In this episode of Current Vet, Dr Lottie talks about avian influenza, also known as bird flu.

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Timeline:
00:00 Intro
00:30 Case
01:57 Aetiology & Pathogenesis
04:17 Clinical Signs
05:55 Diagnosis
07:33 Treatment
09:56 Why AI is a Global Concern
13:58 Current News
16:04 Key Points
17:24 Outro

Recommended Reading

• WOAH (World Organisation for Animal Health)
• FAO Animal Health Updates:
• USDA APHIS (for U.S. vets)
• DEFRA UK or APHA (for UK vets)
• OFFLU Network (FAO/WOAH)

References 

• Alexander, D.J. (2007). An overview of the epidemiology of avian influenza. Vaccine, 25(30), 5637–5644. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vaccine.2006.10.051
• Capua, I. and Alexander, D.J. (2009). Avian influenza infection in birds: a challenge and opportunity for the poultry veterinarian. Poultry Science, 88(4), 842–846. https://doi.org/10.3382/ps.2008-00289
• Swayne, D.E. (2022). Avian influenza. In: Swayne, D.E. (ed.) Diseases of Poultry. 13th ed. Wiley-Blackwell, pp. 181–216.
• Bi, Y., Yang, J., Wang, L., Ran, L. and Gao, G.F. (2024). Ecology and evolution of avian influenza viruses. Current Biology, 34(15), pp. 716–721. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2024.05.053 
• FAO (2025). Global AIV with zoonotic potential – situation update. Food and Agriculture Organization. Available at: https://www.fao.org/animal-health/situation-updates/global-aiv-with-zoonotic-potential/en [Accessed 25 Sept 2025].
• WOAH (2025). Avian Influenza. World Organisation for Animal Health. Available at: https://www.woah.org/en/disease/avian-influenza/ [Accessed 25 Sept 2025].

Current Vet is an educational podcast intended for veterinary students, veterinary professionals, and individuals with an interest in veterinary medicine.

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Any clinical cases discussed in this podcast are fictional, and are designed to reflect typical or likely clinical scenarios for educational purposes. They do not represent specific real-life cases, clients, or animals.
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