Black Bear Habitat Fragmentation Leads to more Human Conflicts in Florida

This week, human-black bear interaction in residential areas between Ocala National Forest and Orlando, FL made headlines after a bear bit a woman in her garage.  This problem is not new.  Both bear and human populations in Florida have been growing since the 1970s, and poor housing development plans have fragmented the bears’ habitats as building expands ever closer to Ocala National Forest.  Conflicts have increased because of misunderstandings that could benefit from a One Health approach.  Experts on bear behavior from the Bear Management Program for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission advise maintaining a contiguous habitat for the bears and that bears are easily habituated to humans.  Public education campaigns to advise residents against approaching bears, feeding bears, or failing to secure garbage from bears should be reinforced.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/04/140415-black-bear-florida-attack-habitat-wildlife-conservation/

Paige Meier

Duke University

Farming for Food Safety

This past week Veterinary Record published Dr. Patrick Wall’s article “One Health and the food chain: maintaining safety in a globalized industry”[2] discussing the relationship between herd and farm animals with human health. Dr. Wall argues that the current “farm to fork” consumer’s mantra is ‘naive’ and he presents an alternate ‘maze’-like image of the food chain where even a slice from the local pizzeria has been impacted by legislation as far away as China--a main distributed of vitamins for animal rations.

                                                                                                   [1]

                                                                                             

Dr. Wall further argues that the “final objective” for the agri-food sector should be human health and that we should look to veterinarians and plant and animal geneticists for future food health interventions. Though many of his ideas are quite reasonable--no one can argue that diseased animals should not enter the food chain, he seems to be precariously close to calling out the so-called organic and small farm industry whose popularity is spreading beyond the affluent. Even a diet consisting of only home-raised animals will be touched by the animal feed industry.  On the one hand, more hands in the pot of production leaves more opportunity for contamination. On the other hand, careful involvement by veterinarians and scientists can lead to healthier a “final product”--for example, meat with naturally less saturated fat.

Is the future of food locally grown organics or carefully bred, monitored, and enhanced animals and plants?

---

[1] http://www.ineffableisland.com/2010/06/eu-funded-moniqa-tracks-edible-safety.html

[2] http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/content/174/8/189.full

Authored by Chrissy Dideriksen

The Link Between Domestic Violence and Animal Abuse

Recently Ohio.com published an article entitled “Animal abuse often signals domestic violence; Canton rescue group fills the need for fearful victims.” ^[1] The article details the work of Peace for Pets (peaceforpets.org) who provide a place for people who are fleeing abusive relationships to find a safe place for their pets without leaving them behind. So, why is this important?

                There are three reasons to focus on pets when it comes to domestic violence. The first is that animal abuse can be a sign of domestic violence in a home. Women in shelters were 11 times more likely to report the animal abuse then to report the abuse they themselves were experiencing.^[2]  The second is that the animal abuse is also abuse on the people. Most shelter women and children reported that seeing the animal abused added to the distress they were feeling in this situations.^[2] The last reason is the crux of what Peace for Pets is doing; women who were abused said that concern for the pet prevented them from leaving their abusers.^[2]

Authored by Chris Pierson

References

• Antoniotti, Kathy. 2013. “Animal Abuse often signals domestic violence; Canton rescue group fills the need for fearful victims.” Ohio.com. January 2014. http://www.ohio.com/news/animal-abuse-often-signals-domestic-violence-canton-rescue-group-fills-need-for-fearful-victims-1.462792
• Ascione, FR, CV Weber, TM Thompson, J Heath, M Maruyama, K Hayashi. 2007. “Battered Pets and Domestic Violence: Animal Abuse Reported by Women Experiencing Intimate Violence and by Nonabused Women.” Violence Against Women [Internet]. 13:354. (Apr 2007). Accessed 11 Feb 2014. http://vaw.sagepub.com/content/13/4/354.full.pdf+html

Cryptococcus gattii Spreading in North America

The Centers for Disease Control reported late last year that Cryptococcus gattii fungal infections were diagnosed in Alabama (1), California (13), Florida (1), Georgia (5), Hawaii (1), Michigan (1), Montana (1), and New Mexico (2) since 2009.  This is surprising because the fungus only first emerged in North America in British Columbia in 2009.  Shortly after, it spread to the Pacific Northwest, and it has now reached the North American East Coast.

