Michelle Wille
@duckswabber.bsky.social
Avian influenza & avian virome ecology | "Expert in Ducks" | (she/her) | michellewille.com
Amazing work by Erik Karlsson and co - a huge diversity of viruses in animal markets, detected through both sampling of birds, but also environmental surveillance approaches.
👉https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-68245-8
👉https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-68245-8
January 15, 2026 at 2:23 AM
Amazing work by Erik Karlsson and co - a huge diversity of viruses in animal markets, detected through both sampling of birds, but also environmental surveillance approaches.
👉https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-68245-8
👉https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-68245-8
How cool - the detection of picornaviruses and rotaviruses in "mummified" penguins found in Antarctica.
👉 www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
👉 www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
January 15, 2026 at 2:19 AM
How cool - the detection of picornaviruses and rotaviruses in "mummified" penguins found in Antarctica.
👉 www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
👉 www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Two papers describing HPAI in pinnipeds in Russia. We know pinnipeds are susceptible to this virus, with devastating impacts, so data from Russia very valuable to understanding the global impacts on this animal group.
👉 www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/18...
👉 link.springer.com/article/10.1...
👉 www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/18...
👉 link.springer.com/article/10.1...
January 15, 2026 at 12:32 AM
Two papers describing HPAI in pinnipeds in Russia. We know pinnipeds are susceptible to this virus, with devastating impacts, so data from Russia very valuable to understanding the global impacts on this animal group.
👉 www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/18...
👉 link.springer.com/article/10.1...
👉 www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/18...
👉 link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Really interesting paper from last year, identifying they key substitutions in H5 which modulate antigenic change for H5. Important information for tracking the evolution of these viruses.
👉 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
👉 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
January 15, 2026 at 12:29 AM
Really interesting paper from last year, identifying they key substitutions in H5 which modulate antigenic change for H5. Important information for tracking the evolution of these viruses.
👉 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
👉 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Michelle Wille
Want to get the data out of a PDF figure? As in, the actual data – not a rough trace-along-the-lines version?
I made an app you might like: adamkucharski.github.io/pdf2plot/
It all started a few years ago... 🧵
I made an app you might like: adamkucharski.github.io/pdf2plot/
It all started a few years ago... 🧵
January 13, 2026 at 9:12 PM
Want to get the data out of a PDF figure? As in, the actual data – not a rough trace-along-the-lines version?
I made an app you might like: adamkucharski.github.io/pdf2plot/
It all started a few years ago... 🧵
I made an app you might like: adamkucharski.github.io/pdf2plot/
It all started a few years ago... 🧵
A little behind on the HPAI tweets owing to being in Antarctica. A real privilege to be able to visit this incredible part of the world, but sadly, to better understand the ecology of this devastating virus.
January 13, 2026 at 3:46 AM
A little behind on the HPAI tweets owing to being in Antarctica. A real privilege to be able to visit this incredible part of the world, but sadly, to better understand the ecology of this devastating virus.
Great to see AviFluMap published - an interactive tool to assess H5N1 avian influenza incursion risk in Australia via migratory birds.
👉 www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
👉 www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
January 13, 2026 at 3:40 AM
Great to see AviFluMap published - an interactive tool to assess H5N1 avian influenza incursion risk in Australia via migratory birds.
👉 www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
👉 www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Dead Crabeater seals were reported to the SCAR HPAI project last year, and a great analysis here shows they likely died due to HPAI. Really lovely to see more data from the region.
👉 www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
👉 www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
January 13, 2026 at 3:34 AM
Dead Crabeater seals were reported to the SCAR HPAI project last year, and a great analysis here shows they likely died due to HPAI. Really lovely to see more data from the region.
👉 www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
👉 www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Incredible work by the ACDP HPAI working group (ht to Ralph) for pulling together the impact of HPAI on Procellariiformes. The dataset underlying the upcoming database is now live!
👉 zenodo.org/records/1785...
👉 zenodo.org/records/1785...
December 15, 2025 at 8:49 PM
Incredible work by the ACDP HPAI working group (ht to Ralph) for pulling together the impact of HPAI on Procellariiformes. The dataset underlying the upcoming database is now live!
👉 zenodo.org/records/1785...
👉 zenodo.org/records/1785...
