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Updated: May 12, 2026

Avian Influenza Surveillance with FTA Cards: Field Methods, Biosafety, and Transportation Issues Solved
Published on: August 2, 2011
Connecting the study of wild influenza with the potential for pandemic disease
Jonathan Runstadler1, Nichola Hill, Islam T M Hussein
1Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States. jrun@mit.edu
Abstract:
Continuing outbreaks of pathogenic (H5N1) and pandemic (SOIVH1N1) influenza have underscored the need to understand the origin, characteristics, and evolution of novel influenza A virus (IAV) variants that pose a threat to human health. In the last 4-5years, focus has been placed on the organization of large-scale surveillance programs to examine the phylogenetics of avian influenza virus (AIV) and host-virus relationships in domestic and wild animals. Here we review the current gaps in wild animal and environmental surveillance and the current understanding of genetic signatures in potentially pandemic strains.
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