People have heard a lot about H5N1 avian flu — or highly pathogenic avian flu — since a British Columbia teenager became the first human contracted the virus in Canada and is hospitalized.
We don’t yet know how a teenager was infectedbut Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s chief public health officer, said Wednesday that genomic sequencing shows they have a strain of H5N1 similar to strains found in outbreaks at poultry farms in British Columbia.
More than 20 locations harboring infected poultry have been identified in the province since the beginning of October, according to a recent news release on the BC government website.
The H5N1 strain the teen suffers from is not the same genotype found in people infected by dairy cattle in the United States, Tam said in an interview.
Although there have been several outbreaks of avian flu on dairy farms in several states, the virus has not been detected on any dairy farms in Canada.
How can we know if dairy cattle in Canada are not infected with H5N1?
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has tested raw milk arriving at processing plants in each province for the avian flu virus.
He also tested samples of retail pasteurized milk.
Tam said that, much like wastewater testing to detect viruses such as COVID-19 and seasonal flu, milk testing aims to provide an “early warning” signal if H5N1 reaches dairy farms across the country. Canada.
If H5N1 is found in milk, is it still drinkable?
Yes, provided the milk has been pasteurized, says the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
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“In Canada, milk must be pasteurized before sale. The pasteurization process kills harmful bacteria and viruses, including HPAI (highly pathogenic avian influenza), ensuring that milk and dairy products are safe to drink and consume,” the CFIA website states. .
Is it safe to eat poultry, eggs and beef?
Yes, as long as they are well cooked.
Where are the infected poultry farms in Canada?
As of Nov. 13, there were 28 infected poultry farms in British Columbia, two in Alberta and one in Saskatchewan, according to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency website.
Shayan Sharif, a pathobiology professor at the Ontario Veterinary College at the University of Guelph, said he believes H5N1 will reach poultry farms in other provinces.
“I hope I’m wrong… but I think it’s probably going to spread eastward in the not too distant future,” he told the Canadian Press.
What to do when there is an H5N1 infection on a farm?
Farmers are required to notify the CFIA if they suspect their birds or livestock have avian influenza.
All poultry must be killed on farms that have tested positive for H5N1, Sharif said. But there is no need to kill the livestock, he said.
The virus can spread through direct contact with infected animals, but can also spread through stables and other contaminated environments.
“Biosecurity” is one of the most important ways to stop the spread of bird flu between farms, Sharif said.
This means workers must wear personal protective equipment and change clothes when entering and leaving a farm where bird flu has been detected.
This also includes not sharing equipment between farms, as well as washing and disinfecting trucks delivering supplies and animal feed, he explained.
Sharif said he supported offering bird flu vaccines to agricultural workers – a measure Finland has adopted.
Health Canada has authorized three influenza vaccines that could be used to protect against H5N1 avian influenza.
These vaccines are not currently available here, but Tam said public health officials are “very interested” in learning from Finland and are actively studying the potential use of H5N1 vaccines as they monitor the activity of the avian flu in Canada.