New virus discovered in migratory bird in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

Type 15 avian paramyxovirus does not pose a threat to humans or birds; preliminary genetic analysis shows that it is closest to viruses found previously in South America

Date: July 25, 2017

Source: Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

Summary: Researchers have discovered a new virus in a white-rumped sandpiper (Calidris fuscicollis), a migratory bird species captured in April 2012 in the Lagoa do Peixe National Park in Rio Grande do Sul State. The current evidence suggests that it is not a risk to humans.

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