Project Number: 6612-32000-051-00
Project Type: Other

Start Date: Jun 01, 2006
End Date: Apr 01, 2009

Objective:
Objective 1: Develop new mass immunizing vaccines and delivery systems to protect against H5N1 high pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI) virus. Objective 2: Develop and supporting the use of rapid, site-deployable diagnostic technologies to accurately detect avian influenza virus. Objective 3: Conduct genomic sequencing of AI viruses and determining the biological and molecular epidemiological relevance of genetic information. Objective 4: Support ongoing targeted surveillance of wild migratory birds and poultry for HPAI in areas of greatest risk throughout North and South America, Asia and Pacific Rim.

Approach:
Objective 1: Develop mass immunizing vaccines using reverse genetics or biotechnological engineering to create an attenuated avian influenza (AI) vaccine stain and recombinant vectored vaccines that can produce protective immune responses in poultry following aerosol, oral or in ovo administration. Assist partners in finding alternative sources of renewable agricultural plant materials for raw materials needed to manufacture anti-influenza drugs. Objective 2: Develop rapid, state laboratory based or site-deployable tools and other assays that will allow rapid detection and classification of AI viruses in samples from birds and environmental specimens including new RRT-PCR tests for wild bird cloacal samples, microarray test development for AI virus classification and more sensitive penside tests for detecting avian influenza viruses using optical reading technologies. Objective 3: Conduct genome sequencing of poultry and wild bird AI viruses in SEPRL archive and from on going surveillance, and characterize them biologically. The sequence data will be analyzed to determine viral evolution, strain relationships, and determinants of virulence as well as identify diagnostic sequences and potential vaccine antigens. Selected virus strains will be studied to determine genomic changes that define host adaptation and specificity and changes necessary for AI viruses to cross to new avian and mammalian hosts. Objective 4: Conduct epidemiological studies to identify the risk factors for transmission of virus between farms and biosecurity mitigation steps to reduce transmission. Conduct targeted surveillance of wild birds and poultry in high risk areas for avian influenza and assess risk of introduction to farms.