OAHN Wildlife Project: Enhanced Avian Influenza Surveillance in Wild Mammals 2023-2024 (in progress)

Project Lead: Dr. Claire Jardine

Collaborators:  Dr. Alex Reid

Project Proposal

Our objective is to enhance surveillance for avian influenza in wild mammals in Ontario, with a focus on high-risk periods associated with wild bird migration (i.e., fall 2023 and spring 2024).  Wild mammals are not the main target of ongoing AIV surveillance, so we are collaborating with researchers at the MNRF (Nituch) and leveraging submissions to the CWHC to increase AIV testing in mammals in Ontario. We propose to test ~350 samples from dead wild mammals submitted to the MNRF rabies surveillance program and to the CWHC between October 2023 and September 2024, with a focus on the high risk fall and spring wild bird migration periods.