First Canadian mammal cases of Eurasian H5N5 bird flu found in P.E.I. raccoons
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CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — Dr. Megan Jones, an assistant professor on the Atlantic Veterinary Faculty, is warning residents to maintain their pets away from birds after the primary case of Eurasian H5N5 chook flu in Canada was present in lifeless raccoons in Charlottetown in early April.
A information launch from the College of Minnesota stated the World Group for Animal Well being (WOAH) reported that together with the 2 raccoons, wild birds had been discovered contaminated with the virus on the Island and in New Brunswick.
Jones, regional director of Canadian Wildlife Well being Cooperative, stated she thinks the H5N5 variant got here to the Island from migratory birds from Norway.
She added that the virus was unfold via mammals consuming birds that had been contaminated with H5N5, which they discovered after working on one of many raccoon corpses.
“Animals like raccoons, that are omnivores, most likely ate birds in the course of the late winter and have become contaminated.”
Jones believes this is similar purpose foxes, skunks and different animals have turn into contaminated with the H5N1 variant of the chook flu.
She added that canine and cats ought to steer away from birds.
“Please forestall your canine and cats from consuming lifeless or alive birds.”
Jones famous {that a} canine in Oshawa, Ont., was contaminated with H5N1 after chewing on a wild goose and died later after growing signs.
Within the U.S., there have been 11 extra studies of H5N1 reported in mammals, bringing the whole to 191 since April 2022.
P.E.I. has additionally seen its fair proportion of mammals with H5N1, as skunks and foxes had been contaminated with the virus, reported the Canadian Wildlife Well being Co-operative.
Jones stated they discovered greater than 10 skunks had been contaminated with the H5N1 virus.
The U.S. Well being officers are persevering with to observe H5N1 spillovers from birds to animals, because the at present circulating pure group in a number of areas has a mutation that makes it simpler to acknowledge by mammalian airway cells, together with people.
