Evidence of widespread sequencing errors in global avian influenza study

Wannigama et al. (2025) 1 present a study whereby guano samples from infrequently sampled countries were assessed for the presence of avian influenza viruses. Samples were collected from Africa (Madagascar, Mozambique, Somalia), the Middle East (Yemen), South Asia (Maldives, Sri Lanka), South East Asia (Indonesia, Myanmar, the Philippines) and Oceania (Papua New Guinea). The study aims to address critical gaps in global surveillance and provide important data that could enhance understanding of regional viral diversity and evolution, as well as inform high pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI) incursion risk assessments. However, the data presented and the conclusions drawn from this study are of high concern to the global influenza community. The viral sequence data on which the study is based contradict long-established understanding of global avian influenza evolution, resulting in conclusions that are incongruent with the global evidence base. The publication of erroneous viral sequences in public databases such as GenBank or GISAID hinders rational interpretation of data in a global context, resulting in misleading conclusions that affect disease risk assessments and policy decisions.