The scavenging behaviour of many wild birds plays an important role in the type, number and variety of viruses they have, a new University of Otago – Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka-led study has found.
Lead author Dr Stephanie Waller, of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, says concern around bird flu highlighted the major role wild migratory birds play in the global spread of viruses.
Dr Stephanie Waller
"What we don't understand so well is what impact ecological drivers have on the diversity and transmission of viruses.
"Aotearoa New Zealand is uniquely placed to address this knowledge gap as it's geographically isolated but has international connections thanks to birds migrating from East Asia, Australia and Antarctica."
For the study, published in Current Biology, researchers collected more than 1,300 samples from 31 wild bird species between November 2023 to April 2024. From them, they identified 118 avian viruses, including 107 novel species.
Viruses with close genetic relatives from as far away as Russia and the United Arab Emirates were identified.
The researchers also found 12 mammalian-associated viruses, including from hedgehogs, rabbits and sea lions.
"We found scavenging birds and opportunistic scavengers – such as southern black-backed gulls and subantarctic skuas – had more diverse viromes than non-scavengers, highlighting their exposure to viruses across the food chain," Dr Waller says.
Professor Jemma Geoghegan
Senior author Professor Jemma Geoghegan says the study highlights the important role wild birds can play in moving viruses between species, ecosystems and geographical regions.
"Birds are highly mobile and can be very effective disseminators of viruses, including across international borders. At the same time, scavengers are exposed to viruses from many different animals through what they eat, which makes them particularly useful sentinels for detecting viruses circulating in the environment.
"That is especially relevant for viruses such as H5N1. Although H5N1 wasn't detected in this study because the samples were collected before its arrival in New Zealand, targeted surveillance of scavenging species could provide an important early warning of its presence and help us understand how it is moving through wildlife populations."
Professor Geoghegan says the findings will be useful for wildlife conservation, particularly for vulnerable endemic species which may be at risk from introduced species.
Publication:
Viral community structure in New Zealand's aquatic birds is associated with scavenging behavior
Stephanie J. Waller, Janelle R. Wierenga, Lia Heremia, Jessica A. Darnley, Isa de Vries, Jeremy Dubrulle, Zoe Robinson, Allison K. Miller, Chris N. Niebuhr, David S. Melville, Rob Schuckard, Phil F. Battley, Michelle Wille, Ben Alai, Rosalind Cole, Jamie Cooper, Ursula Ellenberg, Graeme Elliott, James Faulkner, Johannes H. Fischer, Lance Hay, David Houston, Bianca C. Keys, Jenny Long, Robin Long, Thomas Mattern, Lou McNutt, Peter Moore, Odin Neil, Jake Osborne, Anne-Sophie Pagé, Kevin A. Parker, Mike Perry, Brodie Philp, Kalinka Rexer-Huber, James C. Russell, Rachael Sagar, Thor T. Ruru, Theo Thompson, Leith Thomson, Joris Tinnemans, Lydia Uddstrom, Te Arawhetu Waipoua, Kath Walker, Edin Whitehead, Chrissy Wickes, Melanie J. Young, David Winter, Kate McInnes, Edward C. Holmes, and Jemma L. Geoghegan
Current Biology
