About the project
Importance of the project – SENTINEL Wild Birds aims to enhance the understanding of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus dynamics in wild bird populations at certain key locations in and outside Europe (along main migration routes) and provide an early warning system for more informed decision-making in wildlife management and disease prevention. Rapid generation and accessibility of data for risk assessment and management purposes are at the core of this project.
Active surveillance of HPAI in wild birds - The methodologies employed in this project include capturing, ringing, and sampling of wild birds for avian influenza during key migratory periods, as well as collecting samples from hunted birds and the environment. Collected data encompass standard ecological metrics, such as species, age, and biometric measurements, alongside genetic data from the avian influenza virus screening and whole-genome sequencing. Descriptive results based on these data are made available on this website under “Monthly summary” on a monthly basis. In addition, whole-genome sequences are uploaded to the Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data (GISAID).
How it is done – To collect samples, wild birds are either collected from hunts or caught in the wild. Ducks, e.g., are often caught in swim-in-cages from where they cannot find their way out. Once the bird is caught, it is sexed and aged (by looking at plumage), its biometrics are taken (weight, wing length, tarsus length, and billhead are measured), and the bird is sampled for avian influenza (most often by an oropharyngeal or cloacal swab sample). Birds may also be sampled during ringing activities or in other instances (e.g. in rehabilitation centres). In addition, environmental samples can be collected, e.g. by sampling mussels, water, or bird faeces and feathers. The samples are then sent to laboratories where they are screened for avian influenza viruses. If virus is present, its RNA is sequenced to determine the genetic characteristics of the virus and be able to understand how different viruses are related.
SENTINEL Wild Birds builds up on an EFSA call (“EUBA-EFSA-2023-BIOHAW-06: Establishing capacities for active surveillance of highly pathogenic avian influenza in wild birds in Europe”), under which 7 Framework Partnership Agreements with a total value of € 2 million were signed with 7 consortia in Europe and at its borders (Figure 1):
Surveillance node 1 (Gulf of Finland): Ruokavirasto/Finnish Food Authority (Finland) + LABRIS/National Centre for Laboratory Research and Risk Assessment (Estonia) + Linnaeus University (Sweden)
Surveillance node 2 (Southern Baltic Sea): SVA/National Veterinary Institute (Sweden) + Linnaeus University (Sweden) + BIOR/Institute of Food Safety, Animal Health and Environment (Latvia) +NMVRVI/National Food and Veterinary Risk Assessment Institute (Lithuania) + VMVT/State Food and Veterinary Service (Lithuania) + PIWet-PIB/National Veterinary Research Institute (Poland)
Surveillance node 4 (Eastern Black Sea): Linnaeus University (Sweden) + Ilia State University (Georgia)
Surveillance node 6 (Lake Constance region): AGES/Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (Austria) + FLI (Germany) + Institut für Virologie und Immunologie, Bundesamt für Lebensmittelsicherheit und Veterinärwesen (Switzerland) + Nationales Referenzzentrum für Geflügel- und Kaninchenkrankheiten (Switzerland) + Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior (Germany) + Amt der Vorarlberger Landesregierung (Austria) + Naturschutzverein Reheindelta (Austria)
Surveillance node 7 (Veneto region): IZSVe/Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie + Ispra/Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research
Surveillance node 8 (Camargue region): ANSES/French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety + ENVT (National Veterinary School of Toulouse) + INRAE (French National research institute for agriculture, food and environment) + Conservatoire d’espaces naturales d’Occitanie (CEN) + Office français de la biodiversité (OFB) + Laboratoire departemental d’analyse du Gard + Fondation Tour du Valat
Surveillance node 9 (Gulf of Cadiz): CSIC (Spanish National Research Council)
No contracts have so far been signed with surveillance nodes 3 and 5. The project is coordinated by EFSA with the help of Linnaeus University (Sweden) and the Francis Crick Institute (United Kingdom).
Photo by Zura Javakhishvili
