Bird Flu Impact on Threatened Species Unknown
Researchers suggest that Australia needs a national immune-risk map to identify which threatened species are most vulnerable to H5N1 bird flu. They argue that genetic diversity in immune systems is crucial for survival, and current risk assessments lack this vital biological data.
Why it matters
Understanding the genetic resilience of wildlife is essential for effective conservation efforts during disease outbreaks.
Lethal bird flu is now spreading in Australia. This is bad news for many native species.
Professor of Comparative Genomics, University of Sydney
Professor of Biodiversity & Conservation and Co-Lead, Australasian Wildlife Genomics Group, University of Sydney
New federal government analysis suggests close to one in five Australian bird and mammal species is at high, very high or extreme risk. But this risk assessment omits something vital - how genetically well-equipped the species is to fight the virus.
While species such as black swans are likely to be very hard-hit, others such as wild ducks are expected to be less affected. One reason for this is different immune systems - some are more or less able to fight the virus. But there's a more significant factor - how much variation there is in key immune system genes across populations.
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