University of Glasgow study finds bird flu is going undetected
It has been spreading quickly amongst cattle in the US sine last year.
Researchers at Glasgow University have found bird flu infections have been occurring in horses undetected.
A study by the MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research in collaboration with an international team of scientists, including groups from the US and Mongolia, comes as the recent emergence and rapid spread of avian flu in cows in the US has raised concerns for wider viral spread.
Avian flu, also known as avian flu, primarily spreads among wild birds such as ducks and gulls and can also infect farmed and domestic birds such as chickens, turkeys and quails.
Professor Pablo Murcia, lead author of the study from the MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, said: “Influenza emergence is a rare event.
"Pandemics were triggered by the reassortment of viruses from different species.
"For instance, the 2009 influenza pandemic was caused by a swine-origin virus that contained genetic material from avian, human, and swine influenza viruses."
While the disease mainly affects birds, it has been known to spill over into other species, including mammals, and in rare cases, humans.
While H5N1 infections in humans are rare, when they do occur, they have the potential to be extremely serious.
Since March 2023, H5N1 influenza has been spreading rapidly in dairy cattle over several US states.
Pablo added: “Horses, too, have their own influenza strain, known as equine influenza, which is endemic in North America.
"With the rapid spread of avian influenza among cattle in the US, the likelihood of horses coming into contact with infected cows, and the chances of horses becoming coinfected with both avian and equine influenza viruses may increase.
"This raises the risk of generating novel viruses with unknown pathogenicity, potentially posing a threat not only to horses but to other mammals, including humans.”