Gert van der Hoek
In Memoriam - Editor, Senior Moderator
First evidence that bird flu is spread sexually
15:15 19 October 2009 by Nora Schultz
Bird flu may be a sexually transmitted infection – at least in ducks. That's the suggestion of an analysis of flu prevalence and mating behaviour that also proposes an easy way to spot duck populations most at risk of harbouring avian flu. .......Hegyi hopes that confirmation of the link between sex and flu might help to identify which wild populations are most likely to spread bird flu. Monitoring effort can then be concentrated on these populations.
In addition, recognition of sexual transmission "may require different biosafety measures in captive birds than those currently implemented," he says.
Journal reference: Behavioral Ecology, DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arp133
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn18002-avian-flu-spread-through-duck-sex.html
15:15 19 October 2009 by Nora Schultz
Bird flu may be a sexually transmitted infection – at least in ducks. That's the suggestion of an analysis of flu prevalence and mating behaviour that also proposes an easy way to spot duck populations most at risk of harbouring avian flu. .......Hegyi hopes that confirmation of the link between sex and flu might help to identify which wild populations are most likely to spread bird flu. Monitoring effort can then be concentrated on these populations.
In addition, recognition of sexual transmission "may require different biosafety measures in captive birds than those currently implemented," he says.
Journal reference: Behavioral Ecology, DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arp133
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn18002-avian-flu-spread-through-duck-sex.html
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