Tweet
/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resolute,_Nunavut
-----------------------------------------
Translation Google
Bird flu under surveillance in the Canadian Arctic
Seals are among the species being tested in Nunavut for the presence of the avian influenza virus.
RCI
Posted at 7:23 am
Cases of bird flu detected in mammals around the world are prompting authorities in the Canadian Arctic to monitor the situation closely and test more northern species.
The first case of bird flu in Nunavut this year was discovered in a fulmar on October 3 near Resolute Bay.
According to Jon Neely , operations coordinator for Nunavut's wildlife division, the strain of virus identified is similar to the one circulating in Greenland.
Cases of bird flu began appearing in Nunavut in 2022. Jon Neely does not believe the virus is widespread in the territory.
The presence of the virus in mammals, including northern species, however, prompts the authorities to exercise vigilance.
According to Environment and Climate Change Canada, the virus has been detected in 12 species of wild mammals and at least 100 species of wild birds in the country since the outbreak began in 2022.
In Nunavut, five lemmings have been tested this year, all negative, according to Jon Neely . A test done on a seal is still awaiting results, he adds.
Brian Stevens , a wildlife pathologist with the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative, would like to test more species in the North. The logistical challenges of such a campaign are numerous, he says.
Samples must first be sent to the joint Ontario/Nunavut laboratory of the Canadian Animal Health Surveillance System at the University of Guelph . They are then sent to the National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease in Winnipeg.
Added to this is the training of people living in remote communities to collect the samples, and their transport.
We don't want hunters who are inexperienced with these diseases to end up on the front lines, which could put their safety at risk , he adds.
The Government of Nunavut has trained wildlife officers in most communities, with a few exceptions.
Jon Neely said partnerships have been developed with local hunting and fishing associations in communities without wildlife officers. Some wildlife officers also travel to those locations.
The Nunavut government relies on reports of suspected cases from community members, says Jon Neely .
Hunters are our most valuable resource , he emphasizes.
Beware of raw meat
According to the Nunavut Department of Health, eating infected birds or bird eggs, when cooked, poses only a very low risk to humans.
Typically, cases of bird flu in humans are caused by prolonged and close contact with infected live or dead poultry, or contaminated environments , the ministry said in a statement last month.
Three people cut raw fish in Nunavut.
Brian Stevens recommends not eating raw meat from animals that are sick or killed by disease.
Signs to recognize an infected animal include lack of coordination, swelling around the head, tremors and diarrhea.
With information from Samuel Wat
Comment