What are the potential routes for a highly pathogenic strain of avian influenza to arrive in North America?
Migratory birds usually travel thousands of miles over the same routes in their annual migrations. In the Northern Hemisphere, birds begin moving south during August and September of each year. North American migratory birds that spend the winter in Asia may come into contact with potentially infected domestic or wild birds during the winter months. In spring, migratory birds will migrate north to their breeding grounds in eastern Russia, Alaska, and Canada. Migratory birds infected with the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 returning from Asia could potentially interact with other North American wild birds as they commingle on the breeding grounds. Has the HPAI H5N1 virus been detected in the United States? The HPAI H5N1 virus has not yet been detected in the United States in either wild or domestic birds. Should the HPAI H5N1 virus be detected in the United States, it does not mean the start of a human pandemic. What is the Service’s role in granting permits for research
