Update on the Avian Influenza situation
(As of 19/06/2006) – Issue no. 40
The information summarized below is gathered from official and non official sources, which are quoted in the
text. AIDE news is prepared by the FAO Technical Task Force on Avian Influenza.

Should wild birds now be considered a permanent reservoir of the virus?
The animal species playing a role in the transmission, spread or introduction of the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 virus are essentially domestic and wild birds.
Although some fifty non-domestic bird species have proved susceptible to infection from the virus, it would appear from the epidemiological data currently available that, among the wild birds implicated in the transboundary introduction of the virus, aquatic birds play a major role.
In most European countries where the H5N1 virus has appeared, it has been with wild birds. In East and Southeast Asia, the disease was arguably spread by a combination of domestic and wild birds, while in Africa it appears that the poultry trade, both legal or informal, and traffic were responsible. No doubt more field (retrospective) work is
required.

http://www.fao.org/docs/eims/upload/...AVIbull040.pdf