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Bird flu spread in China closely linked to poultry trade, study says
- Spread of bird flu types H5N1, H7N9 and H5N6 closely connected to poultry trade networks rather than just wild bird migration, researchers say
- Report has been submitted to the Chinese government in hope it will help improve flu warning systems in China
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With the world’s focus firmly on the coronavirus, it is easy to miss other developments – and warnings – emerging from the health sector.
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This month researchers released a study that found the spread of avian flu in China is closely connected to poultry trade networks rather than just bird migration.
A clear association was found between the structure of poultry trade networks and the dissemination of H5N1, H7N9 and H5N6 bird flu viruses after studying five Chinese regions.
The country’s central provinces of Anhui, Henan, Hubei and Hunan act as hubs for both the live poultry trade and the flow of virus genomes, which researchers say may play a “significant role” in virus transmission across the country.
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On February 1, China reported an outbreak of the H5N1 bird flu in Hunan province, which is next to Hubei province where the coronavirus outbreak was first reported. The outbreak on a farm in Shaoyang city led to the culling of 17,828 chickens by local authorities.
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