C. gattii infections are contracted by inhalation of fungal spores after encountering areas of decaying forest matter or areas near pigeon droppings, which support the growth of the fungus2.  The resulting cryptococcosis infection can lead to pulmonary irritation/infection and potential pneumonia or, more seriously, central nervous system infection1.  Animals present symptoms similar to humans, and the wide array of species that have been affected includes cats, dogs, birds, ferrets, llamas, alpacas, goats, sheep, horses, and porpoises.2

Fungal infections have been known to generally threaten only immunocompromised humans and animals, and infections of this type have usually been associated with the opportunistic pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans rather than C. gattii.  These recent North American infections have been reported in otherwise clinically healthy people and animals, and the C. gattii infections have been more difficult treat than C. neoformans3.  According to microbiologists such as Joseph Heitman, Director for Center for Microbial Pathogenesis at Duke University Medical Center,4 these developments and the changes in geographic spread could be due to C. gattii participating in sexual reproduction and forming previously unseen and more virulent strains.  Additionally, global climate changes could be playing a role in providing new ideal environments for the fungus.  This is thought to be the case in British Columbia, where Douglas fir trees were discovered to be hosting the organism after several years during which the average temperature in the area was consistently one degree higher than normal3. The new North American cases were not always connected with travel to places in which the fungus is endemic within the expected incubation period of 2-13 months1.  Such instances could suggest that the C. gattii strains arrived years earlier from endemic regions, but are just now causing illnesses as the climates in their new habitats have become more favorable3.  

Authored by Paige Meier

References:

1. Harris JR, SR Lockhart, G Sondermeyer, DJ Vugia, MB Crist, MT D’Angelo, et al. 2013. “Cryptococcus gattii infections in multiple states outside the US Pacific Northwest.” Emerg Infect Dis [Internet]. 19.10 (Oct 2013). Accessed 20 Jan 2014. http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/19/10/13-0441_article.htm 
2. Nielsen K, AL De Obaldia, J Heitman. 2007. “Cryptococcus neoformans mates on pigeon guano: implications for the realized ecological niche and globalization.” Eukaryot Cell. 6.6 (Jun 2007): 949-59. Accessed 20 Jan 2014. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17449657
3. Frazer, J. 2013. “Fungi on the March.” Scientific American. 309(Nov 2013): 50-57. Accessed 20 Jan 2014. http://www.nature.com/scientificamerican/journal/v309/n6/full/scientificamerican1213-50.html.
4. Heitman, J. 2013. “Sexual reproduction and the emergence and evolution of microbial pathogens.” Duke University Medical Center for Microbial Pathogenesis. Accessed 20 Jan 2014. http://mgm.duke.edu/microbial/mycology/heitman/.
5.  Naureen I, EE DeBess, R Wohrle, B Sun, RJ nett, AM Ahlquist, T Chiller, SR Lockhart. 2009. “Correlation of genotype and in vitro susceptibilities of Cryptococcus gattii strains from the Pacific Northwest of the United States.” J. Clin. Micorobiol. 48.2 (Dec 2009): 539. Accessed 20 Jan 2014. http://jcm.asm.org/content/48/2/539.full.pdf+html.
6. Duncan CG, C Stephen, J Campbell. 2006. “Evaluation of risk factors for Cryptococcus gattii infection in dogs and cats.” J Am Vet Med Assoc. 228.3 (Feb 2006): 377-82. Accessed 20 Jan 2014. http://avmajournals.avma.org/doi/abs/10.2460/javma.228.3.377?prevSearch=allfield%253A%2528c.%2Bgatti%2529&searchHistoryKey.

