Scientists warn Canada ‘way behind the virus’ as bird flu explodes among U.S. dairy cattle – CBC

Calls for active surveillance on both sides of the border after H5N1 spreads across 9 states

Apr 30, 2024

While federal officials say there’s still no sign of a dangerous form of bird flu in Canadian dairy cows, scientists warn limited surveillance means Canada might not be staying ahead of an explosive H5N1 outbreak among dairy cattle south of the border.

So far, dozens of herds across various U.S. states have been infected with this form of influenza A. While it appears to cause milder infections in cows, H5N1 has also been linked to stunning death rates of 50 per cent or more in other species, including various birds, cats and even humans, though more data and research is needed to fully understand the risks.

“I think we’re way behind the virus,” warned Matthew Miller, an immunologist and vaccine developer with McMaster University, who’s among the Canadians working on H5N1 research.

Without a “robust national surveillance program, there’s no way to know if there are infections here or not.”

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) told CBC News on Monday it has not detected this form of bird flu yet in dairy cattle — or any other livestock — in Canada. (In birds, however, the disease is already widespread across the country, impacting an estimated 11 million farmed birds to date.)

Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/bird-flu-canada-1.7188779