | Talk Presented at 2nd International Congress of Veterinary Microbiology, 16th -19th October 2018. Sherwood Breezes Resort-Lara, Antalya, Turkey. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Conference discussed improving prevention and control of viral diseases of poultry. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | The Pirbright Village Duck Fair held on 16 June 2018 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Local Village Fair, interaction with local residence to expanse research aims and activities of The Pirbright Institute and benefits to UK and around the globe to prevent and control infectious diseases of animals and humans. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | The co-Circulation of Low and High-path-AIV in the same country with sub-optimal bio-security: Virus evolution and impact on vaccine efficacy. Presented at the 11th Scientific conference of Egyptian Veterinary Poultry Association, Conference "Towards a National strategy to control poultry industry problems in Egypt". 20-23 April 2019. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | The talk and the discussion on the improvement of disease control systems (vaccines and diagnostics) to prevent avian influenza viruses infection in poultry and zoonotic infections in humans. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | The global Situation and pathobiology of Avian Influenza in different Avian Species. Presented at the 11th Scientific conference of Egyptian Veterinary Poultry Association, Conference "Towards a National strategy to control poultry industry problems in Egypt". 20-23 April 2019.. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | The talk and the discussion on the improvement of disease control systems (vaccines and diagnostics) to prevent avian influenza viruses infection in poultry and zoonotic infections in humans. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | The rise and fall of antigenic mutations: A path to the persistence of avian influenza viruses. The Pirbright Institute Research Update Seminar Series. 27th April 2021. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | A seminar at the Pirbright Institute Research Update Seminar Series. 27th April 2021. The research outcomes were discussed detailing how the avian influenza viruses (H9 subtype) evolve under vaccine immune pressure to sustain their fitness in poultry. Described the evolutionary genetic markers that significantly change the virus antigenicity which ultimately reduce the effectiveness of poultry vaccines against avian influenza viruses affecting poultry and huamns. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Time for rethink on farming poultry as experts warn bird flu has slipped 'through our fingers (Sky News) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Discussion with Sky New UK corresponded Tom Clarke (Science and technology editor @aTomClarke) on continued avian influenza viruses are becoming endemic in bird populations in Europe and North America with some areas seeing a 600% increase in infection over the past few months in September -November 2022. In the UK, every day now, two or three new premises have been testing positive for bird flu. If they do, their flocks are culled and over 50 million birds culled in Europe this year and a similar number in North America. There is a need for an improved disease control strategies against these viruses. just culling of infected and at risk will not reduce viruses prevalence and spread, because virus in circulating in wild birds. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://news.sky.com/story/time-for-rethink-on-farming-poultry-as-experts-warn-bird-flu-has-slipped-... |
| Description | UK-China Philippines-Thailand Swine and Poultry Research Initiative project kick-off workshop" at China Agriculture University, Beijing, 26th-28th September 2018. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Emerging new approaches were discussed for prevention and control of infectious diseases affecting swines and poultry. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | Understanding Antigenic Diversity, Zoonotic potential and immunological prevention of avian influenza viruses affecting poultry. Presented at "UK-China Philippines-Thailand Swine and Poultry Research Initiative project kick-off workshop" at China Agriculture University, Beijing, 26th-28th September 2018. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Meeting focus was to share research plans funded under "UK-China-Philippines-Thailand Swine and Poultry Research Initiative". Research projects investigate pathogens, zoonotic pathogens or "commensals" associated with food safety issues affecting poultry and swine. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| URL | https://bbsrc.ukri.org/funding/filter/joint-swine-poultry-initiative/ |
| Description | Understanding Evolution and Impacts of Avian Influenza Viruses |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Internal seminar presented at The Pirbright Institute, sharing the achievements and current ongoing research being performed within the Avian Influenza Virus and Newcastle Disease Virus Group to other colleagues throughout the site. Poultry production continues to face several challenges caused by avian influenza, including: (1) virus evolution & antigenic diversity, (2) emergence of new virus variants, (3) co-circulation of multiple variants of same pathogen, (4) mixed infection of different viruses (immunosuppression), (5) maternally derived antibody interference, and (6) poor quality vaccines and sub-optimal vaccination practices. From these challenges, the topic of discussion and research drives optimal vaccination strategies to improve: (1) potency: a single dose to induce faster, stronger and durable immunity against multiple pathogens, (2) effectiveness: protect from clinical disease, reduced shedding and transmission, (3) affordability: cheap to produce and easy to deliver, (4) safety: no adverse impact to host or environment, (5) stability: retain efficacy for at least 1 year at indicated temperature, (6) DIVA: to allow differentiation between infected and vaccinated animals. Implementing new emerging vaccine approaches can: (1) enhance the efficacy, duration, and breadth of immunity, (2) reduce production losses, (3) improve cost-effectiveness, (4) improve productivity and economy, (5) improve