Human Metapneumovirus found in Gorillas in Rwanda

In 2009, the deaths of 2 mountain gorillas in the Virunga massif in Rwanda were confirmed to be caused by metapneumovirus, a human respiratory illness. With less than 800 mountain gorillas in the wild, illnesses passed from people is a serious concern given the frequency of gorilla contact with humans. With habitat destruction, these gorillas are limited to parks surrounded by dense human populations. Additionally, wildlife tourism brings many people to the region. Understanding how the transmission of diseases from humans to mountain gorillas occurs will be important in protecting this endangered species. As a result, The UC Davis Wildlife Health Center established the Mountain Gorilla One Health Program, which will work to protect gorillas by improving the health of humans and other animals in the surrounding area.

The research article on this topic, which recently appeared in the online edition of Emerging Infectious Diseases can be found here.

Food Bill Law

http://www.fda.gov/downloads/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/UCM238166.pdf

Deforestation and Emerging Infectious Diseases

Many are aware of the environmental consequences of deforestation: trees absorb carbon, and in a world of escalating carbon levels, this natural process is critical to the effort of slowing global warming. What is less well-known about deforestation, is the part it plays in public health for both humans and animals. In this article, Laura Kahn illustrates the role of deforestation in the spread of emerging infectious diseases among both humans and animals. She does this through the story of the Nipah virus outbreak in Malaysia, an event that continues to affect Southeast Asia both directly and indirectly. Kahn outlines the sequence of events that followed a mass deforestation in Malaysia in 1997, the focus of many studies concerning Nipah virus. Being forced from their natural habitat , tropical fruit bats began to feed from fruits in orchards through which pigs roamed and fed. It is through this exposure that an outbreak of the virus spread throughout the newly industrialized pig industry and consequently, to those humans involved in the industry. By 1999, the virus was isolated, the exportation of pigs from Malaysia was halted, about 1 million pigs were killed, 266 people contracted the disease, and 106 died soon after. The outbreak had enormous economic effects on the region, and outbreaks continue to occur, the latest reported being in Bangladesh (February 6, 2011).

http://thebulletin.org/web-edition/columnists/laura-h-kahn/deforestation-and-emerging-diseases

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16329551

http://www.promedmail.org/pls/apex/f?p=2400:1202:2043200362336969::NO::F2400_P1202_CHECK_DISPLAY,F2400_P1202_PUB_MAIL_ID:X,86975

Russia's Fish Fight for Oxygen in St. Petersburg pond

Russia's Fish Fight For Oxygen In St. Petersburg Ponds (PHOTOS)

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/11/russias-fish-fight-for-ai_n_822101.html#s238893&title=Russia_Winter_Fish

AP/The Huffington Post

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (AP) — As the long Russian winter drags on, fish in the ponds of St. Petersburg become increasingly desperate for oxygen, clustering in vast, thrashing masses at shrinking holes in the ice.
Swimmers who brave the frigid temperatures for an invigorating dip find themselves stroking through swarms of fish that flock to the open water. The fish are so thick that humans can easily reach out and catch them with their hands.
Not only does ice block oxygen that could be diffused into the water from the air, but it also impedes sunlight from reaching oxygen-generating plants and algae in the water.
"The only way to help the fish in this situation is to make more holes in the ice," says Sergei Titov of St. Petersburg's Lakes and Rivers Fish Sector Institute.

Malady deadly to bats found in North Carolina

Malady deadly to bats found in North Carolina (North Carolina, United States, North America)

