Dr. Michelle Wille’s research has been instrumental in revealing the ecology and evolution of not only avian influenza viruses, but a huge diversity of viruses found in wild birds.
To understand how HPAI H5N1 may arrive, and what may happen if does, Dr. Wille has been studying low pathogenicity avian influenza virus (LPAI), or the variants of avian influenza that don’t make birds sick. Specifically, Dr. Wille’s research has focused on revealing the patterns driving the presence of avian influenza in Australian wild birds (such as rainfall, and bird age), understanding which birds are infected by the viruses, and understanding the virus diversity in Australia and how they evolve. Dr. Wille’s most recent study showed how LPAI viruses arrive in Australia from Asia, and which bird species may be involved. These findings can be applied to anticipating how HPAI may arrive in Australia.
2024