respiration

Nuzzo also pointed to a recent study published in Nature, led by Yoshihiro Kawaoka, an H5N1 expert at the University of Wisconsin, in Madison, that showed the virus that infected the first reported dairy worker in Texas had acquired mutations that made it more severe in animals as well as allowing it to move more efficiently between them — via airborne respiration.

Birds are particularly susceptible because they have a high respiration rate, and it causes them stress to keep them kenneled indoors.

"Lizards that were allowed to rebreathe normally remained underwater an average of 32% longer than those with impaired rebreathing, suggesting a functional role of rebreathing in underwater respiration," Swierk wrote in the study.

The researchers hope that the findings of this work pave the way to more innovation in the methods used to monitor vital signs in captive animals, including heart rate and respiration rate.

This natural process, known as microbial respiration, is what produces the carbon dioxide and methane emissions forecasted by climate modelers.