Kappa-Flu is an EU-funded project addressing the growing threat of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), primarily caused by HPAI viruses (HPAIV) of the H5Nx subtype of clade 2.3.4.4b. These HPAIV have evolved rapidly, posing significant risks to poultry farming, animal welfare, livestock, and human health. The project responds to global concerns regarding veterinary public health and zoonotic risks.
HPAI H5Nx viruses, spread by migratory wild birds, have expanded their geographical range and affected many avian and mammalian species over the last 5 years. Recent outbreaks have caused millions of bird deaths worldwide with significant ecosystem and agricultural consequences, including zoonotic risks as evidenced by human infections in Asia and Northern America. The adaptability of these viruses during avian migration phases presents challenges for surveillance and control. KAPPA-FLU aims to better understand the dynamics of these viruses among wild birds, poultry, and their environment, as well as the prerequisites for spill-over infections in mammals, in order to develop risk-based strategies to mitigate the impact on wildlife, (veterinary) public health, animal welfare, and food systems. The project seeks to advance knowledge-based surveillance and provide cost-effective solutions to prevent outbreaks, ensuring sustainable poultry production and public health.
To achieve these goals, Kappa-Flu has established five key objectives:
1. Understand H5 HPAI Ecology: Investigate interactions between HPAI viruses and migratory bird populations to identify factors contributing to long-term virus maintenance.
2. Identify Pathways into Poultry: Analyze how HPAI viruses enter poultry populations, focusing on sources and transmission routes.
3. Study Viral Genetic Changes: Explore how mutations and reassortments affect the virus’s ability to infect various species and assess potential risks to human health.
4. Assess Risk Factors for Poultry and Mammalian Spill-over: Examine environmental and management changes impacting virus incursions into poultry farms.
5. Develop Control and Prevention Strategies: Create cost-effective prevention and control methods for poultry farms to reduce virus transmission.
Kappa-Flu integrates virology, ecology, socio-economic sciences, and climate-change impacts on virus evolution to strengthen EU monitoring, prevention, and control of avian influenza.
