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

鸟类通常感染禽流感病毒，但大多数病毒不会引起疾病。然而，某些类型的禽流感病毒，如H5 N1毒株，可导致100%的受感染鸟类严重疾病和死亡。目前，H5 N1禽流感在亚洲流行。人类偶尔会通过禽传人感染，自2003年以来，已有130多人感染H5 N1，导致60多人死亡。有3种方式可以将危险的病毒株带到澳大利亚;受感染的人，家禽和迁徙的涉禽。为了监测这些病毒通过候鸟的输入，我们将在这些鸟类聚集在人类和家禽农场附近的重要地区捕获大量这些鸟类并从它们身上采集样本。我们将确定这些鸟类携带的禽流感病毒的类型，以及这些病毒是否能够在鸟类和人类中引起疾病。我们还将看看它们是否可以用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。这些病毒在鸭子中最常见。迁徙的涉禽和当地的鸭子生活在同一个栖息地，所以涉禽和鸭子有可能相互传播病毒。还有一个额外的担忧是，非致病病毒可能在鸭子中发生突变，成为致病病毒，并在鸟类之间传播，甚至在人与人之间传播，这可能在澳大利亚造成重大的人类禽流感疫情。因此，我们还将从当地的鸭子身上采集样本，这些鸭子与涉禽在同一地区出现，并对它们进行病毒检测。我们的研究结果将显示涉水鸟类和鸭子携带的病毒种类，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区域，使人类和家禽不接触这些病毒。

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.