Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Another one of those little things we probably don't have to worry about (cont'd)

An avian flu that jumps from birds to mammals is killing New England's baby seals

Based on full genome sequencing and phylogenetic analysis, seal H3N8 descended from an avian strain that has been circulating in North American waterfowl since 2002, which implies recent transmission from wild birds to seals.
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Given these findings along with the long history of the spread of avian influenza to humans—most notably H1N1 and H5N1—seal H3N8 could pose a threat to public health.
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