Zero Funds for Next Pandemic?

Rajeev Choudhury | 29 Jul 2026

India raises health research budget but drops dedicated outbreak R&D fund in the past few years, as per official figures tabled in Parliament.

India has sharply increased its spending on health research over the past four years, but a little-noticed decision in the latest budget has eliminated funding for one scheme dedicated solely to developing tools to prevent disease outbreaks and epidemics.

A written reply tabled in the Rajya Sabha by the minister of state for health and family welfare, Prataprao Jadhav, on July 21 shows that the Department of Health Research (DHR) has received a budget estimate of ₹4,821.21 crore for 2026-27, up from ₹2,892.83 crore in 2023-24—an increase of nearly 67%.

Yet within that expanding budget, the allocation for the scheme titled "Development of Tools/Support to Prevent Outbreaks and Epidemics" has fallen steadily over the past three years before disappearing altogether.

According to the Ministry's reply to Rajya Sabha Unstarred Question No. 285, the scheme received ₹10 crore in 2023-24, ₹8 crore in 2024-25, and ₹3.67 crore in 2025-26. For 2026-27, both the budget estimate and expenditure columns carry a dash, indicating that no allocation has been made.

The scheme was designed to support research into new diagnostic tests, technologies and other public health tools for the prevention, early detection, surveillance and control of disease outbreaks. Its stated objective was to strengthen India's preparedness against emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases.

The move comes only a few years after the COVID-19 pandemic exposed how quickly new infections can overwhelm health systems and disrupt economies. More recently, countries have continued to monitor threats such as Mpox, outbreaks of H5N1 avian influenza, and other emerging infectious diseases.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has repeatedly stressed that investment in surveillance, rapid diagnostics and research remains essential for detecting outbreaks early and limiting their spread.

The disappearance of this dedicated research fund, however, does not mean that India has stopped investing in epidemic preparedness altogether.

The parliamentary reply shows continued funding for several larger programmes with similar objectives. The government has allocated ₹351.06 crore in 2026-27 for areas like biosecurity preparedness, pandemic research, and the National One Health Mission under the Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHI M), to Department of Health Research has been given which encourages teamwork in monitoring health across humans, animals, and the environment.

Of this, ₹351.06 crore in 2026-27 will be spent on elements such as biosecurity preparedness, pandemic research and the National One Health Mission which calls for coordinated surveillance across the human, animal and environmental health sectors.
Similarly, the Viral Research and Diagnostic Laboratories (VRDL) Scheme, which supports laboratory networks across the country for disease surveillance and outbreak investigations, has been allocated ₹70 crore in the current financial year. Funding has also increased for Multi-Disciplinary Research Units (MRUs) in medical colleges, with the allocation rising to ₹100.27 crore.

Even so, public health experts have long argued that dedicated funding streams often play a distinct role by supporting the development of new technologies specifically aimed at preventing future outbreaks rather than strengthening existing infrastructure alone.

The figures released by the Ministry do not explain why the standalone outbreak-prevention research scheme has been discontinued or whether its activities have been fully absorbed into other programmes.

As India continues to expand its overall investment in health research, the budget documents suggest that priorities within that spending are evolving. Whether broader programmes can fully replace a dedicated research fund for outbreak-prevention tools is likely to remain an important question as countries worldwide continue to prepare for the next emerging infectious disease.

The writer is a Delhi-based freelancer who writes on health issues and medical discoveries.

 

How H5N1 bird flu hid unrecognized for weeks in dairy cattle

Study reveals the biology of why the disease looked so different when it made the leap to cows, and offers a framework for spotting its next new guise more quickly

University of Pittsburgh

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image: 

Microscopic image of bovine mammary gland tissue showing influenza virus receptors (yellow) on mammary epithelial cells. The study identified receptor patterns that may help explain the susceptibility of the bovine mammary gland to H5N1 infection and its ability to support viral replication.

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Credit: Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh.

PITTSBURGH— When H5N1 bird flu first began infecting U.S. cattle in early 2024, diagnosis was elusive, because in cows, the disease looked completely different. Instead of affecting the lungs, as H5N1 does in other mammalian species, it caused severe infection in the cows' udders, largely sparing the lungs.  

