Avian Influenza Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Avian Influenza, including details on bird flu, h5n1, risks, vaccines, prevention.

Global patterns of influenza a virus in wild birds.

Olsen B, Munster VJ, Wallensten A, Waldenström J, Osterhaus AD, Fouchier RA

Department of Infectious Diseases, Umeå University, SE-90187 Umeå, Sweden.

The outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza of the H5N1 subtype in Asia, which has subsequently spread to Russia, the Middle East, Europe, and Africa, has put increased focus on the role of wild birds in the persistence of influenza viruses. The ecology, epidemiology, genetics, and evolution of pathogens cannot be fully understood without taking into account the ecology of their hosts. Here, we review our current knowledge on global patterns of influenza virus infections in wild birds, discuss these patterns in the context of host ecology and in particular birds' behavior, and identify some important gaps in our current knowledge.

Published 21 April 2006 in Science, 312(5772): 384-8.
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