Where are the most likely routes that H5N1 could enter the United States through migratory birds?
• Migratory birds usually travel 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 over-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 HPAI H5N1 returning from Asia can potentially interact with other North American wild birds as they co-mingle on the breeding grounds.
