About this Event
Application of Next-Generation Sequencing with Hybrid Capture to Track Spillover Events of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (H5N1) into Wildlife and Livestock
Abstract: Highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses (HPAIV) H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b continue to have unprecedented global impacts on wild birds and mammals, with especially significant mortality observed in colonial surface-nesting seabirds and in some marine mammal species. In this presentation, Dr. Waltzek will describe an H5N1 HPAIV mass mortality event that affected Caspian terns, Glaucous-winged and Western gull hybrids, and harbor seals on Rat Island, Washington USA in the summer of 2023.
At Washington State University's College of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Waltzek holds the position of McCleary Distinguished Professor of Aquatic Animal Health at the Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory. He has gained international recognition for his work in identifying emerging pathogens and unraveling the evolutionary history of viruses, particularly through the use of next-generation sequencing technology and bioinformatics. In addition to his research, Dr. Waltzek chairs the International Committee on Taxonomy for several virus families, including Iridoviruses, Alloherpesviruses, and Malacoherpesviruses. He also serves as an Ad Hoc Member of the World Organization of Aquatic Health Committee. For more comprehensive information about his background and achievements, please refer to the attached Biosketch.
We invite you to attend a lecture organized collaboratively by the Global Center for Aquatic Health and Food Security in conjunction with the Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences.
