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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 9, 2026

Rapid Diagnosis of Avian Influenza Virus in Wild Birds: Use of a Portable rRT-PCR and Freeze-dried Reagents in the Field

Rapid Diagnosis of Avian Influenza Virus in Wild Birds: Use of a Portable rRT-PCR and Freeze-dried Reagents in the Field

Published on: August 2, 2011

Human infections associated with wild birds.

Sotirios Tsiodras¹, Theodoros Kelesidis, Iosif Kelesidis

¹University of Athens Medical School, 1 Rimini Street, Xaidari, 12462 Athens, Greece. tsiodras@med.uoa.gr

The Journal of Infection

|December 22, 2007

Summary

Wild birds can carry many pathogens, but direct transmission to humans is rare. Further research is needed to understand avian-borne disease transmission to people.

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Area of Science:

Zoonotic Diseases
Avian Epidemiology
Microbial Transmission

Background:

Wild birds, particularly migratory species, act as long-distance vectors for diverse microorganisms.
Understanding the role of wild birds in transmitting pathogens to humans is crucial for public health.

Purpose of the Study:

To systematically review and summarize literature on pathogens associated with wild birds that cause human disease.
To assess the evidence for direct and indirect transmission of avian-borne pathogens to humans.

Main Methods:

Conducted a systematic literature search to identify pathogens linked to wild and migratory birds.
Evaluated evidence for direct (bird-to-human) and indirect (via other vectors) transmission pathways.
Classified transmission routes based on published evidence.

Main Results:

Wild birds serve as reservoirs and mechanical vectors for numerous infectious agents.
Associations identified for 10 pathogens with potential bird-to-human transmission.
Influenza A virus, West Nile virus, and enteric bacteria are significant examples of avian-associated pathogens.

Conclusions:

Wild birds play a limited role in the overall burden of human infectious diseases.
Direct transmission of infectious agents from wild birds to humans is infrequently documented.
Further investigation into the factors and mechanisms of avian-to-human pathogen transmission is warranted.