Only swan knows?
In August 2006, Michigan got relived when the avian flu strain found on swans turned out non-harmful to both birds and humans. This time, the whole states may feel more comfortable with the avian flu invasion to the US, based on the recent USGS-supported report results. Story.
A two-year investigation of birds for detecting the avian influenza by USGS , the US Fish and Wildlife Service , and specialists from other federal agencies, US birds came up with “no highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses.”
Nearly 75,000 waterfowls, shorebirds, gulls, and terns, including 1,799 Michigan birds were tested.
Although many scientists have confirmed that the low-pathogenic H5N1 is apparently not dangerous to the birds, another new data suggest that this virus do affect the lives of birds.”
Here is a relevant news release from ScienceDaily. Com. Dutch scientists found that migratory swans carrying a mild form of avian influenza moved slower than healthy individuals to next stopover sites. They say this slow migration pattern would give the birds more opportunity to get in touch with many healthy birds passing by them on migration. In this way, the virus can spread more rapidly than previously thought.
A two-year investigation of birds for detecting the avian influenza by USGS , the US Fish and Wildlife Service , and specialists from other federal agencies, US birds came up with “no highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses.”
Nearly 75,000 waterfowls, shorebirds, gulls, and terns, including 1,799 Michigan birds were tested.
Although many scientists have confirmed that the low-pathogenic H5N1 is apparently not dangerous to the birds, another new data suggest that this virus do affect the lives of birds.”
Here is a relevant news release from ScienceDaily. Com. Dutch scientists found that migratory swans carrying a mild form of avian influenza moved slower than healthy individuals to next stopover sites. They say this slow migration pattern would give the birds more opportunity to get in touch with many healthy birds passing by them on migration. In this way, the virus can spread more rapidly than previously thought.
posted by choi at 11:18 AM
1 Comments:
This is a very interesting topic to everybody, as shown by the number of links you found. One thing that interested me is that the birds are slower when they have the flu. If that's the case then they have a better chance of being preyed upon or of freezing to death. So maybe natural selection will get rid of the flu...
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