Urban waterfowl harbour geographically connected viral communities across Aotearoa New Zealand
- 1University of Otago
Abstract
Urban waterfowl are important natural reservoirs of viruses that can affect wildlife, livestock and human health, yet the diversity and spatial distribution of these viral communities remain poorly understood. Here, we characterised the faecal viromes of urban waterfowl sampled from 13 locations across the length of Aotearoa (New Zealand). We identified 96 avian viruses (50 species) spanning nine viral families, including 33 previously undescribed viruses. Picornaviruses were the most widespread viral group, while several viruses were closely related to those previously identified in Australian waterfowl, indicating that some viral lineages are likely distributed across the broader Australasian region. Despite sampling locations spanning more than 1,500 km, virome composition exhibited little evidence of geographic structure, with little difference in viral diversity or community composition between sampling locations. Network analyses similarly demonstrated extensive sharing of virus species among sampling locations, indicating little geographic structuring of virome composition among urban waterfowl. In addition, we recovered the complete genome of a low-pathogenic A(H3N8) influenza A virus from mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) in the most southern region of Aotearoa. These findings reveal extensive viral diversity and widespread connectivity among urban waterfowl, providing new insights into viral ecology and the potential for widespread virus distribution across Aotearoa.
Related
- Green turtle satellite telemetry: identifying spatial movements, residency patterns, and habitat associations in Aotearoa New Zealand
- Ecological and pathological factors related to trace metal concentrations in harbour porpoises Phocoena phocoena from the North Sea and adjacent areas
- Drift and Selection in a Recently Colonized Sea: The Genomic Basis of Adaptation to Low‐Salinity Waters in Baltic Harbour Porpoises
- A Waterfowl Reproduction Model to Predict Carryover Effects of Oil Spills
- Optimal Conservation Prioritization for Waterfowl and Other Birds in Eastern Canada
BibTeX
@misc{heremia2026urban,
title = {{Urban waterfowl harbour geographically connected viral communities across Aotearoa New Zealand}},
author = {L. R. Heremia and R. K. French and R. M. Grimwood and J. R. Wierenga and J. Dubrulle and J. T. Tauai and J. A. Darnley and N. S. Holdsworth and J. L. Geoghegan and S. J. Waller},
howpublished = {bioRxiv},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.64898/2026.10.04.756485},
url = {https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.10.04.756485v1},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Urban waterfowl harbour geographically connected viral communities across Aotearoa New Zealand
AU - L. R. Heremia
AU - R. K. French
AU - R. M. Grimwood
AU - J. R. Wierenga
AU - J. Dubrulle
AU - J. T. Tauai
AU - J. A. Darnley
AU - N. S. Holdsworth
AU - J. L. Geoghegan
AU - S. J. Waller
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/04
PB - bioRxiv
DO - 10.64898/2026.10.04.756485
UR - https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.10.04.756485v1
AB - Urban waterfowl are important natural reservoirs of viruses that can affect wildlife, livestock and human health, yet the diversity and spatial distribution of these viral communities remain poorly understood. Here, we characterised the faecal viromes of urban waterfowl sampled from 13 locations across the length of Aotearoa (New Zealand). We identified 96 avian viruses (50 species) spanning nine viral families, including 33 previously undescribed viruses. Picornaviruses were the most widespread viral group, while several viruses were closely related to those previously identified in Australian waterfowl, indicating that some viral lineages are likely distributed across the broader Australasian region. Despite sampling locations spanning more than 1,500 km, virome composition exhibited little evidence of geographic structure, with little difference in viral diversity or community composition between sampling locations. Network analyses similarly demonstrated extensive sharing of virus species among sampling locations, indicating little geographic structuring of virome composition among urban waterfowl. In addition, we recovered the complete genome of a low-pathogenic A(H3N8) influenza A virus from mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) in the most southern region of Aotearoa. These findings reveal extensive viral diversity and widespread connectivity among urban waterfowl, providing new insights into viral ecology and the potential for widespread virus distribution across Aotearoa.
ER -