Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 21, 2026

Avian Influenza Surveillance with FTA Cards: Field Methods, Biosafety, and Transportation Issues Solved
Published on: August 2, 2011
Avian influenza amplified age-related mortality in a long-lived seabird
Wouter Courtens1,2, Mónika Ballmann3,4, Ruben Fijn5
1Research Institute for Nature and Forest, Brussels, Belgium.
Abstract:
In recent years, highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A (H5N1) clade 2.3.4.4b viruses have caused mass mortality events in seabirds worldwide, raising concern for long-lived species with low reproductive rates. Using 28 years of ringing data together with individual-level data from the 2022 mass mortality event in northwestern European Sandwich terns (Thalasseus sandvicensis), we show that mortality was biased towards older individuals, while no sex bias was observed. HPAI-related mortality increased from approximately 5-10% in young breeders to more than 40% in the oldest individuals. This age-biased loss likely removed the most experienced individuals from the population. Our findings highlight a previously underappreciated mechanism through which HPAI outbreaks may impair the resilience of long-lived avian populations.
More Related Videos
08:46Rapid Diagnosis of Avian Influenza Virus in Wild Birds: Use of a Portable rRT-PCR and Freeze-dried Reagents in the Field
Published on: August 2, 2011
12:21A Mouse Model for the Transition of Streptococcus pneumoniae from Colonizer to Pathogen upon Viral Co-Infection Recapitulates Age-Exacerbated Illness
Published on: September 28, 2022
Related Concept Videos
Influenza
Conservation of Declining Populations
Viral Recombination