New avian flu vaccination technique shows promise July 5, 2008

Philadelphia - A new way to vaccinate against avian flu, developed at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, could better protect against mutations and multiple flu strains.

National Report -- Researchers have identified a new strain of swine influenza that is molecularly composed of both avian and swine influenza genes.

New Delhi - 12/11/07 - The United States has pledged another $195 million to internationally fight avian influenza, bringing the country's total donations since 2005 to $629 million.

San Francisco - 11/12/07 - San Francisco Bay's worst oil spill in nearly two decades has already claimed the lives of at least 100 birds, while veterinarians and staff at a local wildlife center work to treat hundreds more for contamination.

FDA approves first U.S. bird flu vaccine for humans April 17, 2007

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced approval of the nation?s first human vaccine for H5N1 influenza, commonly known as avian or bird flu.

Avian medicine: Instill a perioperative protocol to lessen anesthetic, iatrogenic risks October 1, 2006 By: Michael P. Jones, DVM, Dipl. ABVP

Anesthetic death is an unfortunate and unwelcome aspect of veterinary practice. Most, if not all, veterinarians have experienced the loss of a patient perioperatively. Especially unsettling is the death of a bird during the postoperative period when the patient is expected to make a complete recovery.

Heavy metal toxicoses in pet birds: Watch for combination of gastrointestinal and nervous systems signs January 1, 2006 By: Michael P. Jones, DVM, Dipl. ABVP

Surgery may be necessary if the lead particles cannot be removed with other methods.

Fungal diseases of pet birds: Recognize infection early August 1, 2005 By: Michael P. Jones, DVM, Dipl. ABVP

Fungi are commonplace in the environment and some are even considered normal inhabitants of the skin, gastrointestinal tract and other mucous membrane surfaces. In most situations, healthy birds can ward off infection if their immune systems are intact and fully operational. In other cases, however, the immune system may be compromised leading to the development of serious infections. Paramount to properly managing fungal infections in avian species is the ability to recognize infection early in the course of disease, to administer appropriate antifungal medications for the location and severity of infection, and to continually assess a patient's response to therapy. The scope of this article is to provide a brief overview of several fungal diseases in companion avian species.

Guidelines important in evaluating cytological samples for birds May 1, 2005 By: Michael P. Jones, DVM, Dipl. ABVP

Viral infections produce lesions on unfeathered areas of skin around the eyes, cere and feet.