bird flu

So far this season, tens of millions of birds have died of disease or been culled, driving up prices of eggs, chicken, and turkey meat.

The Scientist spoke with the UK’s chief veterinary officer, Christine Middlemiss, about this winter’s high bird flu prevalence, the effects of the disease, and efforts to combat it.

Lab and field experiments indicate that aquatic environments could act as reservoirs for the pathogens, which typically do not represent a direct risk to humans.

The woman, a resident of southeast China, has since recovered.

What researchers are learning as they sequence, map, and decode species’ genomes

China reports new H7N9 bird flu infections in humans while other strains are detected in US commercial turkey farms.

Farmers detect H5N8 in a commercial turkey flock in California, while Canadian officials document the first known human importation of H7N9 to the country.

An analysis of stored samples shows that H7N9 precursor H9N2, a virus widespread in chickens, has shown increased fitness in recent years.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention scientist who accidentally leaked H5N1 into a benign strain of avian influenza may have been rushing off to a meeting.

The rejuvenating effects of young blood, white nose syndrome spread, and penguin flu

Scientists have identified for the first time an avian influenza that infects penguins.

Chinese officials report the first two human cases of H10N8 avian influenza, one of which is linked to the death of a 73-year-old woman.

A group of scientists has called on the European Commission to evaluate the risks and benefits of research that could make deadly viruses more transmissible.

The US Food and Drug Administration OKs a vaccine against the virus that last year had the scientific community debating the regulation of deadly pathogen research.

September 2013's selection of notable quotes

The avian influenza virus H7N7, a cousin to H7N9, has been found in Chinese live poultry markets.

Researchers develop a new “molecular biocontainment” strategy for safely studying deadly flu viruses.

Flu researchers propose H7N9 studies; NIH makes deal to share HeLa genome; herbal “remedies” can cause cancer; scientists record grid cell activity in humans