“We have demonstrated in non-laboratory conditions how air temperature, humidity and wind velocity influence the spread of influenza viruses. It puts us in a much better position to understand an actual outbreak of influenza in horse populations, under natural conditions,” said Dr Navneet Dhand, the principal investigator of the research project.

The team analysed data from the 2007 equine influenza or ‘horse flu’ outbreak in Australia together with data provided by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology for the same time period. Read more…