24th April 2024: The USDA has issued a Federal Order requiring pre-movement testing and reporting of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in livestock. In order to continue to monitor and understand the extent of this virus and reduce the risk of further disseminating HPAI H5N1 virus, resulting in greater threats to poultry and livestock, this Federal Order requires testing measures prior to interstate movement, effective Monday, April 29, 2024. LINK
23rd April 2024: Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that H5N1 avian flu fragments have been found in retail milk samples. Donald Prater, DVM, acting director of the FDA Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN), emphasized that despite test findings released yesterday, the nation's milk supply remains safe. Though health officials feel confident that current pasteurization processes inactivate H5N1, based on what's known in the scientific literature about flu viruses and other pathogens, testing is under way to gauge the specific impacts of H5N1 in milk and other dairy products such as cream. He also noted that heat inactivation processes for eggs, which involve lower temperatures than pasteurization, has been successful in preventing the spread of H5N1 from food to people. Prater said the FDA is conducting tests on milk samples that yielded H5N1 fragments to assess if the products contain live virus, which would pose a larger threat. Those test methods take more time and involve egg inoculation and cell culture.LINK
As of 24th April 2024, 33 U.S. dairy herds infected with Avian Influenza (H5N1) in the have been detected in the following states: Texas, New Mexico, Kansas, Idaho, Ohio, Michigan, North Carolina, and South Dakota. LINK
Preprint: “Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A (H5N1) clade 2.3.4.4b Virus detected 1 in dairy cattle” Hu et al., 2024. Abstract: The global emergence of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A (H5N1) clade 2.3.4.4b viruses poses a significant global public health threat. Until March 2024, no outbreaks of this virus clade had occurred in domestic cattle. We genetically characterize HPAI viruses from dairy cattle showing an abrupt drop in milk production. They share nearly identical genome sequences, forming a new genotype B3.13 within the 2.3.4.4b clade. B3.13 viruses underwent two reassortment events since 2023 and exhibit critical mutations in HA, M1, and NS genes but lack critical mutations in PB2 and PB1 genes, which enhance virulence or adaptation to mammals. The PB2 E627K mutation in a human case underscores the potential for rapid evolution post24 infection, highlighting the need for continued surveillance to monitor public health threats. LINK Podcast: Dr. Yanyun Huang from Prairie Diagnostic Services describes two genomics projects focused on the role of bovine coronavirus and bovine respiratory syncytial virus in respiratory disease of cattle in Western Canada. LINK
Western Canadian dairies and the public continue to benefit from having an excellent biosecurity program already in place, supported by excellent veterinary practitioners and diagnostic laboratory supports.
WECAHN INFLUENZA A IN U.S. MAMMALS WEBPAGE LINK
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Beef surveillance in western Canada
Poultry surveillance in western Canada
Dairy surveillance in western Canada
Smallholder livestock production surveillance in western Canada
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