Re: a topic at www.agonist.com (Bar-headed geese possibly bringing H5N1 from India)

We have to remember that 5 species were officially reported in the Qinghai H5N1 outbreak and likely dozens of waterfowl species congregate at Qinghai. Although Bar-headed geese were found dead, it doesn't mean they brought H5N1 there. Some duck species may carry the virus without showing clinical signs (e.g., this paper in Science - sorry full article only available to subscribers), and this lake is at a crossroad for South and Southeast Asian flyways.

Rather than the virus coming from India, it seems more likely that either a) there is an undetected outbreak H5N1 circulating in local domestic poultry or b) waterfowl were infected from domestic poultry in SE Asia, and consequently brought it to Qinghia.

Update: In response to a fair comment from Dr. Niman (reply #4), I posted this follow up:

Maybe I should clarify my thoughts on this.

Any one of many species of waterfowl that migrate from SE Asia, possibly including duck species that may not show clinical signs, could bring the virus from SE Asia to Qinghai. Once at Qinghai, bar-headed geese could get infected. They didn't have to bring it there to die of it.

I apologize if there was a misunderstanding.