Highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza detected in wild birds in New York City

Wild birds in New York carry the H5N1 avian flu virus, a study involving local students has found. The research highlights urban zoonotic risks and the role of wildlife monitoring centers, highlighting the need to raise public awareness and safely manage wildlife.

A small number of wild birds in New York City carry the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza virus, according to new research. The scientific article was published today (May 15) in the Journal of Virologya journal of the American Society for Microbiology.

The study highlights that the interface between animals and humans, which can give rise to zoonotic infections and even pandemics, is not limited to rural environments and commercial poultry farms, but extends to urban centers.

Urban avian flu research

“To my knowledge, this is the first large-scale U.S. study of avian influenza in an urban area, and the first with active community participation,” said study co-author Christine Marizzi , PhD, principal investigator of the New York City Virus Hunters. (NYCVH) and Director of Community Science at BioBus, Harlem, New York.

“Birds are key to finding out which flu and other avian viruses are circulating in the New York area, as well as understanding which ones may be dangerous to both other birds and humans. And we need more attention on the ground – which is why community participation is really essential.

Community involvement in avian influenza surveillance

The study comes from a wild bird monitoring program, which is a partnership between BioBus, the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and the Wild Bird Fund. Through this program, local high school students participate in research and communications efforts as paid interns under the mentorship of experts.

Equipped with appropriate protective equipment, students collect bird stool samples in urban parks and green spaces. Additional samples of urban wild birds are being submitted for study by local animal rehabilitation centers such as the Wild Bird Fund and Animal Care Centers of New York. The students then help screen all samples in the Krammer Lab at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai for viruses.

Results and significance

In the study, NYCVH collected and analyzed 1,927 samples between January 2022 and November 2023 and detected the H5N1 signal by detecting it in 6 urban birds representing 4 different species.

” data-gt-translate-attributes=”({“attribute”:”data-cmtooltip”, “format”:”html”})” tabindex=”0″ role=”link”>species. All positive samples came from urban wildlife rehabilitation centers, highlighting the critical role these centers can play in virus surveillance.

By comparing the genetic makeup of the samples to each other and to other H5N1 viruses available in a public database, the researchers found that they were slightly different and belonged to 2 different genotypes, both of which are a mixture of the Eurasian clade H5N1 2.3.4.4.b.

” data-gt-translate-attributes=”({“attribute”:”data-cmtooltip”, “format”:”html”})” tabindex=”0″ role=”link”>virus and local avian influenza viruses in North America. New York City is a popular stopover for migrating wild birds on their remarkable journey.

Public awareness and safety

“It is important to mention that the fact that we found H5N1 in urban birds does not mean the start of a human flu pandemic. We know that the H5N1 virus has existed in New York for about two years and no human cases have been reported,” Marizzi said.

Marizzi said that as part of their outreach activities, they raise awareness about H5N1 in urban birds and provide information on what people can do to protect themselves. “It is wise to remain vigilant and stay away from wildlife. This also includes preventing your pets from coming into close contact with wildlife,” Marizzi said. If one must handle wild animals, it is important to always use safe practices at all times when handling a sick or injured bird or other animal.

Reference: May 15, 2024, Journal of Virology.
DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00626-24