Surveillance and analysis of avian influenza viruses in wild birds in Australia

鸟类通常感染禽流感病毒，但大多数这些病毒不会引起疾病。然而，某些类型的禽流感病毒，如H5N1毒株，可导致100%感染禽类的严重疾病和死亡。目前，H5N1禽流感正在亚洲流行。人类偶尔会因禽类向人类传播而受到感染，自2003年以来，已有130多人感染了H5N1，造成60多人死亡。危险的病毒株可能通过以下三种途径进入澳大利亚：感染者、家禽和候鸟。为了监测候鸟输入这些病毒的情况，我们将在候鸟靠近人类和家禽养殖场聚集的重要地区捕获大量候鸟并采集样本。我们将查明这些禽类携带的是哪种禽流感病毒，以及这些病毒是否能够在禽类和人类中引起疾病。我们还将看看它们是否可以被我们现有的流感药物治疗，我们将研究这些病毒以找到新的药物靶点。这些病毒在鸭子身上最常见。迁徙的涉禽和当地的鸭子生活在同一个栖息地，因此涉禽和鸭子有可能相互传播病毒。另一个令人关切的问题是，非致病病毒可能在鸭子身上发生变异，成为致病性病毒，并在鸟与鸟之间传播，甚至在人与人之间传播，这可能导致澳大利亚发生大规模的禽流感人类流行病。因此，我们也将从当地的鸭子身上采集样本，这些鸭子和涉禽出现在同一地区，并对它们进行病毒检测。我们的研究结果将显示涉禽和鸭子携带了哪些病毒，以及这些病毒是否对人类和家禽构成危险。然后，我们可以管理重要地区，使人类和家禽不会接触到这些病毒。

Birds are commonly infected with bird flu viruses but most of these viruses do not cause disease. However, certain types of bird flu viruses, such as the H5N1 strain, can cause severe illness and death in 100% of infected birds. There is currently an epidemic of H5N1 bird flu occurring in Asia. Occasionally humans become infected by bird to human transmission and since 2003, 130+ people have been infected with H5N1 resulting in 60+ deaths. There are 3 ways in which dangerous strains of the virus may be brought to Australia by; infected people, domestic birds and migratory wading birds. In order to monitor the import of these viruses by migratory birds we will catch and take samples from large numbers of these birds in important areas where they congregate close to humans and poultry farms. We will identify what types of bird flu viruses these birds are carrying and if the viruses are capable of causing disease in birds and humans. We will also see if they can be treated by the influenza drugs that we currently have and we will study these viruses to find new drug targets. These viruses are commonest in ducks. Migratory wading birds and local ducks live in the same habitats so there is the chance that the wading birds and ducks could pass the viruses to each other. There is an additional concern that non-disease causing viruses could mutate in ducks and become pathogenic and pass from bird to bird or even human to human transmission which could cause a major human epidemic of bird flu in Australia. So we will also take samples from local ducks that occur in the same areas as the wading birds and test them for viruses as well. Our results will show what kinds of viruses are being carried by wading birds and ducks and if these viruses are a danger to people and poultry. We can then manage important areas so that humans and poultry do not come into contact with these viruses.