animal welfare, and (6) reduce prevalence of viruses and protect public health (reduced virus prevalence = reduced zoonosis). |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Understanding Evolution and Persistence of Avian Influenza Viruses in Poultry |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Presented a talk at the LASA 60th Anniversary Conference, the Hinxton Hall Conference Centre, Wellcome Genome Campus, Cambridge, UK, sharing the research goals and achievements performed at the Pirbright Institute. Poultry production continues to face several challenges caused by avian influenza, including: (1) virus evolution & antigenic diversity, (2) emergence of new virus variants, (3) co-circulation of multiple variants of same pathogen, (4) mixed infection of different viruses (immunosuppression), (5) maternally derived antibody interference, and (6) poor quality vaccines and sub-optimal vaccination practices. From these challenges, the topic of discussion and research drives optimal vaccination strategies to improve: (1) potency: a single dose to induce faster, stronger and durable immunity against multiple pathogens, (2) effectiveness: protect from clinical disease, reduced shedding and transmission, (3) affordability: cheap to produce and easy to deliver, (4) safety: no adverse impact to host or environment, (5) stability: retain efficacy for at least 1 year at indicated temperature, (6) DIVA: to allow differentiation between infected and vaccinated animals. Implementing new emerging vaccine approaches can: (1) enhance the efficacy, duration, and breadth of immunity, (2) reduce production losses, (3) improve cost-effectiveness, (4) improve productivity and economy, (5) improve animal welfare, and (6) reduce prevalence of viruses and protect public health (reduced virus prevalence = reduced zoonosis). |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Understanding antigenic diversity, zoonotic potential and immunological prevention of avian influenza viruses affecting poultry. Presented at UK-China-Philippines-Thailand Swine and Poultry Research Initiative: Interim Project Workshop 13th-15th January 2020 Hilton Hotel, Bracknell, UK |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Outcomes of the research project entitled "Understanding antigenic diversity, zoonotic potential and immunological prevention of avian influenza viruses affecting poultry" were presented to colleagues working on prevention and control of infectious diseases affecting animals and humans. the work led to incite further research collaborations with different groups from UK, China, Thailand and Philippine. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| Description | Understanding avian influenza virus evolution and development of next generation vaccines. Presented at 459th Scientific Meeting of The Veterinary Research Club at The Farmers Club, 3 Whitehall Court London Friday 14th February 2020. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | A talk presented entitled"Understanding avian influenza virus evolution and development of next generation vaccines". The discussion with senior staff from DEFRA and UKRI- BBSRC, researchers and veterinary professional like with control and prevention of animal diseases in United kingdom |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| Description | Understanding avian influenza virus evolution, antigenic diversity and vaccine failure. Presented at the 2019 Symposium on techniques for healthy breading and disease prevention & control of livestock and poultry, Golden Harbor Hotel, Beijing, 21-23 August 2019. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Talk and discussion on the control of infectious animal diseases including avian influenza. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Visit to Cairo Poultry Company (CPC) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Discussion and talk on prevention and control of poultry diseases (avian influenza and Newcastle Disease) and molecular factors affecting vaccine efficacy. The discussion and talk to present data, describing factors the directly influence protective efficacy of in use vaccines, and how they evaluate/ test vaccine failure. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Visit to Dakahlia Poultry Egypt |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Discussion and talk presented at Dakahlia Poultry Egypt head office to workers involved in poultry production. The talk amis were to provide update on the impact of evolutionary genetic changes in the avian influenza and Newcastle disease viruses on the efficacy of vaccines and diagnostics. The molecular changes in virus genetic makeup allow virus to escape from vaccine induced immunity results vaccine and diagnostics failure. Consequently the avian influenza viruses continue to circulates in vaccinated flocks. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Why vaccines matter in the fight against zoonotic diseases |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | A news story was published to increase the awareness of Zoonotic diseases and their impact on public health, food security, the economy and the environment. This was publicised at The Pirbright Institute webpage and One Health Poultry Health webpage and distributed wildly on social media including Facebook, Twitter, In Share. On World Zoonoses Day, Pirbright's Professor Munir Iqbal and Dr Joshua Sealy consider 600 years of developing technology to fight infectious diseases: The history of human and animal immunisation against infectious disease begins with the Chinese practice of variolation in the fifteenth century. Here, infectious material was taken from one patient and inoculated into a non-infected patient to initiate a mild but protective infection. Roughly 200 years later, Edward Jenner transformed the field of immunology by developing the world's first vaccine which involved immunising patients against smallpox using the closely related cowpox. Fast-forward another 200 years and the application of vaccines had transformed. On 6 July 1885, now celebrated as World Zoonoses Day, Louis Pasteur successfully administered the first vaccine against rabies - and within decades myriad other diseases had also been tackled effectively, including diphtheria, tetanus, anthrax, cholera, plague, typhoid, tuberculosis, measles, mumps, rubella, and polio. Many of