Can we make transgenic chickens to make them more resilient against HPAI?
👉 link.springer.com/article/10.1...
👉 link.springer.com/article/10.1...
November 27, 2025 at 6:34 AM
Can we make transgenic chickens to make them more resilient against HPAI?
👉 link.springer.com/article/10.1...
👉 link.springer.com/article/10.1...
HUGE outbreak of HPAI in Norwegian seabirds, w "environmental contamination" of sheep grazing areas. 1/220 sheep tested positive by serology.
👉 onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
👉 onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
November 27, 2025 at 6:25 AM
HUGE outbreak of HPAI in Norwegian seabirds, w "environmental contamination" of sheep grazing areas. 1/220 sheep tested positive by serology.
👉 onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
👉 onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Reposted by Michelle Wille
Are influenza B viruses really “human only”? New review synthesises evidence from serology & metagenomics for #IBV / IBV-like viruses in animals and aquatic hosts. One Health gaps remain. With @marioskoutsakos.viralvaxlab.com @duckswabber.bsky.social www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/17...
November 25, 2025 at 4:46 AM
Are influenza B viruses really “human only”? New review synthesises evidence from serology & metagenomics for #IBV / IBV-like viruses in animals and aquatic hosts. One Health gaps remain. With @marioskoutsakos.viralvaxlab.com @duckswabber.bsky.social www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/17...
702 workers from 42 LBMs in Dhaka, Bangladesh, 2017: 28.3% +ve H9, 2% H5, 3% both H5 +H9, 66% unsubtyped in resp swabs. None seropositive for AIVs - environmental contamination vs bona fide infection?
👉 onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
👉 onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
November 27, 2025 at 6:15 AM
702 workers from 42 LBMs in Dhaka, Bangladesh, 2017: 28.3% +ve H9, 2% H5, 3% both H5 +H9, 66% unsubtyped in resp swabs. None seropositive for AIVs - environmental contamination vs bona fide infection?
👉 onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
👉 onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
NA-N322S + G389D mutations enhance NA activity of H7N9, synergizes with PB2–627K to enhance H7N9 virulence in mice. NA-N322S 🔺 prevalent in avian- and human-origin H7N9 viruses.
👉 www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
👉 www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
November 27, 2025 at 6:08 AM
NA-N322S + G389D mutations enhance NA activity of H7N9, synergizes with PB2–627K to enhance H7N9 virulence in mice. NA-N322S 🔺 prevalent in avian- and human-origin H7N9 viruses.
👉 www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
👉 www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Great work up on isolates from Antarctica: some w PB2 mutations = efficient mammalian replication. But, preference for avian receptors. Cross-reactivity with existing CVVs.
👉 www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-8...
👉 www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-8...
November 27, 2025 at 6:04 AM
Great work up on isolates from Antarctica: some w PB2 mutations = efficient mammalian replication. But, preference for avian receptors. Cross-reactivity with existing CVVs.
👉 www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-8...
👉 www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-8...
Alberta, Canada 2021–2024: 5/267 wild pigs seropositive for IAV, with HI assay + VNT confirming H5-specific antibodies. Surprising given few infections in domestic pigs!
👉 onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
👉 onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
November 27, 2025 at 5:31 AM
Alberta, Canada 2021–2024: 5/267 wild pigs seropositive for IAV, with HI assay + VNT confirming H5-specific antibodies. Surprising given few infections in domestic pigs!
👉 onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
👉 onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
histopath lesions + antigen distribution IHC of 115 PCR-ve wild birds that died from HPAI: antigen in multiple organs, 🔺in brain followed by the resp tract, heart, pancreas and kidney. In brain: neurons, neuropil and endothelium.
👉 link.springer.com/article/10.1...
👉 link.springer.com/article/10.1...
November 27, 2025 at 5:26 AM
histopath lesions + antigen distribution IHC of 115 PCR-ve wild birds that died from HPAI: antigen in multiple organs, 🔺in brain followed by the resp tract, heart, pancreas and kidney. In brain: neurons, neuropil and endothelium.
👉 link.springer.com/article/10.1...
👉 link.springer.com/article/10.1...
