The objective of this project will be to evaluate the origin of wild bird that carry avian influenza (AI) and other potentially dangerous pathogens at their stopover places and match the obtained results with the knowledge obtained through conventional migration monitoring approaches. Stable isotopes (SI) are promising huge potential when the origin (migration) of individual wild birds is required, because the probability of capturing labelled bird with specific characteristics (disease carrier) using conventional methods is negligible. Knowledge and experience obtained through the previous project (D32030) will be of great value for the success of this project.
To understand in depth the origin and the migration of wild birds that carry avian influenza viruses or potentially other dangerous pathogens, thus understanding the major pathways of disease transmission through the long range migratory birds.
To detect the wild birds that carry avian influenza viruses and eventually other potentially dangerous pathogens and evaluate the molecular epidemiology of these pathogens.
To investigate the origin of the wild birds which carry dangerous pathogens through the evaluation of the stable isotope ratios in feather samples.