A member of a WCS surveillance team prepares to release a whooper swan on a Mongolian lake, following sample collection and fitting of a neck collar. The check-up was part of ongoing health studies, examining avian flu strains in wild birds. Researchers identified 116 avian flu strains in wild birds, more than 10 times the number found in humans.
Scientists are looking to better understand and monitor the diversity of all avian flu viruses – not just those known to cause disease. Completing the first global inventory of flu strains in birds is a key step in building that understanding.
