Bird Flu Researchers Brave Icky Beach for Work
Researchers from St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis collect bird droppings on the shores of Delaware Bay to test for avian flu, a group of avian-adapted viruses that could potentially set off the next pandemic. The bay is a bird-flu hot spot every spring, and the scientists have been studying it for four decades to learn more about how avian influenza evolves, how it behaves in the wild, and what it might take for these bird viruses to become a global public health threat. The stakes feel high as the scientists work their way down the beach, hoping to collect 1,000 fecal samples instead of their standard 600, to stay a step ahead of bird flu.