We are a team of researchers from the University of Massachusetts, Boston (UMass Boston). We study viruses and their intersection with ecology, biodiversity, immunology, and more! Learn more about us under the “About” section.

We are monitoring the health of the population and checking if Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), which is a very dangerous form of avian influenza virus, is present in the local bird population.

We are broadly interested in “water birds”, this includes various species of ducks and gulls.

When we catch birds, we temporarily restrain them and take a few samples from them. We also measure their weight, temperature, and size, and check for any ectoparasites. After we are done, we release the birds back into their habitat. All sampling is done on-site, so the birds are not transported anywhere else.

Although it is rare, humans can catch avian influenza from birds, especially the highly pathogenic form.

Although it is also rare, there have been cases of dogs and cats becoming infected with avian influenza after coming into contact with infected birds. Some have even died. We strongly advise keeping all pets away from wild birds.

You can keep track of the current situation by visiting this CDC site.

The term "highly pathogenic" describes something that has the potential to cause significant harm or disease. In the context of Avian Influenza (AI), “highly pathogenic” refers to a form of avian influenza that spreads fast and leads to high mortality in chickens. While this term is assigned due to the effect of the virus on chickens, many bird species such as eagles exhibit high and fast mortality.

Many mammals, including dogs, cats, bears, seals, mink, and humans, have been recorded to be infected by HPAI. This is a severe disease that frequently leads to death.

AI stands for “Avian Influenza,” or bird flu.

HPAI stands for “Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza,” which is a specific form of AI

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