Influenza pandemics, defined as global outbreaks of the disease due to viruses with new antigenic subtypes, have exacted high death tolls from human populations. The last two pandemics were caused by hybrid viruses, or reassortants, that harbored a combination of avian and human viral genes. Avian influenza viruses are therefore key contributors to the emergence of human influenza pandemics. In...

BACKGROUND There is concern of avian influenza virus (AIV) infections in humans. Subsistence hunters may be a potential risk group for AIV infections as they frequently come into close contact with wild birds and the aquatic habitats of birds while harvesting. This study aimed to examine if knowledge and risk perception of avian influenza influenced the use of protective measures and attitudes ...

BACKGROUND Current occupational and public health guidance does not distinguish between rendering plant workers and cullers/poultry workers in terms of infection risk in their respective roles during highly pathogenic avian influenza poultry outbreaks. We describe an operational approach to human health risk assessment decision making at a large rendering plant processing poultry carcasses stem...

Recently, an avian influenza A virus (A/Hong Kong/156/97, H5N1) was isolated from a young child who had a fatal influenza illness. All eight RNA segments were of avian origin. The H5 hemagglutinin is not recognized by neutralizing Abs present in humans as a result of infection with the human H1, H2, or H3 subtypes of influenza A viruses. Subsequently, five other deaths and several more human in...

background and objectives: to determine the potential circulation of avian influenza viruses among different captive bird species, molecular surveillance was conducted at tehran zoo, saiee park and pardisan park of tehran, iran. these places are at risk for spread and transmission of influenza virus because of bird species diversity and close contact of birds with humans. materials & methods: d...

Severe infection by a novel influenza virus, distinct from the circulating human influenza A virus, in humans usually heralds a sporadic pattern of severehuman infection or an influenza pandemic [1]. Accordingly, the discovery of the novel avian influenza A(H7N9) virus is of great public health significance [2]. Because this virus has not been detected previously in humans or in animals, many u...

Like most emerging disease threats, avian influenza is a zoonotic disease maintained in nature by wildlife. In this case, the reservoir of infection is migratory waterfowl, primarily ducks. Rather than trying to vaccinate most of the world's human population in response to the threat of an avian influenza pandemic, it might be more prudent to vaccinate key reservoir wildlife species from which ...

background and aims: hemagglutinin (ha) protein of avian influenza (ai) plays an essential role in the virus pathogenicity. ai h9n2 subtype causes significant economic loss in broiler and layer in poultry farms in iran. ai viruses have a great involvement in evolutionary changes at nucleotide and amino acid levels and vaccines could induce faster rates of such changes. up-dated understanding of...

Canine influenza is a highly contagious respiratory infection of dogs caused by the Influenza A Virus (IAV), characterized cough, sneeze, nasal secretions, and inappetence. Infections can be mild, severe or fatal. Aquatic birds constitute natural reservoir for IAV, which transmitted to terrestrial birds, including poultry. IAV has also emerged in other mammalian species, humans, swine, horses, ...