these pathogens had been infecting humans for years, and continue to do so where vaccines are not deployed. Now, in the 21st century, vaccine research is undergoing another seismic shift. In 2019, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19), emerged in humans which is believed to have originated in animals (known as zoonoses). It has since developed into the devastating COVID-19 pandemic and in doing so it triggered an urgent need to develop vaccines to control a virus that represents a growing problem at the human-animal interface. Pathogen evolution: Broadly speaking, humans have a naïve immune system to the many pathogens that exclusively circulate within animal reservoirs, including livestock. Most pathogens have evolved to infect specific animal species, which means that a significant barrier exists that prevents animal pathogens from causing disease in humans. However, a portion of these pathogens, including influenza viruses and coronaviruses, have the capacity to evolve such that they can overcome these barriers and be successful, especially as there is no prior immunity in the human population. This extraordinary ability to evolve also means that these pathogens have the potential to overcome vaccines. The application of vaccines and vaccine technology must progress to meet the challenge of zoonotic viruses. Vaccine variety: An impressive diversity of vaccine technologies is currently employed or in development to combat pathogens circulating in humans and animals. A vaccine needs to be effective at eliminating or reducing disease, but the diversity of pathogens means vaccines sometimes need to be equally diverse and must cater to specific challenges. Traditional inactivated pathogen vaccines are generated by 'killing' a pathogen so that it can be safely administered for immunisation. Subunit vaccines are vaccines that comprise only a fragment of the target pathogen which can be administered to generate an immune response exclusively to that fragment. Both technologies elicit protective antibody responses and have been successful for an exceptionally long time against a variety of pathogens. However, an antibody response does not provide sufficient protection against all pathogens that continually change their shapes to evade vaccines. Live attenuated vaccines typically use infectious pathogens that are modified to prevent them from causing disease but can still trigger an immune response similar to their naturally occurring counterparts. These vaccines are useful because as well as an antibody response, they can induce a cellular immune response, which targets conserved parts of the pathogens that remain the same across different strains. This means live attenuated vaccines are more effective at protecting against mutations that could allow the pathogen to escape vaccine immunity and they provide better protection against multiple pathogen strains. New vaccine technology: Viral vector vaccines are vaccines that comprise the 'backbone' of a virus that doesn't cause disease in the host animal, which expresses a piece of the target pathogen that induces an immune response. Most licensed viral vector vaccines are in use in animals, with only a single vectored vaccine (against the Ebola virus) being licensed for humans prior to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Viral vector vaccines evoke a strong immune response that is specific to the pathogen, making it effective and long-lasting. DNA/RNA vaccines contain genetic material that codes for a piece of a pathogen, which the host cells process to elicit an immune response. Several mRNA vaccines are in use against SARS-CoV-2 and they are cost-effective, safe, and produced using chemicals synthetically and not from cell culture systems. As such, we now have the capacity to carefully select the target of our vaccines and the nature of the desired immune response. The importance of vaccines was brought into focus once again with the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic - and, going forward, the need for our growing arsenal of vaccines will only increase with the needs of humanity. Nutrition: As the human population increases so do its need for nutrition. A major source of human nutrition is animal-derived; thus, the population of farmed animals increases. Wild habitats are encroached upon to provide for the increasing population of farmed animals, and this facilitates interaction between farmed and wild animals. Consequently, we develop a tractable route for zoonotic diseases to enter the human population. Finally, the need for human nutrition is also met through the acquisition of wild animals. There is evidence to suggest that the West African Ebola virus epidemic was preceded by the capture of wild animals for human consumption. Likewise, SARS-CoV-2 is believed to have originated in wild animals. Zoonotic diseases clearly have far-reaching impacts. Humans and animals directly suffer pathogen-related sickness and death, and global economies incur significant losses. The current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic is a clear example of this - while avian influenza and several other emerging and re-emerging viruses carrying zoonotic infection potential circulating in farmed and wild birds are a constant reminder that the next pandemic could be around the corner. Written by Professor Munir Iqbal and Dr Joshua Sealy, members of the Avian Influenza Virus group at Pirbright. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://www.pirbright.ac.uk/news/2021/07/why-vaccines-matter-fight-against-zoonotic-diseases |
| Description | Why wet markets will never close - despite the global threat to human health (The Telegraph) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | This discussion was due to current enormous global spread of bird flu and widespread poultry outbreak has generated unprecedented opportunities for the virus to jump to humans and potentially even mutate to better spread between people. Since the Live bird markets have been identified as key factors in the spread, persistence and evolution of avian influenza viruses,. Therefore, there is an increased risk to public at the live birds markets and how these risks can be reduced to increase food safety, security and public health. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/science-and-disease/why-wet-markets-will-never-close-despi... |