Surveillance of avian influenza through bird guano in remote regions of the global south to uncover transmission dynamics
Nature Communications·
- DOI
- 10.1038/s41467-025-59322-z
- PMID
- 40425586
- PMCID
- PMC12116859
- OpenAlex
- W4410786144
- Study type
- Journal article
- Publisher
- Springer Science and Business Media LLC
- Article type
- journal-article
- Integrity
- current
Why this research matters now
The findings are framed as supporting geographically focused AIV surveillance in underrepresented Global South regions to enable earlier detection of emerging variants and to inform public health responses aimed at reducing zoonotic spillover risk.
Structured evidence summary
Research question
The study investigates whether environmental sampling of bird guano in remote regions of the Global South can reveal avian influenza virus (AIV) diversity and transmission dynamics in areas not covered by existing surveillance.
Study design
A multi-country field surveillance study collecting fresh bird guano from remote sites across 10 countries in the Global South between December 2021 and February 2023, with laboratory characterization of detected AIVs.
Population and setting
Fresh bird guano samples collected in remote, largely uninhabited regions across 10 countries in the Global South positioned along or near migratory flyways during a roughly 14-month sampling window.
Main findings
AIVs were detected in previously unsampled remote regions, with a high diversity of strains reported and H5N1 identified as the most prevalent. Some H5N1 samples carried mutations potentially associated with reduced susceptibility to the antiviral oseltamivir, and several regions were characterized as potential hotspots for viral evolution and transmission.
Public-health relevance
The findings are framed as supporting geographically focused AIV surveillance in underrepresented Global South regions to enable earlier detection of emerging variants and to inform public health responses aimed at reducing zoonotic spillover risk.
Important limitations
The abstract does not enumerate explicit limitations of the study. This summary is limited to the supplied single-article abstract and metadata, and the original paper is required for decision-grade interpretation.
GIDS interpretation
The article is discoverable through GIDS via classifiers for H5N1, Influenza, One Health, Surveillance, and Transmission dynamics, providing context for editorial review; no connection to a live surveillance signal is established from this evidence alone.
Related GIDS surveillance
Literature context does not validate, explain, or change a surveillance signal. Exact and contextual relationships are shown separately.
Evidence relationships
This article has 9 auditable classifier relationships to diseases, places, topics, and study design.