Immunogenetics of antiviral immunity in ducks

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My research program has focused on the immune response of ducks in an attempt to understand the host-pathogen relationship of ducks and influenza virus. Ducks are the primary host and reservoir of influenza virus in nature. While ducks are continually infected with influenza, most strains cause them little pathology. Three arms of the immune response are involved in influenza clearance; innate responses involving interferon, cellular immunity involving killer T cells, and antibodies. Previous work showed the antibody responses of ducks are poor. In the proposed work we investigate constraints on cellular immune responses in ducks. Both ineffectual antibody responses, and limitations of the cellular immune response contribute to the persistence of influenza in wild ducks. Ducks can be re-infected with the same strain of influenza, and unlike humans they do not mount a secondary immune response (larger in magnitude and more effective). This helps perpetuate the virus in nature. The basis of the poor cellular memory response is the focus of my research. We are also investigating the unique innate immune response of the duck that allows them to survive highly pathogenic avian influenza. These two research questions intersect, since a robust innate immune response is both critical for viral clearance, and turns on an appropriate cellular immune response. We would hope to translate this research into knowledge of how to manipulate the immune response to make poultry vaccines more effective.