Published by USFWS Southeast Region - www.fws.gov/southeast/news on 2/9/2011

White-nose syndrome, the disease that has killed hundreds of thousands of bats in the Eastern United States, has been discovered in a retired Avery County mine and in a cave at Grandfather Mountain State Park, marking the arrival of the disease in North Carolina.
“White-nose syndrome is confirmed in Virginia and Tennessee, so we expected we would be one of the next states to see the disease,” said Gabrielle Graeter, a biologist with the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission. “This discovery marks the arrival of one of the most devastating threats to bat conservation in our time.”
Although scientists have yet to fully understand white-nose syndrome, current knowledge indicates it’s likely caused by a newly discovered fungus, Geomyces destructans , which often grows into white tufts on the muzzles of infected bats, hence the disease’s name. The first evidence of this fungus was collected in a New York state cave in 2006. Since then, it appears to have spread north into Canada and as far south as Tennessee, which reported its first occurrence last winter, and now North Carolina. In the Northeast, the disease has decimated some species of bats. It seems to be most fatal during the winter months, when hundreds of bats are hibernating together in caves and mines. It’s not known if the disease will similarly affect all species in all regions of the country, though bat mortality and the diversity of species affected in the Northeast suggest the impacts will be significant.
On Feb. 1, a team of Commission biologists were conducting a bat inventory of the closed mine where they saw numerous bats displaying symptomatic white patches of fungus on their skin. Five bats from the mine were sent to the Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study unit at the University of Georgia for testing, which confirmed the presence of white-nose syndrome.
In late January, a team of state, federal, and private biologists were conducting a bat inventory of a cave at Grandfather Mountain when they discovered a single dead bat. Following state white-nose syndrome surveillance protocols, the bat was sent for testing and it has been confirmed for white-nose syndrome.
The discovery of white-nose syndrome comes as Commission biologists work through bat inventory and white-nose syndrome surveillance efforts at numerous caves and mines in western North Carolina this winter as part of a grant awarded by the Service to several states on the leading edge of the disease’s spread.
North Carolina is home to three federally endangered bats, the Virginia big-eared, Indiana, and gray. Virginia big-eared bats are known from the Grandfather Mountain cave and have been seen in the Avery county mine, though not recently. Thus far, the disease has not been observed in Virginia big-eared bats farther north, however it has greatly impacted Indiana bat populations at infected caves and mines. Both of the North Carolina sites have Eastern small-footed, little brown, Northern long-eared, and tri-colored bats while big brown bats are also found at the mine – all bat species that have been affected to some degree by white-nose syndrome in the Northeast.
“The discovery does not bode well for the future of many species of bats in western North Carolina,” said Sue Cameron with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. “Although researchers are working hard to learn more about the disease, right now so little is known. There has been some evidence that humans may inadvertently spread the disease from cave to cave, so one simple step people can take to help bats is to stay out of caves and mines.”
“Cavers are passionate about what they do and we truly understand that asking them to stay out of caves is no small request and we greatly appreciate their sacrifice,” said Cameron, noting that the western North Carolina caving club, Flittermouse Grotto, has been very supportive of efforts to protect the area’s bats.
In 2009, fearing the disease could be transferred from cave to cave by humans, the Service released a cave advisory asking people to refrain from entering caves in states where white-nose syndrome has been confirmed and all adjoining states. The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission holds a protective easement on the mine and both it and the Grandfather Mountain cave have been gated and closed to the public for years to protect hibernating bats.
For more information about white-nose syndrome, visit http://www.fws.gov/whitenosesyndrome.

###

Photos can be found at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/usfwssoutheast/sets/72157625882981881/

Exclusive breastfeeding for six months best for babies everywhere

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/statements/2011/breastfeeding_20110115/en/index.html

Reduction of Coxiella Burnetii Prevalence by Vaccination of Goatss and Sheep, Netherlands

http://www.cdc.gov/eid/content/17/3/pdfs/10-1157.pdf

One Health in the News-Changing climate of the earth's oceans

GLOBAL WARMING EFFECTS ON SEA LIFE

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/sciencefair/post/2011/01/corals-global-warming/1

Caribbean corals have suffered massive die-offs in recent decades, linked to diseases that thrive in warmer waters, according to the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences journal study, led by Laith Yakob of the University of Queensland and Peter Mumby of the University of Exeter. "The strong link between infectious disease outbreaks and rising sea temperature has inevitably led to projections of increased epizootics in the future," says the study.

