INTRODUCTION The following complete molecular diagnostic procedure we developed, based on real-time quantitative PCR and traditional PCR, is effective for avian influenza surveillance, virus subtyping, and viral genome sequencing. METHOD This study provides a specific and sensitive step-by-step procedure for efficient avian influenza identification of 16 hemagglutinin and 9 neuraminidase avia...

Influenza A virus isolates of the H4N5 subtype (which has previously been detected only in birds) were recovered from harbor seals dying of viral pneumonia on the New England coast from June 1982 through March 1983. When these isolates were compared with other mammalian and avian viruses in serological assays and RNA-RNA competitive hybridization, it was found that the seal viruses were most cl...

BACKGROUND Human psittacosis is a highly under diagnosed zoonotic disease, commonly linked to psittacine birds. Psittacosis in birds, also known as avian chlamydiosis, is endemic in poultry, but the risk for people living close to poultry farms is unknown. Therefore, our study aimed to explore the temporal and spatial patterns of human psittacosis infections and identify possible associations w...

Avian influenza viruses are now widely recognized as important threats to agricultural biosecurity and public health, and as the potential source for pandemic human influenza viruses. Human infections with avian influenza viruses have been reported from Asia (H5N1, H5N2, H9N2), Africa (H5N1, H10N7), Europe (H7N7, H7N3, H7N2), and North America (H7N3, H7N2, H11N9). Direct and indirect public hea...

Introduction Everyone is familiar with the anatomy of mammals and may also have some knowledge of a few avian anatomical characteristics. The purpose of this discussion is to provide a deeper insight into avian anatomy and provide some comparisons to mammalian features. An understanding of avian anatomy is essential for avian practitioners. Sources of information for this discussion include the...

Highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 viruses have become endemic in global poultry populations over the past 25 years and pose an ongoing public health threat. Although incidence of human cases has declined, from lineage can now be found throughout Asia, Middle East Africa, addition to causing outbreaks Europe Americas. The recent emergence spread reassortant H5Nx viruses, resulting regional ...

A telephone survey of 986 Hong Kong households determined exposure and risk perception of avian influenza from live chicken sales. Householders bought 38,370,000 live chickens; 11% touched them when buying, generating 4,220,000 exposures annually; 36% (95% confidence interval [CI] 33%-39%) perceived this as risky, 9% (7%-11%) estimated >50% likelihood of resultant sickness, whereas 46% (43%-49%...

BACKGROUND Cutaneous manifestations of avian mite bites are not well recognized by physicians or patients. Clinical signs and symptoms are usually caused by bites from avian mites that have infested domestic poultry or birds nesting in or near human habitation. This report details 2 cases of pruritic papules acquired from avian mites that had infested pet gerbils and reviews the dermatologic li...

PSITTICOSIS Also known as parrot fever and ornithosis, psittacosis is caused by Chlamydophila psittaci, an obligate intracellular bacterial infection of birds that can cause severe pneumonia and other serious disease in humans (on average 250 reported cases per year in the US). Most cases resulted from exposure to infected pet birds, (cockatiels, parakeets, parrots, and macaws). Infected birds ...

human infection with avian influenza a h7n9 virus has emerged in china with high morbidity rates. patients usually present with severe and rapidly progressive pneumonia. therefore, radiological findings are important to diagnose and evaluate disease severity. the clinical characteristics of three new cases of h7n9 virus infection were analyzed, especially the radiological findings, and previous...