Since 2021, an unprecedented epizootic of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) is under way on a global scale. The outbreak is marked by a loss of seasonality alongside an explosive increase in geographic rang and host species. More than 320 wild bird species have been affected in often devastating outbreaks, causing significant concerns for populations and ecosystems. 

Southwestern Europe serves as a stronghold for several vulture species, including Griffon vultures (Gyps fulvus), whose southwestern European distribution represents approximately 75% of the global population. Due to their ecology, vultures have been considered less likely to be exposed and less susceptible to HPAI. However, abnormal mortality of nestling and adult vultures was detected in France & Spain in spring 2022, and was confirmed to be the result of H5N1 avian influenza. 

Join Dr. Guillaume Le Loc'h to learn about the long-term monitoring of vulture populations in both countries, and the work studying the epidemiology and circulation of HPAI in a previously unaffected species. 

About Dr. Le Loc'h: After working for nine years in the management of the Houbara Bustard conservation breeding farms at RENECO and completing his Ph.D about molecular epidemiology of avipoxviruses in the Houbara Bustard,  Guillaume Le Loc’h has been working as a senior lecturer in zoological medicine and wildlife health at the National Veterinary School of Toulouse (France) since 2016. His research focusses on the transmission of infectious agents at wild-domestic interfaces. He is also head of the wildlife rehabilitation centre of the Vet School. His other activities include post-mortem diagnosis for wildlife disease surveillance programs, participation in national expert groups such as avian influenza in wildlife and management of distressed French large predators, and he works as the official veterinarian for the European Hamster conservation breeding farm. 

Individuals who attend the live event for at least 3/4 of its run time will receive a Certificate of Attendance for their records, provided they attend under their own name and email address.

This event will be held in English. Live translated captions in the following languages:

Arabic | Bengali | Cantonese | Chinese (Simplified) | Chinese (Traditional) | Czech | Danish | Dutch | English | Estonian | Finnish | French (Canada) | French (France) | German | Greek | Hebrew | Hindi | Hungarian | Indonesian | Italian | Japanese | Korean | Malay | Norwegian | Persian | Polish | Portuguese (Brazil) | Portuguese (Portugal) | Romanian | Russian | Spanish | Swedish | Tagalog | Tamil | Telugu | Thai | Turkish | Ukrainian | Vietnamese | Welsh

Registration closes on September 21, 2026