Chickens, the perfect culprits? A study published in the journal PLoS Pathogens, conducted by researchers at IHAP, questions the role of livestock farming in the emergence of highly pathogenic viruses.
Some avian influenza viruses have the ability to mutate and evolve into so-called highly pathogenic forms, which often cause devastating epizootics in wildlife and farms, and can threaten public health. It is generally accepted that these mutations appear preferentially in chickens, following the introduction of weakly pathogenic strains through wildlife.
In this article published in the journal PLoS Pathogens, ENVT researchers present the latest evidence that either incriminates or exonerates chickens.
Their conclusions were as follows: These viruses can appear frequently in chickens, not only for reasons intrinsic to the species, but also due to breeding conditions. There are three times as many chickens on Earth as there are humans. How likely is it that a mutant virus will emerge from a farm with too many animals?
