Human infections with H5, H7, and H9 avian influenza viruses are well documented. Exposure to poultry is the most important risk factor for humans becoming infected with these viruses. Data on human infection with other low pathogenicity avian influenza viruses is sparse but suggests that such infections may occur. Lebanon is a Mediterranean country lying under two major migratory birds flyways...

Introduction Live poultry markets (LPMs) continue to operate in many Asian countries. Low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) viruses are often endemic in the poultry, and LPM presents the opportunity for human-poultry interactions and potential human infections with avian influenza viruses. As a series of interventions to control avian influenza transmission in Hong Kong LPMs, local health autho...

This study reports on the first quantification of avian influenza virus in the organs of mute swans that died during the epizootic of avian influenza (H5N1) between January and April 2006 in the Czech Republic. The quantitative real-time Reverse Transcriptase PCR (qRT-PCR) assay based on a TaqMan probe was developed for a rapid detection and quantification of avian influenza virus RNA in clinic...

INTRODUCTION Wild migratory birds are global distributors of pathogens. Sardinia, Italy, is the second largest Island in the Mediterranean and is a land bridge between Europe and Africa. METHODOLOGY We designed a surveillance protocol to investigate wild migratory birds for presence, frequency, and type of avian influenza viruses. We collected over 4,000 avian samples and compared three sampl...

We report the first large-scale surveillance of avian influenza viruses in water birds conducted in Africa. This study shows evidence of avian influenza viruses in wild birds, both Eurasian and Afro-tropical species, in several major wetlands of Africa.

References 1. Gao R, Cao B, Hu Y, Feng Z, Wang D, Hu W, et al. Human infection with a novel avian-origin influenza A (H7N9) virus. N Engl J Med. 2013;368:1888–97. http://dx.doi.org/10.1056/ NEJMoa1304459 2. Li Q, Zhou L, Zhou M, Chen Z, Li F, Wu H, et al. Epidemiology of human infections with avian influenza A(H7N9) virus in China. N Engl J Med. 2014;370:520–32. http://dx.doi.org/10.1056/ NEJMo...

An avian influenza quality assurance program was used to provide information for laboratories on the sensitivity and specificity of their avian influenza nucleic acid testing. Most laboratories were able to correctly detect clinically relevant amounts of influenza virus (H5N1), and results improved as each subsequent panel was tested.

Pandemic influenza is a constant global threat to human health. In particular, the pandemic potential of novel avian influenza viruses such as the H10N7 and H10N8 avian strains, which recently managed to cross the species barrier from birds to humans, are always of great concern as we are unlikely to have any prior immunity. Human and avian isolates of H10 influenza display the ability to rapid...

BMC Public Health. 2012;12:957. http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/14712458-12-957 5. Agbenohevi PG, Odoom JK, Bel-Nono S, Nyarko EO, Alhassan M, Rodgers D, et al. Biosecurity measures to reduce influenza infections in military barracks in Ghana. BMC Res Notes. 2015;8:14. http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s13104-014-0956-0 6. Monne I, Meseko C, Joannis T, Shittu I, Ahmed M, Tassoni L, et al. Highly pathogenic a...

BACKGROUND Wild waterfowl are considered as the natural reservoir for avian influenza (AI) viruses. Bangladesh has been experiencing highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreaks since 2007, mostly in chickens and occasionally in ducks. Ducks play an important role in the persistence and genetic recombination of AI viruses. This paper presents the results of serological and virological mon...