News
Gut bacteria may be telling beetles where to lay their eggs
4+ hour, 44+ min ago (921+ words) Willow leaf beetles chew on young, tender leaves, which are the most nutritious. Their larvae feed on the same trees. However, a female beetle does not lay her eggs near the new growth. Instead, she lays them on the older,…...
Scientists have identified major global hotspots for avian flu
2+ mon, 6+ day ago (758+ words) Scientists have identified global hotspots for avian flu where dense populations of people, cattle, and poultry overlap within a small share of the Earth's land." These concentrated zones reshape where the virus is most likely to spread, persist, and cross…...
Bird flu spread may depend on how far wild birds travel
1+ mon, 3+ week ago (891+ words) Birds travel far during migration, but what happens in their daily life matters just as much. A new study shows that small, everyday movements of ducks, swans, and geese can shape how bird flu spreads across the world. Scientists from…...
Bird flu is spreading rapidly in seals and sea lions, raising global alarm
2+ mon, 1+ week ago (739+ words) Back in 1996, a strain of bird flu showed up on a poultry farm in Asia. It didn't look like a global threat at the time. Fast forward 30 years, and that same virus, H5 N1, has spread across nearly the entire world. It…...
Long before detection in birds, poultry viruses build up in the air
2+ mon, 2+ week ago (796+ words) Researchers have found that testing air and surfaces in live poultry markets detects dangerous viruses more reliably than testing the birds themselves. That shift reveals hidden viral circulation earlier, reshaping how outbreaks can be recognized before they escalate. Across 12 visits…...
Bird flu viruses dodge the human body's fever defense
6+ mon, 5+ day ago (804+ words) Fever is one of the body's oldest antiviral tactics: turn up the heat to make life hard for invading pathogens. But new research led by the University of Cambridge shows why that strategy falters against avian influenza. The team pinpointed…...
Scientists get peacock feathers to emit laser beams - but why would they want to?
8+ mon, 3+ week ago (758+ words) Peacock feathers are famous for vivid iridescent colors, yet a new study shows they can also emit laser light after being soaked with a common dye and excited by a green pulse. Two narrow emission lines appear at 574 and 583 nanometers,…...
Protein helps birds prepare to fight off infection
11+ mon, 5+ day ago (674+ words) Bird feeding is a cherished pastime across many cultures. Whether it's scattering breadcrumbs near a city pond or hanging feeders outside suburban windows, millions of people engage in acts of casual care for wild birds. Recent research from the University…...