Elizabeth Billington

The mammalian-adaptive PB2-E627K substitution preserves viral fitness of clade 2.3.4.4b H5N1 HPAIV in birds.

This study shows that the mammalian-adaptive PB2-E627K mutation in H5N1 HPAIV maintains viral fitness in avian hosts, increasing zoonotic risk.

Infection of point-of-lay hens to assess the sequential events during H7N7 high-pathogenicity avian influenza emergence at a layer premises

This study inoculates hens with H7N7-LPAIV precursors to model how they lead to H7N7-HPAIV outbreaks, showing partial protection but not complete prevention of H7N7-HPAIV replication.

Pigeons exhibit low susceptibility and poor transmission capacity for H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b high pathogenicity avian influenza virus

This study shows pigeons are not easily infected by H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b virus and cannot transmit it to other birds or chickens.

Detection of clade 2.3.4.4b H5N1 high pathogenicity avian influenza virus in a sheep in Great Britain, 2025

The paper reports the first detection of clade 2.3.4.4b H5N1 HPAIV in a sheep in Great Britain, highlighting the zoonotic potential and implications for interspecies transmission.

Investigating Factors Driving Shifts in Subtype Dominance within H5Nx Clade 2.3.4.4b High-Pathogenicity Avian Influenza viruses

This study investigates the factors driving the shift in dominance from H5N8 to H5N1 HPAIVs in wild birds, finding that viral pathogenicity and immune responses differ between subtypes.