In the 2010-2040 period, coral reefs are expected to become highly susceptible to more frequent bleaching events. The IPCC sees this as the greatest threat to the world's reef systems.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coral_bleaching

Coral bleaching is whitening due to stress-induced expulsion or death of their symbiotic protozoa, zooxanthellae, or due to the loss of pigmentation within the protozoa.The corals that form the structure of the great reef ecosystems of tropical seas depend upon a symbiotic relationship with unicellular flagellate protozoa, called zooxanthellae, that are photosynthetic and live within their tissues. Under stress, corals may expel their zooxanthellae, which leads to a lighter or completely white appearance, hence the term "bleached". Once bleaching begins, it tends to continue even without continuing stress. If the coral colony survives the stress period, zooxanthellae often require weeks to months to return to normal density.

Thailand closing dive sites in order to allow coral to ‘recover’

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/217658/coral-needs-years-to-recover

The Marine and Coastal Resources Department is pressing ahead with a plan to close 10 popular diving sites in five provinces to limit the impact of tourism on severely damaged coral. The sites attract about one million tourists a year, and could be closed for up to 14 months. But diving operators say tourism is but one cause of the bleaching phenomemon, and if the diving sites are closed for as long as proposed, taxpayer help may be needed to keep some companies alive.

"Diving companies are being singled out for blame, when the main cause is a warming of sea temperatures," said one disgruntled company head. Some coral reefs may need several years to recover, not just a matter of months, they say.

Veteran marine biologist Thorn Thanrongnawasawat said closing the coral reefs will give the coral time to recover, but more permanent solutions are still needed.

Mercury cycling:

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-01/nios-esa012011.php

An international research team working with National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) scientists at the Hollings Marine Laboratory (HML) in Charleston, S.C., has suggested for the first time that mercury cycling in the flora and fauna of the Arctic may be linked to the amount of ice cover present.

Exciting call for an "International Society of One Health"

Find the original article on the One Health Initiative website here: http://www.onehealthinitiative.com/news.php

“International Society of One Health” Proposed by One Health 2011 Congress Leaders

Eminent leaders of the 1^st International One Health Congress meeting from 14 – 16 February 2011 http://www.onehealth2011.com/ are proposing establishment of a visionary “International Society of One Health”.  Drs. Martyn Jeggo and David Heymann, a veterinarian and physician respectively, plan to include an all inclusive draft proposal statement* in the satchels of the delegates at the One Health Congress meeting. 

 The all-encompassing nature of the worldwide Society draft proposal notably contains reference to including One Health comparative biomedical clinical research aspects as well as public health (infectious diseases/zoonoses) at subsequent meetings, the next anticipated being in Canada.  Promoting and facilitating expeditious better understanding of disease processes through a comprehensive “One Health” comparative medicine approach involving public health, environmental health, biomedical research and clinical medicine and surgery appears in the offing.  Ostensibly, in addition to the critical and essential public health mission utilizing more efficacious One Health principles, there is expected to be recognition of and engagement with broad-spectrum high profile human and animal health issues such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, obesity, orthopaedic problems and others.

 A goal of institutionalizing the One Health Movement to provide a formal setting for funding acquisition in order to establish a host of cardinal activities is included. TheInternational Society would be established initially by an all inclusive interim international Board as stated in the draft proposal.

 Martyn H. Jeggo, BVetMed, PhD is Director, CSIRO Livestock Industries Australian Animal Health Laboratory (Australia) and David L. Heymann, MD is Director, U.K. Health Protection Agency (United Kingdom) and Editor, Control of Communicable Diseases Manual.  Drs. Jeggo and Heymann are both members of the One Health Initiative autonomous pro bono Team’s Honorary Advisory Board http://www.onehealthinitiative.com/advBoard.php.  At this time, expected attendance for the 1^st International One Health Congress meeting is now known to be over 600.

