Saturday, January 28, 2023
News on Pathogens and Preparedness
Global Biodefense
  • Featured
  • COVID-19
  • Funding
  • Directory
  • Jobs
  • Events
  • Subscribe
No Result
View All Result
  • Featured
  • COVID-19
  • Funding
  • Directory
  • Jobs
  • Events
  • Subscribe
No Result
View All Result
Global Biodefense
No Result
View All Result
Home Biosurveillance

Monitoring Migration Routes for Early Warning on Bird Flu

by Global Biodefense Staff
October 18, 2016
Campylobacter Causing Disease In Chickens

Credit: Shutterstock

Credit: Shutterstock

Scientists led by researchers at the University of Edinburgh recently published findings from analysis of how H5N8 avian influenza spread around the world following outbreaks in South Korea that began in early 2014.

The team analyzed migration patterns of infected wild birds, demonstrating how some birds help to spread deadly strains of avian flu. The team then compared the genetic code of viruses isolated from infected birds collected from 16 different countries.

Their findings reveal that H5N8 was most likely carried by long-distance flights of infected migrating wild birds from Asia to Europe and North America via their breeding grounds in the Arctic.

The researchers say their findings reinforce the importance of maintaining strict exclusion areas around poultry farms to keep wild birds out and that greater surveillance of wild birds at known breeding areas could help to provide early warning of threats of specific flu virus strains to birds and people.

“Bird flu is a major threat to the health and wellbeing of farmed chickens worldwide,” noted lead author Samantha Lycett, of the University of Edinburgh’s Roslin Institute. “Our findings show that with good surveillance, rapid data sharing and collaboration, we can track how infections spread across continents.”

Highly pathogenic avian influenzas can kill up to 100 percent of the birds they infect within a few days.

Professor Mark Woolhouse, also of the University of Edinburgh, concluded: “This study could only have happened through bird flu researchers around the world pooling resources and working together. We see this as a model for how scientists should unite to combat infectious diseases of all kinds.”

Read more: Role for migratory wild birds in the global spread of avian influenza H5N8.

Tags: Avian InfluenzaH5N8

Related Posts

Influenza Proteins Tilt and Wave in ‘Breath-like’ Motions
Pathogens

Influenza Proteins Tilt and Wave in ‘Breath-like’ Motions

January 25, 2023
DARPA Selects Teams to Develop Vaccine Durability Prediction Model
Medical Countermeasures

DARPA Selects Teams to Develop Vaccine Durability Prediction Model

January 13, 2023
The device appears smaller than a playing card, transparent, with visible channels branching off.
Medical Countermeasures

How Organ-on-a-chip Models Could Grease the Drug Development Pipeline

January 10, 2023
New Virus Discovered in Swiss Ticks
Biosurveillance

New Virus Discovered in Swiss Ticks

December 7, 2022
Load More

Latest News

Partner Therapeutics’ Novel Approach to Stratify Sepsis Patients Gains Backing From BARDA

Biopreparedness Research Virtual Environment (BRaVE) Initiative Backed by $105M DOE Funding

January 25, 2023
Influenza Proteins Tilt and Wave in ‘Breath-like’ Motions

Influenza Proteins Tilt and Wave in ‘Breath-like’ Motions

January 25, 2023
Biodefense Headlines – 24 January 2023

Biodefense Headlines – 24 January 2023

January 24, 2023
Biodefense Headlines – 17 January 2023

Biodefense Headlines – 17 January 2023

January 17, 2023

Subscribe

  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Subscribe

© 2022 Stemar Media Group LLC

No Result
View All Result
  • Featured
  • COVID-19
  • Funding
  • Directory
  • Jobs
  • Events
  • Subscribe

© 2022 Stemar Media Group LLC