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Suspected cases of bird flu in foxes and skunks
Skunks may have died of bird flu in Saskatchewan.
Radio Canada
at 7:15 a.m.
Possible cases of bird flu have emerged in mammals in Saskatchewan, according to pathologist at the Western Veterinary College in Saskatoon, Trent Bollinger.
According to him, the first suspected case of bird flu in a large carnivore was brought to his laboratory three weeks ago.
As of last week, between 6 and 10 other animals had been tested.
It was mostly skunks, as well as a red fox, that showed neurological signs that could be attributed to avian flu , he says.
Trent Bollinger notes that other viral illnesses cause similar symptoms, such as distemper or rabies.
However, recent molecular diagnostic tests point to avian flu as the most likely cause in at least three of the deaths analyzed.
In other cases, we have done autopsies and we are continuing the analyses. There could therefore be more cases , specifies the veterinary pathologist.
The transmission of the virus to mammals does not surprise the specialist. Cases have also appeared in the United States, he says. But we have quite a few, which may be a little unusual. That remains to be seen.
Deaths throughout the summer
Trent Bollinger expects more waterfowl to die from bird flu over the summer, as the risk of transmission is high in these bird species.
There were a large number of dead birds in the spring, during the migration season. But while the specialist expects the mortality of these birds to decrease during the summer, he notes that the baby birds are however another group at risk.
We will have new cohorts of ducklings and juvenile birds that could also be exposed to the virus, he says. So we could see yet again an increase in the number of dead birds observed by the public.
According to Trent Bollinger, the species most affected by the virus seem to be in relatively high numbers, and the mortality rate does not currently have a significant impact on their populations.
What is especially worrying is the risk of transmission to poultry, because then the birds die in large numbers and the virus has economic impacts , he recalls.
The veterinarian is reassuring: the virus of this flu is not transmitted to dogs, cats and humans.
What to do
Trent Bollinger reminds you to avoid touching animals whose behavior is not normal, and contact a wildlife conservation officer.
If the animal in question dies and avian flu may be the cause, Trent Bollinger says the carcass can be picked up wearing latex gloves, put in a plastic bag and taken to a lab, like that of the College of Veterinarians.
With information by Daniella Ponticelli
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Source: https://ca.news.yahoo.com/presumptiv...100000527.html
Presumptive cases of avian flu in skunks, foxes found in Sask.
Sun, May 29, 2022, 6:00 a.m.·2 min read
Presumptive cases of avian flu are showing up in some species of mammals in Saskatchewan.
Trent Bollinger is a wildlife pathologist at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in Saskatoon.
He told CBC News the first presumptive case of avian flu in a "major carnivore" came into the lab about three weeks ago.
As of the last week, six to ten more have been tested.
"These are primarily skunks, with the occasional red fox, that have neurological signs which could be attributed to (high pathogenic) avian influenza virus," he said.
Bollinger noted there are other viral diseases — such as distemper and rabies — that cause similar symptoms in these species...Leave a comment:
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Source: https://regina.ctvnews.ca/extra-vigi...reak-1.5859247
'Extra vigilant': Sask. poultry farmers increase safety measures in light of avian flu outbreak
Allison Bamford
Video journalist at CTV News Regina
Updated April 12, 2022 8:21 p.m. EDT
Published April 12, 2022 4:27 p.m. EDT
Deadly avian influenza has been detected in Saskatchewan for the first time in 15 years.
A snow goose near the town of Elrose, around 320 km northwest of Regina, was found to have the “highly pathogenic” H5 strain of avian influenza (HPAI) by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
Veterinary pathologist Trent Bollinger performed the autopsy in Saskatoon.
Since then, he said his lab at the University of Saskatchewan has done tests on upwards of 50 birds believed to have died from HPAI. The number of unreported deaths is even higher, he said...Leave a comment:
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Saskatchewan, Canada: 2022 in wild birds and mammals
Source: https://www.sasktoday.ca/central/loc...chewan-5248265
Avian influenza detected in Saskatchewan
The last time HPAI was found in Saskatchewan in either commercial poultry or wild birds was in 2007
SASKTODAY.ca
about an hour ago
REGINA — Samples collected from a snow goose found near Elrose have been confirmed positive for HPAI by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
The Ministry of Agriculture is reminding poultry producers with flocks of all sizes to follow all necessary biosecurity protocols to keep their flocks free of diseases after a highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5 strain was detected in a wild bird in Saskatchewan.
The confirmation of the strain in the Saskatchewan bird follows the detection of HPAI in poultry and wild birds in the United States and in several Canadian provinces.
The last time HPAI was found in Saskatchewan in either commercial poultry or wild birds was in 2007...
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