Background Articles

Scientists say they found the virus in one of five submitted chicken meat samples that the cats ate.

The highly pathogenic disease circling the globe stands out for its effects on wild birds, and experts say Alaskans should be on the lookout for cases.

The Icelandic puffin population has shrunk by 70% in the last thirty years. The Managing Director of the Icelandic Travel Industry Association (SAF) has stated that this is bad news for the ecosystem and for companies within the tourist sector, who have marketed the puffin as a kind of national symbol. Decline much worse than […]

Governments should consider vaccinating poultry against bird flu, which has killed hundreds of millions of birds and infected mammals worldwide, to prevent the virus from turning into a new pandemic, the head of the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) said.

When you see a wild bird such as a duck or seagull, think bird flu. Because it’s actually more likely than not they’re infected with the virus. And many species of wild birds are asymptomatic, meaning that they don’t show any symptoms.

The threat to many species of wild birds and backyard poultry flocks is the same or greater than it was last year, said Dr. Bob Gerlach.

With geese and other wild birds returning to the region every day, New Brunswick dog and cat owners should be aware of the risk of avian influenza, says the registrar of the New Brunswick Veterinary Medical Association.

State veterinarian Dr. Robert Gerlach said the virus never left Alaska in the winter months, and has spread beyond the local bird population.

This paper analyzes the evolution of the H3 subtype of avian influenza virus in China from 2009 to 2022, including its spatial and temporal distribution and genetic changes. The findings have implications for pandemic preparedness.

Climate change is affecting all aspects of our land, and also what flies in our sky. Bird migration is changing as average temperatures rise. So what does that mean for our bird species?

Three cases of H3N8 detected in China since 2022 as WHO says strain doesn’t appear to spread easily between humans. First case resulting in death occurred in China.

Across Canada, an estimated seven million birds and counting have been infected with highly pathogenic avian influenza during a devastating global outbreak that shows no signs of winding down. Now, as millions more migrate north, scientists warn it’s yet another opportunity for this virus to spread and evolve.

All the birds were gone. Now there is full life in the bird cliffs again. The researchers believe they have found the explanation for the mystery.

The Copper River Basin in Alaska has experienced less reliable snow and ice conditions in recent years, impacting winter activities such as trapping, hunting, and gathering firewood. This study, based on nine oral interviews with local residents, reveals that crossing rivers has become more treacherous and difficult, with significant changes in ice conditions observed since the 1970s. Decreased snowpacks and increased shrub growth have also posed obstacles for accessing winter trails, requiring individuals to cut through forests. These changes, combined with socio-economic and technological factors, have affected the way people engage in winter activities in the Copper River Basin. Overall, this research contributes to the understanding of climate change's impact on winter activities in Alaska and the Circumpolar North.

Engineers struggled to keep snow geese away from Montana’s deadly Superfund site, but ecologists have a new plan.

Some of the world's leading makers of flu vaccines say they could make hundreds of millions of bird flu shots for humans within months if a new strain of avian influenza ever jumps across the species divide.

The recent death of an 11-year-old girl in Cambodia's Prey Veng province infected with avian influenza has reinvigorated concern over the virus potentially gaining the ability to spread among humans. And while experts maintain the risk of that happening "remains low" at this time, the World Health Organization has said that increasing reports of avian influenza infection in humans are "worrying."

A new variant of bird flu has recently infected both sea lions and mink. Health authorities around the world are now monitoring that it does not begin to infect humans.

Local farms help provide eggs with statewide shortage during avian flu outbreak.

Avian flu outbreak in Washington prompts cull of over 1 million eggs. This has led to a shortage of eggs in urbans areas such as Anchorage and rural communities in Alaska. The egg-shortage adds to the Covid-19 supply chain issues.