Birds as Sentinels: Emerging Avian Diseases in a Biodiversity Crisis

Birds have always played a key role ‒ historically as messengers, and today as indicators of environmental change. Across Europe, the occurrence of avian-borne pathogens, such as the West Nile Virus (WNV), the Usutu Virus (USUV), and various avian flu viruses (AIVs) is increasing, revealing an alarming trend. These pathogens mainly circulate in birds, at times causing severe disease, while only occasionally infecting humans and other mammals, usually with mild symptoms. As habitats fragment ...

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journals.openedition.org/factsreports/8423