Anyone reading this News item and unable to attend the meeting are welcome and encouraged to provide feedback by answering the questions listed at the bottom of this proposal and adding any further comment(s).  Please respond to:

Email: onehealth2011@arinex.com.au 
Phone: + 61 3 9417 0888
Facsimile: + 61 3 9417 0899
Mail:
arinex pty limited
91- 97 Islington Street
Collingwood VIC 3066
Australia

____________________________________________

Please see Publications Page http://www.onehealthinitiative.com/publications.php for Original International One Health Society Proposal attachment:

*From 14 – 16 February 2011, Melbourne Australia will host the Inaugural International One Health Congress. The Congress will bring together experts working in the areas of animal and human disease and will address the need and growing interest to broaden the agenda of One Health and incorporate a truly global perspective by including environmental issues.

The “One Health” concept has gained considerable momentum during the planning of the Congress and a clear need for an ongoing Congress forum has been identified. More than that, the idea of establishing an International Society of One Health has emerged as an idea that has great substance and has already garnered worldwide support.

Working alongside other established initiatives such as the One World Website and linking with International and National bodies promoting the One Health concept, Drs. Martyn Jeggo, Chair of the 2011 Congress Committee and David Heymann, Chair of Scientific Committee propose that an International Society of One Health be established and share the following early initial thoughts for your comment(s):

International Society for One Health

The International Congress in Melbourne will allow for open and global consideration of the interrelated issues of animal and human health and the relationship with the environment, and plans are underway for a follow on Congress in two years in Canada. To continue this momentum the Society would:

·          create the framework to foster projects that can work across all three areas of One Health (Humans, animals and the environment)

·          while initially focusing on public health (infectious diseases) at the first Congress meeting, include One Health comparative biomedical clinical research at subsequent meetings

·          institutionalise the One Health Movement to provide a formal setting for funding and activities

·          promote the exchange of research data, information and knowledge

·          promote knowledge exchange through scientific visits and secondments

·          seek funding and related resources for research activities

·          seek funding for fellowships and scholarships

·          host and manage a Biennial International Congress

·          establish a One Health Scientific Journal

·          provide activity updates through a regular Newsletter

·          implement as appropriate priority activities identified by policy setting Organisations (National Governments, WHO, FAO, OIE).

The International Society would be established initially by an interim Board with the following proposed membership:

·          Two senior members of the Organising Committee of the 1^st International One Health Congress

·          A Representative of OIE

·          A Representative of WHO

·          A Representative of FAO

·          A Representative of the UN

·          A Representative of the World Bank

·          A Representative from the major international development agencies

·          A Representative of the US One Health Initiative Autonomous pro bono Team 

·          A Representative of the US CDC or member of the Stone Mountain working group

·          A Representative from each WHO region

·          A Representative of the Next Host Country (in this instance, Canada)

In addition to the interim Board, it is also proposed that there be a Scientific Advisory Committee that would be created before the next Biennial international congress and oversee the Scientific Program.

The Society would be established as a not-for-profit charitable company that is incorporated (within Australia), and have as a key responsibility, the task of mobilising, generating and allocating resources for specific activities as outlined above. Upon the official establishment of the Society, the interim Board would be tasked with preparing drafts of all governance documents for endorsement at the next One Health International Congress.

We invite your comments for discussion during the International Congress in February.

Yours Sincerely,                                                                                  

                                         

Martyn Jeggo                                                                             David Heymann                                                               

Director                                                                                       Chairman, Scientific Advisory Committee 

Chairman, Organising Committee                                                                 

          In order to progress ideas and reach consensus on the way forward delegates at the One Health Congress are invited to provide feedback to the proposal above through answering the     

           following questions and adding any further comment they wish:

                                                                                                                      

          Would you support the establishment of International Society for One

1.                   Health?

          Would you see the aims as appropriate at this stage?

          Would you see the activities as described appropriate at this stage?

2.                Would you see the proposed  Board representation and other organisational

3.                    arrangements as appropriate?

4.                Would you see the composition of the Board as appropriate?

5.                What further suggestions would you make if developing this concept:

6.      

