B.C.'s chief vet tells clinics to set up bird flu protocols amid human exposure risk
British Columbia's chief veterinarian has told clinics that treat wild birds that they must establish protocols to prevent the spread of avian flu, warning of the risk of human exposure to the illness.
Dr. Theresa Burns says in a letter to vets last week that reporting of sick and dead wild birds across the province has increased recently and clinics handling wild birds must have safety procedures in place and ensure staff are trained and equipped with proper protection.
Days after Burns issued her letter, B.C. health authorities announced the first case of human bird flu infection acquired in Canada, with the teenage patient in critical condition.
Burns said in an interview that her office has been working since 2022 to educate veterinarians on the H5N1 avian flu virus, and the letter was another reminder in the midst of fall migration.
When birds get this flu they present with symptoms such as an inability to fly, weakness, and neurologic signs, she said.
"And then people find those birds, and out of the goodness of their hearts, they pick them up to try to help them, and they often will bring them into veterinary clinics for care," she said.
"And we just want to make sure that our veterinarians and their staff who might receive calls, or have people bringing those wild birds, are aware of the avian influenza and what they need to do to protect themselves and their staff."
Burns said sick birds should be isolated from people and animals and that anyone who interacts with them should wear protective gear including gowns, gloves and eye protection.
Rob Hope, general manager of the OWL rehabilitation facility in Delta, B.C., says the centre, which cares for raptors, including eagles, falcons, hawks, and owls, has taken extra precautions to prevent the spread of avian flu for years.
Hope said staff have become skilled at recognizing the disease and can often diagnose them when they see photos or video of a bird.
If H5N1 is suspected, he said the animal is transported to the centre in a kennel and placed in quarantine where it is only cared for by select staff in full protective gear including gowns, masks, booties and face shields.
He said the centre has seen an increase in cases over the last few weeks compared with last month and that many of the animals die within 24 hours.
“Most of the time they're dying anyways, but at least people aren't playing with them or poking them, you know? That type of scenario,” he said
Burns said people should not touch sick or dead birds that they find in the wild.
Before this week's announcement of the B.C. case, there was one previous infection in Canada in 2014 in Alberta. That person died, and health officials determined that the victim likely contracted the virus while travelling in China.
B.C. officials have said they don't know yet how the teen caught the virus.
"This, as I mentioned, is a rare event and we want to make sure that it's not spreading. That's one of the things that we were focusing on this weekend, and we have identified no further cases," B.C. Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said on Tuesday.
Burns said tests of wetland sediments in areas where wild birds gather have shown high levels of the H5N1 variant of the virus, but so far the number of wild birds being reported with the infection is similar to 2022 and 2023.
The commercial poultry sector in British Columbia has been hit hard by avian flu, with 28 flocks infected this fall as migratory birds fly south for winter. More than 6.5 million birds have been culled in the province because of avian influenza since spring of 2022.
Burns said the industry saw a rise in the number of cases at the beginning of this season and it's unclear whether that will continue or level off over the next few weeks.
Migratory wild birds, particularly waterfowl species such as ducks and geese, are believed to be the primary carrier of the disease, but government data show other infected species have included hawks, ravens and herons.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 14, 2024.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'I recognize these footsteps': How Trump and 'coyote' smuggling changed life at the border
Bent signs bolted to the rail threaten fines and imprisonment should violators cross the boundary into the United States, a warning many people are choosing to ignore simply by walking around the barrier.
From wreckhouse winds to blizzards, mix of weather in forecasts for parts of Canada
Canadians will experience contrasting weather on Thursday, from warmer temperatures in the Maritimes to extreme cold in parts of Ontario, the Prairies and the North.
Banks tell 2 Ontarians too much time has passed to cash decades-old cheque, GIC
Two Ontarians who recently found unclaimed money from decades-old investments were told by their banks there were no records of them in their systems.
Rescue group saves 11-year-old girl floating alone in the Mediterranean for days after shipwreck
An 11-year-old girl from Sierra Leone was found floating in the Mediterranean Sea off Italy's southernmost island of Lampedusa, believed to be the only survivor of a shipwrecked migrant boat that had departed from the port of Sfax in Tunisia, a humanitarian group said Thursday.
She took a DNA test for fun. Police used it to charge her grandmother with murder in a cold case
According to court documents, detectives reopened the cold case in 2017 and then worked with a forensics company to extract DNA from Baby Garnet's partial femur, before sending the results to Identifinders International.
Settlement reached in complaint over Canada Post layoffs as strike hits four weeks
The union representing Canada Post workers says an unfair labour practice complaint over the company's layoffs has been resolved.
Some breast cancer patients can avoid certain surgeries, studies suggest
Some early breast cancer patients can safely avoid specific surgeries, according to two studies exploring ways to lessen treatment burdens.
'Enough is enough': Doug Ford says Ontario could hand encampment drug users $10,000 fines, prison
Ontario Premier Doug Ford says his government is introducing a suite of measures to 'address and dismantle' encampments around the province, including steep fines for people who use drugs.
Statistics Canada says household debt-to-disposable income ratio falls in Q3
Statistics Canada says the amount Canadian households owe relative to their income fell in the third quarter as a rise in disposable income outpaced the growth in debt.