Waterfowl link to H5N1 spread
A University of Georgia study found waterfowl movement patterns may influence the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1) among wild bird populations. The research ties migration and seasonal movement to outbreak dynamics, highlighting specific movement patterns as variables in how the virus moves through waterfowl networks (wsbtv.com).
A new University of Georgia study found that where ducks, geese and swans move between daily feeding and resting sites can shape how far H5N1 bird flu outbreaks spread. (news.uga.edu) Avian influenza is a flu virus that circulates in birds, and wild waterfowl are one of its main hosts. The United States Geological Survey says those birds help carry the virus through wild populations, even though livestock production remains the main driver of highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreaks. (usgs.gov) The Georgia team analyzed 20 years of tracking data from 4,606 waterfowl across 26 species in the Northern Hemisphere. They measured how far birds moved during winter and breeding seasons, outside the long migrations that usually get most of the attention. (news.uga.edu; usgs.gov) Researchers found birds moved less in mixed landscapes and in places with higher human population density, where food, water and shelter were easier to find nearby. In more uniform grassland or farm areas, waterfowl traveled about six times farther to meet those same daily needs. (news.uga.edu; usgs.gov) That matters for disease spread because longer bird movements were linked to outbreaks detected farther apart. The Wildlife Management Institute said the researchers overlaid movement models with locations of avian influenza detections in wild birds during the current outbreak and found the detections tended to be more widely spaced where predicted movements were longest. (wildlifemanagement.institute) The study shifts some attention away from migration alone. University of Georgia said yearly migrations are a major factor in H5N1 spread, but travel outside migration periods may also influence where the virus goes next. (news.uga.edu) The work comes during a prolonged H5 outbreak that federal agencies are still tracking across wildlife, poultry and other animals. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says A(H5) bird flu is widespread in wild birds worldwide and has also caused outbreaks in poultry and United States dairy cows, while the current public health risk to the general public remains low. (cdc.gov) Wildlife damage has been visible in Georgia research this year. A separate University of Georgia report found about 80% of 134 dead black vultures tested in seven Southeastern states in 2022 and 2023 were positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1. (wsbtv.com) Claire Teitelbaum, the study’s lead author, said scientists can use environmental conditions to estimate how much birds are moving and then project where avian flu may spread. The practical aim is earlier surveillance in the places where waterfowl networks make the next outbreak more likely. (news.uga.edu)
