This study aimed to assess which method of wild waterbird surveillance had the greatest probability of detecting highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 during a period of surveillance activity, the cost of each method was also considered. Lake Constance is a major wintering centre for migratory waterbirds and in 2006 it was the site of an HPAI H5N1 epidemic in wild birds. Avian influenza...

This experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of olive leaf (OL) on immune response and some blood metabolites of broiler chickens. A total of 400 one-day-old broiler chicks (male and female) were randomly assigned to 5 experimental treatments with 4 replicates of 20 birds each. Birds of different treatments were given diets containing 0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75 and 1% OL powder from 14 to 4...

Nine decades after the disappearance of the infamous Spanish flu, its ghost is threatening again. In many countries, panicking citizens are buying drugs from uncertain sources through the internet for a disease that does not yet exist. In September 2005, Dr Nabarro, the World Health Organization’s public health expert coordinating the response to avian influenza, told the Associated Press that ...

The receptor-binding specificity of influenza A viruses is a major determinant for the host tropism of the virus, which enables interspecies transmission. In 2013, the first human case of infection with avian influenza A (H6N1) virus was reported in Taiwan. To gather evidence concerning the epidemic potential of H6 subtype viruses, we performed comprehensive analysis of receptor-binding propert...

We describe the enhanced rumor surveillance during the avian influenza H5N1 outbreak in 2004. The World Health Organization's Western Pacific Regional Office identified 40 rumors; 9 were verified to be true. Rumor surveillance informed immediate public health action and prevented unnecessary and costly responses.

We analyzed the complete genome sequence of the A/Shanghai/01/2014 (H7N9) strain, which will provide a better understanding of the evolution of influenza A(H7N9) virus.