USGS – Chinese Academy of Sciences Joint Planning Meeting
for Avian Influenza

During the week of January 7-14, Dr. Judd Howell and Diann Prosser of PWRC and Dr.’s Steve Schwarzbach and John Takekawa of WERC traveled to Beijing, China to establish a working relationship and develop details of a joint research project with the Chinese Academy of Sciences.  The focus of the research is to examine the relationship between domestic and migratory waterfowl and the risk of spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HP H5N1) between these groups of birds.  First, satellite transmitters will be deployed on ducks at Poyang Lake National Nature Reserve, which is the largest wintering area of waterfowl in southeastern China.  This is the largest freshwater lake in China where poultry may intermix with wild birds allowing for the exchange of avian influenza viruses.  Second, satellite transmitters will be deployed on geese and ducks at Qinghai Lake, which has a large concentration of breeding waterfowl and is the site of the largest die-off of wild birds due to HP H5N1in China.  By studying the ecological and epidemiological relationships where the disease currently exists they think they can gain a better understanding of how to frame a response when and if the disease disperses to North America.

Contact Dr. Judd Howell , 301-497-5503

HiLites Contact: Regina Lanning, USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, 301-497-5509

See Previous HiLites:

May 17, 2004
May 24, 2004
June 7, 2004
June 28, 2004
August 2, 2004
September 23, 2004
October 19, 2004
November 3, 2004
December 23, 2004
January 25, 2005
March 7, 2005
April 4, 2005
August 29, 2005
October 17, 2005
October 31, 2005
December 12, 2005
March 27, 2006
July 17, 2006
October 2, 2006
October 23, 2006
October 30, 2006