What happens next with bird flu? An expert explains why monitoring matters

Samuel Bloch/Getty The lethal H5N1 strain of avian influenza is rapidly spreading along the coast of southern Australia, where it has killed thousands of wild birds and infected at least two long-nosed fur seals. So where will it travel next, and what damage might it inflict? Much is uncertain, especially because many of Australia’s animals and ecosystems are so unlike those in other parts of the world. But monitoring is vital if we are to understand the magnitude of this H5N1 outbreak and…