Understanding how bird flu viruses switch to highly dangerous forms
Official title: Unravelling highly pathogenic influenza virus emergence
Funded at Erasmus Medical Center · NIH-11418524 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are studying how bird flu viruses change to become highly dangerous in poultry to help prevent outbreaks that harm animals and people.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Erasmus Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Rotterdam, NETHERLANDS) |
| Project start | August 1, 2023 |
| Project end | July 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $337,828 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AI177487-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11418524 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are farms and poultry where monitoring and rapid response could prevent spread of HPAIV, and researchers may later apply findings to surveillance programs.
✕Less likely to help
Farmers or regions without avian influenza exposure may not directly benefit from this basic mechanistic work.
What this research studies
This project investigates the molecular steps that convert a low-path Bird Flu virus into a highly pathogenic form, focusing on the HA gene changes during viral replication in birds. By analyzing how these viruses acquire multiple basic amino acids at the HA cleavage site, scientists hope to map the conditions that lead to systemic infection in poultry. The study combines laboratory analysis with comparisons across wild birds and farmed poultry to identify key factors driving emergence. The findings could inform surveillance and interventions to reduce animal losses and pandemic risk.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could improve early detection and prevention of dangerous avian flu outbreaks in poultry and reduce economic and health risks.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies have linked HA cleavage site changes to pathogenicity, supporting a targeted exploration of these mechanisms.
Where this research is happening
-
Erasmus Medical Center
Rotterdam, Netherlands Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Richard, Mathilde — Erasmus Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Richard, Mathilde
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Creating vaccines for influenza and other infectious diseases
This study is all about creating new vaccines to help protect people from the flu and other infections, so patients can look forward to better options for staying healthy.
-
Creating vaccines for human trials against influenza and other infectious diseases
This study is working on creating new vaccines to help protect people from flu and other infectious diseases, including those that could be used in harmful situations, so that everyone can have safer and more effective options to stay healthy.
-
Understanding flu and COVID-19 vaccine responses in people and in the lab
Researchers at Stanford explore how flu and COVID-19 vaccines work in people and in lab tests to improve protection for adults.
-
Surveillance and preparedness for flu and other respiratory pathogens in Kenya
A US-based research grant aims to improve how Kenya detects and prepares for influenza and other respiratory diseases to protect people there and global health.
-
Enhanced Seasonal Influenza Vaccine Targeting Shared and Variable Viral Antigens
A new DNA-based influenza vaccine approach aims to provide both precise protection against circulating strains and broader defense against unexpected strains.
-
How the immune system responds to flu shots and flu infection
This project looks at how adults' immune systems react after flu shots or when they catch the flu to find why some people get better protection than others.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.