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Climate Change Could Increase Levels of Avian Influenza in Wild Birds

By Guest PostAugust 31, 2012Environment, Naturea h5n1, american black duck, Arctic, avian influenza, biogeographic population, bird flu, choreographed interaction, climate change, delaware bay, domestic poultry, heat waves, horseshoe crab, human health, human infection, increase, influenza infection, level, mallards, mathematical model, melting glaciers, michigan, migratory flight, migratory paths, migratory shorebird, north american, pejman rohani, planetary woes, population ecologist, rainstorms, risk, sea levels, species, type a virus, university, victoria brown, western hemisphere, wild birds

ANN ARBOR, Mich.— Rising sea levels, melting glaciers, more intense rainstorms and more frequent heat waves are among the planetary woes that may come to mind when climate change is mentioned. Now, two University of Michigan researchers say an increased risk of avian influenza transmission in wild birds can be added to the list.

Population ecologists Pejman Rohani and Victoria Brown used a mathematical model to explore the consequences of altered interactions between an important species of migratory shorebird and horseshoe crabs at Delaware Bay as a result of climate change. (more…)

Discovery of Why Influenza B Virus Exclusively Infects Humans Opens Door for Drugs to Fight Seasonal Epidemics Caused by Virus

By Guest PostAugust 29, 2011Scienceaaron shatkin, avian influenza, brendan amer, cross species, flu pandemic of 1918, gaetano montelione, human cells, human defenses to infection, human protein, influenza a viruses, influenza b virus protein, influenza viruses, interferon stimulated gene 15 protein, isg15, li ching ma, ns1b protein, robert krug, rongjin guan, Rutgers University, seasonal influenza epidemics, strains, the university of texas at austin, viral infections, x ray crystallography

AUSTIN, Texas — The three-dimensional structure of a site on an influenza B virus protein that suppresses human defenses to infection has been determined by researchers at Rutgers University and The University of Texas at Austin.

The discovery could help scientists develop drugs to fight seasonal influenza epidemics caused by the common influenza B strain.

Their discovery also helps explain how influenza B is limited to humans, and why it cannot be as virulent as A strains that incorporate new genes from influenza viruses that infect other species. (more…)

New Research Suggests Wild Birds May Play a Role in the Spread of Bird Flu

By Guest PostMarch 25, 2011Environment, Health, Scienceafrica, anser indicus, asia, avian influenza, bar headed goose, bird flu, bird flu outbreak, China, diann prosser, disease, domestic geese and chickens, eurasia, global transmission of bird flu, gps data, H5N1, h5n1 transmission, h5n1 virus, lhasa, mongolia, peng cui, poultry, qinghai lake, qinghai-tibet plateau, scott newman, tibet, wild birds, wild migratory birds

LAUREL, Md. — Wild migratory birds may indeed play a role in the spread of bird flu, also known as highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1.

A study by the U.S. Geological Survey, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization and the Chinese Academy of Sciences used satellites, outbreak data and genetics to uncover an unknown link in Tibet among wild birds, poultry and the movement of the often-deadly virus. (more…)

Tag Archives: avian influenza

Climate Change Could Increase Levels of Avian Influenza in Wild Birds

Discovery of Why Influenza B Virus Exclusively Infects Humans Opens Door for Drugs to Fight Seasonal Epidemics Caused by Virus

New Research Suggests Wild Birds May Play a Role in the Spread of Bird Flu