Basic and Applied Research on Influenza

The Influenza virus infects a wide range of hosts. In addition to humans and birds, influenza A viruses (IAV) infect pigs, horses, dogs, cats, marine mammals, bats and even reptiles. It is unpredictable how IAV evolve in both humans and animals. From 1918 to date, there were four influenza pandemics, which caused millions of casualties. 

Zoonotic influenza viruses from birds, pigs, cats and marine mammals pose a serious risk to trigger the next influenza pandemic. We are currently experiencing a "paradigm shift" with the panzootic high pathogenicity (HP) AIV H5Nx clade 2.3.4.4 viruses, which have spread globally, infecting a wide range of mammals, exhibiting high virulence in the wild bird reservoir, and continuing to cause severe economic losses in poultry. 

This collection aims to publish research on topics including, but not limited to, the following:

• Epidemiology of influenza viruses in animals and potential zoonotic risk
• Pathogenesis and pathobiology in different species
• Genetic determinants of species specificity, pathogenicity and interspecies transmission
• Molecular biology of virus-host interactions
• Viral mechanisms to overcome the species barrier between animals and humans
• Measures to prevent and control (zoonotic) IAV transmission including vaccines and antivirals