A study by University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health researchers published today in Science Advances provides the first mechanistic explanation for this peculiar new guise for H5N1, which now affects more than 100 bird and mammal species globally. The study also establishes a new way to help scientists spot bird flu’s next surprise move more quickly, saving precious time in mounting public-health measures to stem the spread. 

The disease first appeared in dairy cattle along the Texas Panhandle as stubborn cases of severe, necrotizing mastitis, a painful inflammatory condition that damages tissues in the mammary glands.  

"Mastitis is a classic disease in milk-production animals, and veterinarians were dutifully looking to all the usual suspects for the source, like bacterial pathogens," said senior author Suresh Kuchipudi, Ph.D., chair of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology at Pitt Public Health. "When the real culprit turned out to be bird flu, everyone in the field was caught completely by surprise. We hadn't even remotely considered that cattle could be a host for H5N1.”  

In the weeks before the virus was identified, it moved from herd to herd, sickening the cattle—and contaminating their environments.  

"If a cow is infected, it sheds a lot of virus into the milk," said Kuchipudi. "This raised concerns about occupational risk for farm workers. Also, there is a habit of feeding raw milk to domestic pets, like cats, and there have been instances of cats dying, which we studied previously." He stressed that fortunately, pasteurization is effective at killing the virus, underlining the importance of avoiding raw milk. 

Kuchipudi has been studying influenza viruses for his entire career, with a particular focus on how receptor biology determines which species—and which tissues—can be infected. Typically, such studies involve staining cells for the presence of receptors that are known to work in a lock-and-key relationship with influenza, a subset of sugar-based molecules known as glycans.  

In initial studies by other groups, such experiments suggested that flu‑related glycan receptors were present in the noses, tracheas and lungs of cows. The fact that the animals were nonetheless not developing respiratory infections told the team there was more to the story.  

"Glycan biology is very complex," said Kuchipudi. "We realized that, to understand what was really going on, we would need to use more innovative technologies and map out the fine‑detailed architecture that enables the virus to bind to cells." Kuchipudi collaborated on the study with Harvard Medical School's Lauren E. Pepi, Ph.D., an expert in the methodology for comprehensively cataloging the entirety of glycan structures, dubbed glycomics.   

Using a multimodal approach that combined binding experiments, staining methods and ultra‑high‑resolution imaging, the team revealed that not all glycan receptors were functioning the same in animals infected with bird flu. Only a particular subtype, known as N‑linked sialic acid receptors, could bind to H5N1. These receptors were virtually absent in cow airway tissue, but pervasive in udders, making them a "perfect breeding ground for the virus," Kuchipudi said. 

The research provides a framework other scientists can use to potentially predict not just whether H5N1 can jump to new hosts, but also how.  

"We can preemptively screen different species and different tissues within them for susceptibility," said Kuchipudi. "For example, would they exhibit respiratory symptoms? Would they show only mastitis, as in cows? Or would they show neurological disease, as our team has shown in cats? The lessons learned could potentially help prevent us from being caught by surprise again."  

Other authors on the study were Surabhi Srinivas, M.S., Shubhada K. Chothe, Ph.D., Santhamani Ramasamy, Ph.D., Sougat Misra, Ph.D., Noel Chandan Nallipogu, M.D., MPH, and Lindsey LaBella, all of Pitt; Yin-Ting Yeh, Ph.D., of Pennsylvania State University; May Wang, B.S., of Harvard University; and Heidi L. Pecoraro, Ph.D., and Brett T. Webb Ph.D., of North Dakota State University. 

This research was supported by Pitt Public Health, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (FP00039373/AWD00010780). 

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About the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health  

Founded in 1948, the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health is a top-ranked institution of seven academic departments partnering with stakeholders locally and globally to create, implement and disseminate innovative public health research and practice. With hands-on and high-tech instruction, Pitt Public Health trains a diverse community of students to become public health leaders who counter persistent population health problems and inequities.   

 

www.upmc.com/media 

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Journal

Science Advances

DOI

10.1126/sciadv.aea2068 

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

Animals

Article Title

Receptor Basis of Unusual Tissue Tropism of Avian Influenza H5N1 Clade 2.3.4.4b Virus in Cattle

Article Publication Date

19-Jun-2026

COI Statement

NA

Related News Releases

• How H5N1 bird flu hid unrecognized for weeks in dairy cattle
  (University of Pittsburgh)

Highly contagious bird flu found in Australia for the first time

20.06.2026, dpa

Photo: Richard Wainwright/AAP/dpa

By Rebekah Lyell, dpa

The highly contagious H5N1 bird flu virus has been detected in mainland Australia for the first time, authorities said on Saturday.

