One Health, Many Realities: Navigating Collaboration for Avian Influenza Surveillance and Response

Abstract The emergence of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) in North America in late 2021 drew attention to the need for a collaborative, One Health approach to understanding and mitigating HPAIV spillover at the domestic animal-wildlife-environment-human interface. Governance of avian influenza virus (AIV) is complex, and control strategies related to AIV infections are primarily focused on the agricultural sector; as a result, most wildlife and environmental surveillance efforts have been opportunistic and targeted toward ecosystems experiencing unusual mortality events (e.g., aquatic bird die-offs). This has left significant gaps in knowledge about transmission dynamics in livestock and peri-domestic wildlife contexts. In response to this knowledge gap during an outbreak event of HPAIV in 2022, an Ontario, Canada-based initiative brought together government agencies, academic researchers, and industry stakeholders to enhance HPAIV surveillance, risk assessment, and response strategies within agricultural settings. The initiative recognized that existing surveillance in terrestrial/agricultural landscapes was fragmented, with limited understanding of farm-level risk factors, wildlife interactions, and drivers of the poultry industry. To address these challenges, partners implemented an integrated approach incorporating case-control studies, ecological wildlife assessments, targeted wildlife surveillance, and epidemiological risk mapping. Rapid mobilization of funding, established professional networks, and a flexible research framework allowed the initiative to evolve in response to emerging priorities. This case offers insights into the practical realities of building and sustaining One Health collaborations despite ongoing challenges such as regulatory constraints, data-sharing limitations, and sectoral differences. It demonstrates how problem-driven, incremental approaches can strengthen engagement, produce actionable insights, and adapt to shifting priorities for disease surveillance. Information © Government of Canada 2026.