Common Pheasants and avian influenza

I enjoyed Mark Avery’s recent paper on the Common Pheasant Phasianus colchicus (Brit. Birds 112: 372–389). He mentioned the potential danger of pheasants as disease reservoirs and vectors, especially for avian influenza, about which I have the following comments.

Typically, avian influenza viruses do not seriously harm their hosts. Infected birds might show limited symptoms, such as a cold,

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