Agriculture Minister Julie Collins said a brown skua, a type of migratory seabird, found on a remote beach south of Perth in Western Australia had tested positive for the disease.

The positive result means the virus, which has infected millions of birds worldwide, had now spread to every continent.

"This is the highly pathogenic strain of concern that has been circulating globally, and this is its first detection on mainland Australia," Collins said.

There was no evidence of any mass mortalities nor any evidence of infection in any poultry, she said.

Samples from another sick bird from the same region had been tested and had returned a suspected positive result for the avian influenza. The samples had now been sent for confirmatory testing.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the case was concerning, but the country was well prepared to respond.

"This is something that has happened through migratory birds, and has happened by definition around the world, and this is why we are preparing for this," he said.

Collins pointed to a A$100 million (US$70 million) government investment to prepare for a potential avian influenza outbreak.

"We have looked at what has happened overseas we have learnt from that, which is why we have invested early."

The H5 variant of avian flu was found on the sub-Antarctic remote Australian territory of Heard Island last year. The disease was detected on the island, about 4,000 kilometres south-west of Perth, after an unusually high number of elephant seals died there.

• Scimex on Australia confirmation
• Statement

(c) 2026 dpa Deutsche Presse Agentur GmbH

Dairy Farms In California May Transmit H5N1 Virus Through Multiple Sources

 May 6, 2026

By Eurasia Review

The H5N1 strain of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 has been detected in over 700 herds of dairy cows in California, the largest dairy-producing state in the U.S. A study published in the open-access journal PLOS Biology led by Seema S. Lakdawala at Emory University School of Medicine, U.S. and Jason Lombard at Colorado State University, U.S. suggests that avian influenza (H5N1) is transmitted through multiple, previously unknown sources and that some H5N1 positive cows do not show clinical signs of infection.

H5N1 may spread on dairy farms through direct contact with unpasteurized milk, such as via contaminated milking equipment. However, the full picture of how the virus can be spread on farms with infected cows is unclear. In order to better understand transmission routes of avian flu on dairy farms, researchers took air, farm wastewater, and milk samples on fourteen dairy farms testing positive for H5N1 across two different California regions between October 2024 and January 2025. They tested all samples for the presence of virus and performed genome sequencing on detected virus to identify any genetic variants and mutations.

The researchers detected airborne virus from the exhaled breath of infected cows and in the dairy parlor, identified the presence of virus in the wastewater, and found a high prevalence of cows who tested positive for H5N1 despite being asymptomatic.

The extensive environmental contamination of infected dairy farms suggests a higher risk of viral spread from cows to humans and other animals. However, future studies are needed to validate these results as longitudinal sampling of individual cows was limited to only fourteen animals. Sampling across a larger sample of farms over a longer time period is also needed to support the findings.

Dr. Lakdawala notes, “Our data confirm the presence of infectious H5N1 virus in the air and reclaimed farm wastewater sites. In addition, we observed high viral loads and H5 antibodies in the milk of cows, including those without clinical signs, suggesting that multiple modes of H5N1 transmission likely exist on farms. These results identify additional sources of viral exposure for cows, peridomestic wildlife, and humans, highlighting the need for multiple mitigation strategies to reduce the spread of H5N1 within a herd and to humans.”

The authors add, “Detection of infectious virus in the air and waste streams on farms was surprising but highlights that there is a considerable amount of infectious virus on farms and multiple sources of infection exist.”

“Targeted interventions in the dairy parlors to reduce the amount of aerosols in the air and inactivation of sick milk prior to disposal will provide additional barriers to infection of farm workers and likely other farm animals.”

