#16,542
Although I haven't found an official statement, local and national media outlets in Canada are reporting on a 3rd detection of avian H5N1 - this time in Nova Scotia - roughly 900 km (south and west) of the first two reports from the island portion of Newfoundland and Labrador in late December.
We've also see 3 other detections (all in wild birds) in the United States (see USDA Confirms 2 Additional HPAI H5N1 Detections In Wild Birds (North & South Carolina)), spanning over 1700 km of the eastern seaboard.
First the very brief media report, then I'll return with a bit more.
Avian Flu detected in geese on hobby farm outside Halifax, owner ‘devastated’
By Amber Fryday Global News
Posted January 31, 2022 5:55 pm
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has confirmed the death of a Canada Goose as a result of Avian Influenza — H5N1.
The CFIA is now advising poultry farmers to be vigilant and to apply biosecurity measures at all times.
Since the confirmation of the case, a hobby farm located in Porters Lake has lost nearly their entire flock — 59 of 60 birds within the past week.
“I’m devastated by this. They were my pets.” says Vikki Winkler, the owner of the small hobby farm located outside of Halifax.
The virus can be transmitted between humans and animals, although that is rare.
These 6 reports of H5N1 are the first HPAI H5Nx detections in North America since the summer of 2016, and very likely arrived via migratory birds from Europe (see Preprint: Transatlantic Spread of HPAI H5N1 by Wild Birds from Europe to North America in 2021), which is experiencing their 3rd major avian epizootic in the past 5 years (see DEFRA: Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in the UK, and Europe).
While the Eurasian H5Nx avian flu viruses - unlike their more dangerous asian cousins - are considered to have some zoonotic capability, thus far we've only seen a small number of mild human infections (see CDC Statement On Low Risk From Avian H5N1).
That could change over time, as we are seeing more evidence of mammalian adaptation (see (see CDC EID Journal: Encephalitis and Death in Wild Mammals at An Animal Rehab Center From HPAI H5N8 - UK), but for now the Eurasian H5Nx virus is primarily a threat to wild birds and poultry.
While this year's detections of HPAI H5Nx have been few across North America, the winter and spring are the peak time to see outbreaks, and so Canadian and U.S. agricultural agencies are advising anyone with poultry to take extra biosecurity precautions.
