US University team studies bird flu spread in North America

As the highly pathogenic avian influenza spreads in the United States, a UMD (University of Maryland)-led team of researchers tracked the arrival and progression of bird flu (H5N1) in North America to determine how this outbreak is different from previous ones. The team found the deadly impact on wild birds and a change from seasonal to year-round infections signal dangerous changes in avian influenza in the U.S. They concluded that there is an urgent need for unprecedented coordination at a national and regional-scale to manage the spread of the disease reaching across jurisdictions and disciplines. The team also suggests that H5N1 will likely become endemic, potentially posing risks to food security and the economy. Read more