7.                Additional Comments:

An interesting article on engineering chickens in the fight against bird flu

http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,2042381,00.html

A Re-Engineered Chicken and the War On Bird Flu

By BRYAN WALSH Thursday, Jan. 13, 2011

Read more: http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,2042381,00.html#ixzz1Bt2K3LxY

Got a fever, headache, sore throat and all the other lovely symptoms of influenza? You can blame it on the birds. The main reservoir for influenza viruses is wild birds, which can pass those microbes to domestic poultry, which can come into contact, and potentially infect, human beings. That is what has happened with the deadly H5N1 avian flu virus, which has killed at least 306 people during the past seven years, not to mention hundreds of millions of chickens and other birds. International heath authorities have increasingly focused on that viral intersection between birds and humans, reasoning that if H5N1 can be controlled in poultry, it won't be able to threaten people. That's a tall order, though: by one count there are as many as 70 billion chickens around the world, many of them in backyard shacks in the developing world, and the shifty flu virus often evades vaccination.(See what you need to know about the H1N1 vaccine.)

But what if there were a way to breed poultry that are genetically resistant to H5N1 or any other avian flu virus, thus severing a major link in the flu's evolutionary chain? That's what a team of scientists in Britain tried to do recently, and they were remarkably successful. The result, reported in a study in the Jan. 13 issue of Science, is genetically engineered chickens that, while they're still vulnerable to H5N1, don't seem to pass on the disease to other poultry. That's exciting news for chicken farmers who are trying to protect their flocks from a deadly virus, but it could also open the door to genetically engineering disease resistance into a host of other animals. "Genetic modification could be more effective than vaccination," says Helen Sang, a geneticist at the Roslin Institute at the University of Edinburgh and a co-author of theScience paper. "You wouldn't need to change the way you tackle each disease."

First the scientists had to figure out a gene that could interfere with the replication of the avian flu virus. Lawrence Tiley, a molecular virologist at Cambridge University and the lead author of the paper, indentified a gene that could make birds produce a piece of RNA that acts as a decoy to polymerase, an enzyme that is vital for viral replication. Rather than binding with the virus' genome, polymerase attaches itself to the decoy gene, preventing the virus from being able to replicate itself and spread.(See TIME's special report "How to Live 100 Years.")

Using Sang's transgenic techniques, the team was able to insert the decoy gene into chick embryos. When the GM chickens were exposed to the avian flu, they were still infected, getting sick and eventually dying, but they didn't pass on that virus to other chickens in close proximity, both transgenic birds and normal ones. Normally, once a few chickens have been infected with H5N1, the virus burns like wildfire through a flock, often with near 100% mortality. But the transgenic chickens effectively acted as firewalls for avian flu, stopping the spread cold. "The transgenic birds that are infected are shedding virus that seems to be defective in some ways," Tiley told Science.(Comment on this story.)

While the ultimate goal would be to engineer poultry that are simply immune to the disease, the decoy target chosen by Tiley and his colleagues is a clever one. Flu viruses have eight gene segments, and polymerase has to bind to each of them during replication. To somehow evade the decoy, the flu virus would need to change parts of all eight gene segments. By comparison, a flu virus can evade a vaccine by changing just one gene, and since the flu mutates frequently, that's not hard to do. (Those genetic shifts in influenza are why we need a new vaccine every flu season.) Engineered correctly, a transgenic could be all but permanently protected from the flu, as would all their offspring, and they're otherwise normal. "You wouldn't be able to pick them out of a pen of chickens," says Sang.(See TIME's health and medicine covers.)

Sang notes that this is just a small proof of principle study. "Commercial success is a long way off," she says. Transgenic chickens would also need to be approved by regulators and accepted by consumers, no guarantee, given the resistance to GM crops in much of the world. But regulators are already beginning to look at some GM animals, including a transgenic salmon that is able to grow faster in fish farms, and a GM pig that produces much less polluting waste. If we can protect ourselves from the next flu pandemic by tweaking our birds, the benefits might be worth the Frankenstein factor.

Read more: http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,2042381,00.html#ixzz1Bt2E3qzj