A strain of the H5N1 avian influenza virus has infected over 900 livestock herds and dozens of people in North America, primarily affecting dairy cattle. The virus has not been transmitted between humans, but its potential to cause a pandemic is high.
Professor Scott Hensley and Drew Weissman have developed a vaccine against the virus using mRNA technology similar to COVID vaccines. They have tested their vaccine on mice and ferrets, showing strong immune responses.
Penn University is supporting the state’s response to avian influenza through various initiatives. The university’s animal diagnostic laboratory system has tested over 20,000 samples since the outbreak began in the US. The lab also collaborates with wildlife experts to investigate bird flu cases.
Research on transmission dynamics and economic impact is ongoing. For example, postdoctoral fellow Anna Jaeger created an interactive visualization of transmission dynamics for the open-source project Nextstrain. Assistant Professor Kevin Niedringhaus has led studies on how red foxes are infected with HPAI and plans to investigate its effect on other wildlife species.
While the virus primarily affects animals, the economic impact is significant, particularly in the poultry and dairy industries. The disease has been associated with culling millions of birds and decreased milk production in infected dairy cattle.
Source: https://penntoday.upenn.edu/news/how-penn-helping-bird-flu-research-and-disease-surveillance