Avian Influenza Information
Avian Influenza (National Wildlife Health Center and USDA):
- USDA - Questions and Answers: Avian Influenza (March 2007)
- USDA Key Messages for Avian Influenza (Scenario 1 - U.S.)
- USDA Key Messages for Avian Influenza (Scenario 2 - wild birds)
Interesting Facts
- Avian influenza virus is divided into (2) groups which is based on the virus’s ability to produce disease and the severity of the illness it causes:
- Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) = spreads rapidly and results in high mortality in birds
- Low Pathogenic Avian Influenza (LPAI) = causes only minor illnesses and occurs naturally in migrating waterfowl
- *Possibility that some LPAI virus strains are capable of mutating into HPAI viruses are of great concern
- LPAI viruses are not considered to be foreign or exotic because they occur naturally in North America
- Avian Influenza not only infects wild populations of birds such as shorebirds and waterfowl but they also infect domestic poultry (chickens, turkeys, geese, ducks, etc.) and have a zoonotic strain that can infect human populations!
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