Winker K, McCracken KG, Gibson DD, Pruett CL, Meie. Movements of Birds and Avian Influenza from Asia into Alaska. Emerg Infect Dis, 2007 April edition
Asian-origin avian influenza (AI) viruses are spread in part by migratory birds. In Alaska, diverse avian hosts from Asia and the Americas overlap in a region of intercontinental avifaunal mixing. This region is hypothesized to be a zone of Asia-to-America virus transfer because birds there can mingle in waters contaminated by wild-bird–origin AI viruses. Our 7 years of AI virus surveillance among waterfowl and shorebirds in this region (1998–2004; 8,254 samples) showed remarkably low infection rates (0.06%). Our findings suggest an Arctic effect on viral ecology, caused perhaps by low ecosystem productivity and low host densities relative to available water. Combined with a synthesis of avian diversity and abundance, intercontinental host movements, and genetic analyses, our results suggest that the risk and probably the frequency of intercontinental virus transfer in this region are relatively low.
See Also:
Latest articles in those days:
- Influenza D Virus Infection in China, 2022-2023 1 days ago
- Evidence of reassortment of avian influenza A (H2) viruses in Brazilian shorebirds 1 days ago
- Epitopes in the HA and NA of H5 and H7 avian influenza viruses that are important for antigenic drift 3 days ago
- Assessment of CD8+ T-cell mediated immunity in an influenza A(H3N2) human challenge model in Belgium: a single centre, randomised, double-blind phase 2 study 3 days ago
- Dual N-linked glycosylation at residues 133 and 158 in the hemagglutinin are essential for the efficacy of H7N9 avian influenza virus like particle vaccine in chickens and mice 3 days ago
[Go Top] [Close Window]