Global Virus Network statement on H5N1 vaccine developments

New vaccine momentum reflects growing urgency of avian influenza (H5N1) threat and reinforces need for coordinated global preparedness, building on prior analysis published in The Lancet Regional Health—Americas

Global Virus Network

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TAMPA, FL, USA (April 27, 2026) – The Global Virus Network (GVN), representing eminent human and animal virologists from more than 90 Centers of Excellence and Affiliates in over 40 countries dedicated to advancing research, collaboration, and pandemic preparedness, unequivocally supports and is very encouraged by recent developments in vaccines targeting H5N1 avian influenza, including the initiation of a Phase 3 clinical trial by Moderna for its mRNA-based H5N1 vaccine candidate (mRNA-1018), with the majority of clinical sites based in the United Kingdom and additional sites in the United States. This effort, supported by the UK’s National Institute for Health and Care Research and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), represents an important step forward while pointing to a significant opportunity to strengthen global preparedness.

“We are seeing a virus that continues to expand its host range and geographic reach. This is exactly when surveillance, data sharing, and preparedness measures must accelerate and keep pace with the science,” said Marion Koopmans, DVM, PhD, a GVN center of excellence director and scientific director of the Pandemic and Disaster Research Centre at Erasmus Medical Center, Netherlands. Dr. Koopmans is a U.S. and Dutch National Academy of Sciences member. She is highly regarded for her research on emerging infectious diseases and as a scientific advisor to policymakers at national and international levels.

The renewed focus on vaccines reflects the urgency of recommendations GVN outlined in its 2025 analysis published in The Lancet Regional Health—Americas, which called for accelerated vaccine development alongside strengthened surveillance, biosecurity, and coordinated international response.

Recent data underscore the scale and persistence of H5N1 spread. Between late November 2025 and February 2026, more than 2,500 detections of highly pathogenic avian influenza were reported across 32 European countries, including over 2,100 cases in wild birds alone, with levels significantly higher than in previous years, according to a joint report from the European Food Safety Authority and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. Globally, outbreaks continue to be reported across multiple regions, reflecting sustained transmission in animal populations, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

Ongoing zoonotic spillover events highlight the continued risk at the human–animal interface. In Cambodia, sporadic human infections with H5N1 continue to be reported, often associated with severe disease. While these events remain rare, they reinforce the importance of sustained vigilance and preparedness. Since 2023, Cambodia has reported more than 30 human cases of H5N1 with a high case fatality rate exceeding 40%, based on national and international surveillance reports, with multiple cases reported in 2026 to date, demonstrating the continued potential for severe outcomes following zoonotic transmission.

The GVN’s 2025 analysis published in The Lancet Regional Health—Americas identified a critical reality: sustained human-to-human transmission of H5N1 avian influenza has not been observed, but the virus’s expanding spread among animals, including mammals, and its ongoing evolution present a credible and potentially serious pandemic risk. This convergence of scientific evidence and policy attention further underscores the urgency of acting now.

GVN virologists stress the need for strengthened pandemic preparedness and emphasize that preparedness must extend beyond early-stage vaccine development to include:

• Targeted vaccination strategies for high-risk populations, including agricultural workers
• Clinical studies to evaluate vaccine effectiveness against emerging strains
• Integration of vaccine planning with real-time genomic and field surveillance
• Comprehensive international data sharing to guide rapid, coordinated response

“Vaccines are one of our most powerful tools against influenza, but their value depends on readiness. We need to ensure that effective vaccines can be produced and deployed rapidly if the situation changes,” said Peter Palese, PhD, a GVN center of excellence director and Horace W. Goldsmith Professor of the department of microbiology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Dr. Palese is a world leader in influenza research and a U.S. National Academy of Sciences member.

Consistent with its prior scientific guidance, the GVN emphasizes the importance of leveraging multiple vaccine platforms, including rapidly adaptable technologies such as mRNA, to support timely, scalable, and globally coordinated responses to emerging viral threats.

The GVN notes that vaccines alone will not prevent a potential pandemic. Preparedness requires a comprehensive strategy integrating surveillance, biosecurity, clinical readiness, and sustained global collaboration. The opportunity now is to act while the risk remains manageable.

