Towards non-invasive real-time monitoring of avian infuenza virus
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Avian influenza virus (AIV) is an RNA virus that can affect wild animals, livestock, and humans. Wild aquatic birds are the main reservoir of AIV and spread the virus around the globe, causing devastating outbreaks in wild and domestic populations. Early in situ detection and sequencing of AIV in wild populations is therefore essential to control transmission during an outbreak, understand global transmission patterns, and avoid devastating impacts on biodiversity, global health, and food security. Here, we present a pilot study to test direct RNA sequencing for developing a non-invasive real-time approach to rapidly and efficiently detect and sequence AIV through the East Atlantic flyway.