This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. Project Title (in full): Immunogenetics and the Functional Response of Avian Hosts to Type A Influenza Strains in Migratory Birds of Alaska Type A influenza virus infects avian species worldwide. Efforts aimed at surveillance of viral infection incidence and prevalence have been focused on migratory waterfowl and domestic poultry because of the devastating effects of highly pathogenic avian influenza substrains in poultry and the association of influenza with migratory game species. Recent information about the genome sequence of the virus enables higher throughput identification for prevalence of infection in wild populations and facilitates studies of viral pathogenicity in animal models. However, despite increasing knowledge of the virus itself, we do not understand the ecological parameters that govern the origin and population dynamics of new and existing strains in wild birds. New evidence suggests that avian sources other than migratory waterfowl might have played a role in emergence of the devastating 1918 H1N1 strain of type A influenza virus. The ecology and distribution of Type A influenza and the immune response of avian species have received little attention, but knowledge of these areas will be critical to understanding the potential for emerging pandemic virus such as the 1918 strain. The long term aim of this project is to understand how genetic variation interacts with environmental variables to affect the potential transmission and emergence of viral strains with the capacity for trans-species transmission. The objectives of the proposed work are to determine the sources of avian influenza that infect Alaskan bird species (from sample collections obtained under permits to Alaska State Fish and Game and the US Fish and Wildlife Service) and to determine the genetic factors of immune response in birds that are responsible for differences in characteristics (such as shedding and latency) that affect viral prevalence. The central hypothesis is that the character of immune response is related to the relative potential for emergence of novel viral strains. The objectives of this project will be addressed and the central hypothesis tested by addressing the following three specific aims:
Aim 1 : Identify avian and environmental sources, distribution, and persistence of Type A Influenza in Alaska.
Aim 2 : Determine the immune response of waterfowl to Type A Influenza.
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