 

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Media Contacts:

Nora Samaranayake

nsamaranayake@gvn.org  

Global Virus Network

About the Global Virus Network

The Global Virus Network (GVN) is a worldwide coalition comprising 90+ Virology Centers of Excellence and Affiliates across 40+ countries, whose mission is to facilitate pandemic preparedness against viral pathogens and diseases that threaten public health globally. GVN advances knowledge of viruses through (i) data-driven research and solutions, (ii) fostering the next generation of virology leaders, and (iii) enhancing global resources for readiness and response to emerging viral threats. GVN provides the essential expertise required to discover and diagnose viruses that threaten public health, understand how such viruses spread illnesses, and facilitate the development of diagnostics, therapies, and treatments to combat them. GVN coordinates and collaborates with local, national, and international scientific institutions and government agencies to provide real-time virus informatics, surveillance, and response resources and strategies. GVN's pandemic preparedness mission is achieved by focusing on Education & Training, Qualitative & Quantitative Research, and Global Health Strategies & Solutions. The GVN is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. For more information, please visit www.gvn.org.

 

Bird flu spread could be impacted by where waterfowl like to live

Reduced movement in human-heavy landscapes may change how the virus travels

University of Georgia

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The movement patterns of waterfowl, including ducks, swans and geese, may affect the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza in bird populations, according to a new study from the University of Georgia.

Researchers found that birds travel much shorter distances in areas with human activity, likely because those landscapes have plenty of food, water and shelter.

When birds stay in one place, disease doesn’t spread as much. But it could also mean more intense hotspots of disease outbreaks in concentrated areas.

By understanding the movement patterns of waterfowl outside of typical migration periods, scientists could better predict where bird flu, or H5N1, might spread next.

“Birds are like us. They’re always responding to what’s around them, whether that’s food availability or disturbance from people or other animals,” said Claire Teitelbaum, assistant unit leader with the U.S. Geological Survey’s Georgia Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, lead author of the study and an adjunct assistant professor in the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources. “We can take the environment, predict how much we think birds are moving and then use that to predict where avian flu is going to go.”

Waterfowl stay put in areas with diverse habitats, human influence

The researchers analyzed 20 years of data containing movement information from more than 4,600 total waterfowl spanning 26 species in the Northern Hemisphere. The scientists tracked how far the waterfowl moved over time during breeding and winter seasons, when birds “commute” regularly between areas used for resting and eating.

The distance of these so-called commutes, which took place outside of their regular seasonal migrations, appeared to depend on the birds’ environment. Birds in uniform areas, such as vast expanses of grasslands or farmlands, traveled six times farther to acquire food or a safe location to rest compared to birds in more diverse landscapes.

The waterfowl in those more varied landscapes, which ranged from wetlands to urban green spaces, often didn’t need to travel more than a mile around their “home” to meet all or most of their daily needs.

“If we provide enough diverse attractive habitats, these animals may want to stick around,”  Teitelbaum said. “Like humans, if you live in a suburban neighborhood where it’s just single-family homes for miles and miles, you’re going to have to drive miles and miles out of that area to get to work or shop. If you live in an urban center, you have everything you need right there.”

Locations with a significant human population also played a role, as they were more likely to have protected green spaces with water sources or cover. Human activity could also mean literal blocks that prevent bird movement, such as roads or fences.

Birds in these regions traveled about one-third of the distance of birds residing in sparser areas.

Different seasons could play role in bird flu spread outside of seasonal migrations

While yearly migrations are a major factor in the spread of H5N1, the present study aimed to understand how flight during breeding and winter seasons may add to transmission.

The researchers found that during winter months, movements were over twice as far when compared to travel during the breeding season. Waterfowl often had to fly farther in their daily routines to secure food or places to sleep, potentially carrying the virus with them.

In addition to studying these daily movements, the researchers found the same patterns when studying birds’ weekly movement distances. That’s key, Teitelbaum explained, as one week is also the incubation period for the virus.

Breeding season could present its own challenges. During this time, birds were less likely to travel far distances, instead remaining close to their nests. Although that can limit wider spread, it also could increase the risk for localized hotspots of the virus.

“If we want to keep the flu from spreading, we might want to see what we can do to keep the birds in one place, but there’s that flipside. Outbreaks happen when birds are in high density, so we might have increased transmission locally,” she said. “That’s the underpinning: How can we link the distances that birds are moving to the distances that flu is moving?”

This study was published in Ecology Letters.

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Journal

Ecology Letters

DOI

10.1111/ele.70265 

Article Title

Waterfowl Move Less in Heterogeneous and Human-Populated Landscapes, With Implications for Spread of Avian Influenza Viruses