Sally Furniss
Well-known member
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3717569a3600,00.html
NZ research on birdflu spread
01 July 2006
By KENT ATKINSON
New Zealand scientists specialising in animal and human health are working on a pilot project to map potential pathways by which a dangerous avian influenza could spread from wild birds.
The two-part two-year study focuses on relatively benign and common strains of avian influenza virus ? which do not cause disease in humans ? to figure the potential risks posed by backyard poultry.
The small-scale probe of how viruses move from wild birds to poultry and whether these viruses also spread to humans will be done at the mouth of the Kaituna River in the Bay of Plenty and near Lake Wairarapa.
Both areas have waterways where wild birds congregate.
Overseas research and local surveillance of migratory birds which fly thousands of kilometres to New Zealand have shown the waders and other shorebirds arriving here are unlikely to bring the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu.
That's because if infected with the flu they would probably die on the way to New Zealand.
But waterfowl, such as ducks and geese, which do not migrate to New Zealand, can spread that virus without all falling ill.
New Zealand has never recorded a dangerous avian influenza virus such as the H5N1 strain in its birds, but has 35 harmless strains in wild birds.
So the researchers from the new National Centre for Biosecurity and Infectious Disease (NCBID), which brings several groups together, will search for the harmless strains to get clues about how a dangerous virus might spread if it got into the country.
The scientists ? based at Wallaceville, near Upper Hutt ? want to find out whether backyard flocks of chickens, ducks, geese, and turkeys pick up the harmless avian influenza viruses from wild birds, particularly when they share waterways with ducks and geese.
"In a nutshell. . . how viruses in wild birds might move into backyard poultry. . . and how humans living in those households might be exposed to infection," said Bruce Adlam who works for Environmental Science and Research.
"But the emphasis is on the harmless avian influenza ? we don't have the harmful strains in New Zealand."
The researchers are looking for people on lifestyle blocks and other smallholders with backyard birds for the study starting next spring.
Random birds among the poultry will have blood and faeces samples taken every couple of months.
The scientists also want to find out if New Zealanders living with backyard flocks pick up the same harmless strains of avian influenza as the birds.
In the first three months of next year, the humans on those blocks will be asked to gargle or have a swab collect micro-organisms from their mouth.
Three months later, a small single sample of blood will be collected, though many of the virus strains being sought are so benign they often do not cause people to produce antibodies.
In March and April of 2008 a cross-section study of survey participants and birds will be swabbed and sampled.
Dr Adlam said researchers hoped about 40 households on smallholdings would volunteer to help in each of the two study areas, so that in each area 10 with the most exposure to wild birds could be chosen.
The information from participants would be confidential, and identities would not be disclosed in the scientific reports.
NZ research on birdflu spread
01 July 2006
By KENT ATKINSON
New Zealand scientists specialising in animal and human health are working on a pilot project to map potential pathways by which a dangerous avian influenza could spread from wild birds.
The two-part two-year study focuses on relatively benign and common strains of avian influenza virus ? which do not cause disease in humans ? to figure the potential risks posed by backyard poultry.
The small-scale probe of how viruses move from wild birds to poultry and whether these viruses also spread to humans will be done at the mouth of the Kaituna River in the Bay of Plenty and near Lake Wairarapa.
Both areas have waterways where wild birds congregate.
Overseas research and local surveillance of migratory birds which fly thousands of kilometres to New Zealand have shown the waders and other shorebirds arriving here are unlikely to bring the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu.
That's because if infected with the flu they would probably die on the way to New Zealand.
But waterfowl, such as ducks and geese, which do not migrate to New Zealand, can spread that virus without all falling ill.
New Zealand has never recorded a dangerous avian influenza virus such as the H5N1 strain in its birds, but has 35 harmless strains in wild birds.
So the researchers from the new National Centre for Biosecurity and Infectious Disease (NCBID), which brings several groups together, will search for the harmless strains to get clues about how a dangerous virus might spread if it got into the country.
The scientists ? based at Wallaceville, near Upper Hutt ? want to find out whether backyard flocks of chickens, ducks, geese, and turkeys pick up the harmless avian influenza viruses from wild birds, particularly when they share waterways with ducks and geese.
"In a nutshell. . . how viruses in wild birds might move into backyard poultry. . . and how humans living in those households might be exposed to infection," said Bruce Adlam who works for Environmental Science and Research.
"But the emphasis is on the harmless avian influenza ? we don't have the harmful strains in New Zealand."
The researchers are looking for people on lifestyle blocks and other smallholders with backyard birds for the study starting next spring.
Random birds among the poultry will have blood and faeces samples taken every couple of months.
The scientists also want to find out if New Zealanders living with backyard flocks pick up the same harmless strains of avian influenza as the birds.
In the first three months of next year, the humans on those blocks will be asked to gargle or have a swab collect micro-organisms from their mouth.
Three months later, a small single sample of blood will be collected, though many of the virus strains being sought are so benign they often do not cause people to produce antibodies.
In March and April of 2008 a cross-section study of survey participants and birds will be swabbed and sampled.
Dr Adlam said researchers hoped about 40 households on smallholdings would volunteer to help in each of the two study areas, so that in each area 10 with the most exposure to wild birds could be chosen.
The information from participants would be confidential, and identities would not be disclosed in the scientific reports.