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Report looks at how avian flu is spread

One of the big questions being asked during the recent avian influenza outbreak was how the virus was being spread.

A new report from USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) says it was likely being transmitted in a number of ways.  The APHIS report says that while wild birds were probably responsible for the initial cases as they shed the virus in droppings, it appears that some infections were being transmitted between poultry farms.

Among the factors that may have contributed to the spread include the movement of employees, vehicles and other machinery between infected and non-infected farms, and the presence of rodents or small wild birds inside poultry facilities.

An analysis of wind data in infected areas indicates the virus could also be transmitted through the air.

APHIS says it will continue to study those factors and will provide updates if new findings emerge.