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Seabird ‘food theft’ could be spreading avian flu
A great skua steals a fish from a gannet in the Shetland Islands.

The virus has killed millions of birds worldwide since 2021.

A new study has suggested that ‘food theft’, also known as kleptoparasitism, among seabirds could be spreading the deadly avian influenza virus.

Kleptoparasitism occurs when some seabird species, such as frigatebirds and skuas, force another bird to regurgitate their prey and then steal it.

The study, led by scientists from UNSW Sydney’s Centre for Ecosystem Science, saw researchers analysing the distribution, behaviour and movements of frigatebirds and skuas. This was referenced with a global database of them contracting the virus.

The team also examined information about which species of bird that frigatebirds and skuas targeted with kleptoparasitism.

Although the H5N1 virus first emerged in 1996, the most recent strain has proved to be highly virulent. Previously restricted to Eurasia and Africa, it spread to North America in 2021 and South America in 2022. Earlier this year, the virus reached Antarctica.

It has since been declared as panzootic – a pandemic among animals.

This study has now suggested that kleptoparasitism could be playing an important role in the spread of the H5N1 virus.

When a kleptoparasitic bird forces another bird to regurgitate its prey, the food is frequently coated in the other bird’s saliva. If that bird is infected, the regurgitated food will be coated in saliva with a high viral load.

This could infect the kleptoparasitic bird, which could go on to infect others. Researchers say that this mode of transmission will not only spread the H5N1 virus to new populations, but also transmit it across long distances during migration.

This discovery could be key in future disease management.

Although the disease has not yet reached Australia, researchers believe it is inevitable. However, understanding how it is spreading could support early detection of the disease.

This data will contribute to a co-ordinated management approach of avian influenza, including the National Avian Influenza Wild Bird Surveillance Program. This will prepare the country for the spread of the disease, particularly in vulnerable subantarctic islands.

Simon Gorta, a PhD student at UNSW, said: "Birds globally are already under greater threat than ever before -- it is critical the risk posed by bird flu is properly researched and managed,

"We have identified that migratory kleptoparasites, alongside predatory and scavenging species, could be some of the first species to become infected when H5N1 reaches Australia."

The full study can be found in the journal Conservation Letters.

Image © Shutterstock

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BEVA gives RVNs right to vote

News Story 1
 The British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) is to allow its registered veterinary nurse (RVN) members the right to vote.

RVN members will now be able to take part in key decision-making processes and stand for BEVA council.

Marie Rippingale, chair of BEVA's Nurse Committee, said: "I am very proud to be a part of BEVA.

"This change will help to empower nurses to speak up and contribute, but more importantly, it will give them an opportunity to collaborate with other members of the equine veterinary profession to bring about change that is positive for all." 

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Farmer survey to reveal on-farm impact of bluetongue

A nationwide survey has been launched to better understand how the bluetongue virus is affecting UK farms.

Results will inform the support that farmers receive for bluetongue, as well as preparing the livestock industry for the future.

The short online survey is open to all livestock farmers, regardless of whether they've had a confirmed case of bluetongue on their farm. It asks how many animals have been affected, the severity of their clinical signs and how it has impacted farm business.

The survey takes five minutes to complete and is fully anonymous.

It is led by Fiona Lovatt, of Flock Health Limited, and the Ruminant Health & Welfare bluetongue working group, in collaboration with AHDB and the University of Nottingham.

Dr Lovatt says: "We need to find out what level of clinical signs farmers are seeing in their animals, whether they are experiencing mortality with BTV-3 cases, and what their appetite is to vaccinate in future for bluetongue serotype 3."

The survey can be found here.