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Source: https://vancouversun.com/news/lower-mainland-mud-samples-scientists-track-bc-avian-flu
How mud samples help scientists track 'unprecedented' levels of avian flu in B.C.
Strands of avian flu DNA found in wetlands help B.C. virus detectives track the spread of the outbreak.
Author of the article: Glenda Luymes
Published Nov 29, 2024 • Last updated 9 hours ago • 5 minute read
It’s the ultimate needle in a haystack.
A minuscule strand of avian flu DNA in a scoop of mud and bird droppings is helping B.C. virus detectives track how avian flu is spreading through wild bird populations, with implications for animal and human health.
“This year we’ve seen unprecedented levels of environmental contamination,” said Chelsea Himsworth, the provincial deputy chief veterinary officer and an associate professor at the University of B.C.
Every two weeks, the vet and her team take samples from seven wetlands across the Fraser Valley, or “Mother Nature’s outhouses,” as she sometimes calls them, including Mill Lake in Abbotsford, Sardis Pond in Chilliwack and the Roberts Bank foreshore in Tsawwassen.
Within the last month, 21 sediment samples have tested positive for avian flu DNA. The team also tests dead birds, recording 50 positive cases.
B.C. is the only area in North America that Himsworth is aware of that includes environmental testing as part of a regular program to track avian flu outbreaks. The sediment samples give officials “situational awareness” and have proved the best predictor of “spillover” into domestic poultry flocks....
How mud samples help scientists track 'unprecedented' levels of avian flu in B.C.
Strands of avian flu DNA found in wetlands help B.C. virus detectives track the spread of the outbreak.
Author of the article: Glenda Luymes
Published Nov 29, 2024 • Last updated 9 hours ago • 5 minute read
It’s the ultimate needle in a haystack.
A minuscule strand of avian flu DNA in a scoop of mud and bird droppings is helping B.C. virus detectives track how avian flu is spreading through wild bird populations, with implications for animal and human health.
“This year we’ve seen unprecedented levels of environmental contamination,” said Chelsea Himsworth, the provincial deputy chief veterinary officer and an associate professor at the University of B.C.
Every two weeks, the vet and her team take samples from seven wetlands across the Fraser Valley, or “Mother Nature’s outhouses,” as she sometimes calls them, including Mill Lake in Abbotsford, Sardis Pond in Chilliwack and the Roberts Bank foreshore in Tsawwassen.
Within the last month, 21 sediment samples have tested positive for avian flu DNA. The team also tests dead birds, recording 50 positive cases.
B.C. is the only area in North America that Himsworth is aware of that includes environmental testing as part of a regular program to track avian flu outbreaks. The sediment samples give officials “situational awareness” and have proved the best predictor of “spillover” into domestic poultry flocks....