Chris Niebuhr, PhD

Metatranscriptomic detection of rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus 2 in karoro (southern black-backed gulls) | Journal of Virology Rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus 2 (RHDV2; species Lagovirus europaeus) is a highly pathogenic lagovirus (Caliciviridae) responsible for a lethal disease in rabbits and hares (1). First identified in ...

We found RHDV2 in gulls! While the virus is likely to be dietary in origin, this suggests that birds may act as mechanical vectors for virus spread. Work by Steph Waller, @dwinter.bsky.social @eddieholmes.bsky.social @mongoosekiwi.bsky.social et al. journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...

"This study adds to a growing literature showing that when we manipulate animal populations, we also manipulate the conditions under which pathogens circulate."

Bird Bias? New Research Reveals ‘Drab’ Species Get…Less Research • The Revelator Focusing on brightly plumaged and familiar birds can leave important conservation questions unanswered — and even put less attractive species at risk.

WOS member Silas Fischer is the lead author of the research featured here, which shows a bias in #ornithology research toward studying more aesthetically appealing birds.

Sharing our recent paper for those interested:

"Modelling transmission and control of Toxoplasma gondii in New Zealand farmland" royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10....

A behind-the-scenes visit to the Hawaiʻi Bishop Museum's insect collection. Found some endemic New Zealand mosquitoes (Culex pervigilans) collected from 1960!

AVIAN INFLUENZA CONFIRMED IN BACKYARD FLOCK OF BIRDS Risk to the Public Remains Low HONOLULU — The Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture (HDOA) today received confirmation from the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NV...

HPAI confirmed in Hawaiʻi.

health.hawaii.gov/news/newsroo...

Avian influenza virus surveillance across New Zealand and its subantarctic islands detects H1N9 in migratory shorebirds, but not 2.3.4.4b HPAI H5N1 Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus has never been detected in New Zealand. The potential impact of this virus on New Zealand's wild birds would be catastrophic. To expand our knowledge of ...

Avian influenza virus surveillance across New Zealand and its subantarctic islands detects H1N9 in migratory shorebirds, but not 2.3.4.4b HPAI H5N1, by @jemmageoghegan.bsky.social and others
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

New insights into avian malaria infections in New Zealand seabirds - Parasitology Research The past few years have been marked by a drastic increase in pathogen spillover events. However, the extent and taxonomic range at which these events take place remain as crucial unanswered questions ...

New avian malaria infection records in NZ seabirds, including the first documented case in the at risk Westland petrel/tāiko.

link.springer.com/article/10.1...

Rodents running riot in supermarkets – do we need to worry? Rats in supermarkets are indeed a concern as they can spread infectious diseases—but they also pose a range of other health risks.

Rats!

www.phcc.org.nz/briefing/rod...

Avian Influenza Virus Is Adapting to Spread to Marine Mammals Avian influenza virus H5N1 has adapted to spread between birds and marine mammals, finds a study from UC Davis and partners in Argentina.

“This confirms that while the [avian influenza] virus may have adapted to marine mammals, it still has the ability to infect birds...it is a multi-species outbreak.”

www.ucdavis.edu/climate/news...

The 2023 One Health Aotearoa Symposium in Wellington was a success. We had some very good speakers, including Rachelle Binny, discussing her modelling efforts in toxoplasmosis!

Jon Sullivan speaking at the 2023 Australasian Network for Ecology and Transportation (ANET) Conference on road-kill of native NZ birds.

Excellent talks at the 2023 Australasian Network for Ecology and Transportation (ANET) Conference here in Christchurch, NZ.

Including this one by Jon Sullivan of Lincoln University, who we are currently collaborating with to investigate impacts of road-kill on native NZ avifauna.

Mosquitoes are driving these birds to extinction. With only 5 left in the wild, scientists are racin... The ‘akikiki, a small, gray bird native to Hawaii, could go extinct within months.

Avian malaria!

“The populations have basically taken a nosedive over the last 15 to 20 years as the climate has changed and mosquitoes are going higher and higher in elevation”

edition.cnn.com/2023/11/02/w...

A woman holding a little blue penguin while a person off camera takes a red tweezers to pluck a tick embedded in the bird’s skin.

Here’s the #penguinpicoftheday, #PPOTD, of a gnarly tick being taken off a little blue penguin yesterday. This bird had ticks all over, including in its mouth. (With permits) we collected the ticks and will try to figure out if they are a real problem in this population, or not.
🌎🧪

Cat with predated songbird in its mouth (Photograph: Vasiliy Vishnevskiy-Alamy)

- Did you know that cats are among the most damaging invasive predators in the world?

- Did you also know that New Zealand has the highest rate of cat ownership in the world?

(Check out our latest review to learn more!) newzealandecology.org/nzje/3550

Toxoplasmosis wipes out $12k of lambs, bringing cat control issues to the fore

www.stuff.co.nz/business/far...