3 H1N1 isolated from wild ducks in Jiangxi Province, China. 2/3replicated efficiently in mice without pre-adaptation.
👉 www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
👉 www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
November 27, 2025 at 5:22 AM
3 H1N1 isolated from wild ducks in Jiangxi Province, China. 2/3replicated efficiently in mice without pre-adaptation.
👉 www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
👉 www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
China, Dec 22 - Jan 2024: 17 H11 viruses. Complex reassortment patterns, including w 2.3.4.4b = 7 genotypes. Mutations associated w enhanced human-type receptor binding +increased mammalian virulence. Could infect mice directly without prior adaptation
👉 www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
👉 www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
November 27, 2025 at 5:19 AM
China, Dec 22 - Jan 2024: 17 H11 viruses. Complex reassortment patterns, including w 2.3.4.4b = 7 genotypes. Mutations associated w enhanced human-type receptor binding +increased mammalian virulence. Could infect mice directly without prior adaptation
👉 www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
👉 www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
Moguhu Reservoir China, 2018: 6/136 +ve H2, H3, H4, H5, H9. Viruses similar to Mongolian, Russian, Bangladesh sequences in East African-West Asian and Central Asian Flyways
👉 link.springer.com/article/10.1...
👉 link.springer.com/article/10.1...
November 27, 2025 at 5:13 AM
Moguhu Reservoir China, 2018: 6/136 +ve H2, H3, H4, H5, H9. Viruses similar to Mongolian, Russian, Bangladesh sequences in East African-West Asian and Central Asian Flyways
👉 link.springer.com/article/10.1...
👉 link.springer.com/article/10.1...
2022 Guangdong Province China: serological survey = H3N8 antibodies in 10.85% in farmed chickens and 7.97% in ducks. 3 isolates share E190 residue with H3N8 human case. Have dual receptor-binding properties.
👉 www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15...
👉 www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15...
November 27, 2025 at 4:46 AM
2022 Guangdong Province China: serological survey = H3N8 antibodies in 10.85% in farmed chickens and 7.97% in ducks. 3 isolates share E190 residue with H3N8 human case. Have dual receptor-binding properties.
👉 www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15...
👉 www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15...
Mexico, Sept 2025, detection of 2344b H5N2 in a human patient. Reassortant bw 2344b H5N1 and LPAI H5N2 viruses circulating in Mexico.
👉 www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1...
👉 www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1...
November 27, 2025 at 4:36 AM
Mexico, Sept 2025, detection of 2344b H5N2 in a human patient. Reassortant bw 2344b H5N1 and LPAI H5N2 viruses circulating in Mexico.
👉 www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1...
👉 www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1...
Update from the WHO/WOAH/FAO H5 Evolution Working Group: 12 new clade designations based on division of clade 2.3.2.1c and 2.3.4.4 viruses, reported in Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, the Americas and Oceania
👉 www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
👉 www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
November 27, 2025 at 4:26 AM
Update from the WHO/WOAH/FAO H5 Evolution Working Group: 12 new clade designations based on division of clade 2.3.2.1c and 2.3.4.4 viruses, reported in Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, the Americas and Oceania
👉 www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
👉 www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Unsurprisingly, the suspected cases of HPAI H5N1 in elephant seals on Australia's subAntarctic island (Heard Island) have been confirmed.
👉 minister.agriculture.gov.au/collins/medi...
👉 minister.agriculture.gov.au/collins/medi...
November 25, 2025 at 2:39 AM
Unsurprisingly, the suspected cases of HPAI H5N1 in elephant seals on Australia's subAntarctic island (Heard Island) have been confirmed.
👉 minister.agriculture.gov.au/collins/medi...
👉 minister.agriculture.gov.au/collins/medi...
Japan, 2022-23, largest HPAI outbreak ever: 84 poultry farms, culled 17 million birds. Lots of laying hens per farm (≥100,000 birds) a risk factor. Changing shoes at entrance + back door= potential protective factors
👉 onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1155/...
👉 onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1155/...
November 18, 2025 at 11:38 PM
Japan, 2022-23, largest HPAI outbreak ever: 84 poultry farms, culled 17 million birds. Lots of laying hens per farm (≥100,000 birds) a risk factor. Changing shoes at entrance + back door= potential protective factors
👉 onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1155/...
👉 onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1155/...