New strategies to track avian flu?

March 3, 2006

This week on Science Friday, we'll get an update on the avian flu virus. As new occurrences of avian flu crop up around the world, the question of how to monitor this virus becomes more pressing. We'll hear about a new plan to use a military-style network of labs for surveillance.

Existing surveillance methods are explained at the WHO’s Global Response Network and US Government Monitoring Information websites.

Other ideas for monitoring exist too: Laurie Garrett writes in the International Herald Tribune that bird-watchers are one of the best untapped resources in battling avian flu. Zoos could also be useful for tracking avian flu because zoo-keepers are constantly monitoring the health of the birds.