Question Period Note: AVIAN INFLUENZA

Q1 – What is the Government doing about the reports of a detection of HPAI in US dairy cattle? Q2 – How is the Government responding to detections in cattle versus poultry? Q3 – What is the Government of Canada doing about avian influenza and how is it protecting animal health and the spread of the disease? Q4 – How is the Canadian Food Inspection Agency responding to Avian influenza? Q5 – Does avian influenza pose risks to human health? Q6 – How does the Government support poultry producers? Q7 – What is the effect of avian influenza on the export of poultry and poultry products? Q8 – Does Canada allow importation of poultry from countries where Avian influenza is known to exist? Q9 – Have cases of potential transmission to mammals been detected? Q10 – Are vaccines available for Avian influenza?

R.1 - HPAI has not been detected in dairy cattle or other livestock in Canada.

Milk from dairy cows in Canada must be pasteurized before sale, ensuring that milk and milk products are safe to drink and eat.

Sampling and testing of retail milk samples is currently underway. To date, over 300 retail milk samples from across Canada have tested negative for HPAI fragments, with no evidence of disease in dairy cattle detected in milk.

The Government is facilitating the voluntary testing of cows that are not presenting with clinical signs of HPAI to enhance industry biosecurity efforts.

As well, all lactating dairy cattle being imported from the United States to Canada require a negative HPAI test before entering Canada. R.2 - The Government’s response to detections of HPAI in cattle is different than in domestic birds because cattle respond differently to the virus.
HPAI spreads rapidly between birds and leads to high mortality rates, resulting in negative impacts to trade of live poultry and poultry products. Cattle show milder signs, with only a small proportion of the herd being affected. Cattle typically make a complete recover within one to three weeks.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is working with the veterinary community, industry, public health authorities and the provinces and territories to help coordinate a national response as new information becomes available. R.3 - Avian influenza outbreaks are occurring around the world in bird populations. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has reported cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 in domestic birds in nine (9) provinces since December 2021. To date, PEI has not reported cases of HPAI in domestic poultry.
When avian influenza is detected, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency declares Primary Control Zones to help control the disease and any potential spread through movements of domestic birds, vehicles and other things that may spread the disease. R.4 - The Canadian Food Inspection Agency responds to HPAI outbreaks by establishing movement controls, ordering the humane depopulation of all infected and exposed poultry, conducting trace-out activities, overseeing the cleaning and disinfection of premises and verifying that affected farms remain free of HPAI according to international standards.
The goal is to eliminate the high pathogenicity virus by humanely destroying susceptible domestic birds on infected premises, followed by disposal of contaminated products, as well as cleaning and disinfection of the infected premises.
The Government is collaborating with provinces, territories and a wide range of stakeholders to identify and implement solutions to help minimize the impact of the disease on the poultry industry. R.5 - The Government of Canada is committed to protecting the health and safety of Canadians and animals. The risk of human infection from avian influenza is considered to be low for the general public and low to moderate for those occupationally exposed.
There have been no known human cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza in Canada associated with the most recent outbreak and there has been no evidence of human-to-human transmission.
There is also no evidence to suggest that cooked poultry or eggs are sources of avian influenza infection for people. R.6 - The Government of Canada supports poultry producers across Canada and works to help minimize both the animal health and economic impact of avian influenza when there is an outbreak.
When depopulation of birds is ordered under the Health of Animals Act, compensation may be paid to poultry owners for birds and other materials ordered destroyed such as bedding. R.7 - The Canadian Food Inspection Agency continues to notify the World Organisation for Animal Health of all positive highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) detections.
Following the most recent outbreak, trade restrictions have been implemented on certain poultry and poultry products. Some countries have implemented Canada-wide import restrictions while some have implemented provincial or zone-specific trade restrictions.
Canada is working with its key trading partners to share information on the outbreak and how it is being managed to help minimize the impact of trade disruptions. R.8 - Live birds and raw poultry products may not be imported from regions affected by highly pathogenic avian influenza. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency also imposes strict requirements on the import of animals and animal products from countries where highly pathogenic avian influenza is known to exist. R.9 - In Canada, highly pathogenic avian influenza has been detected in some wild mammal species including mink, fox, skunks, bears, seals, raccoons, river otters and a dolphin. There have been cases detected in domestic mammals, including one dog and four cats (2 domestic cats and 2 feral cats). Exposure may occur through consumption of infected bird carcasses or through a contaminated environment.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency collaborates with provincial, territorial and federal partners to report cases in mammals and monitor potential transmission between mammals.
The number of documented cases of avian influenza H5N1 in non-avian species, such as cats and dogs remains low. R.10 - There is currently no internationally accepted and available vaccine for avian influenza. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has established a highly pathogenic avian influenza Vaccination Task Force dedicated to studying the challenges and opportunities of a vaccination program.
This task force brings together insights from veterinarians, experts from academia, industry and government representatives on issues relating to the potential use of vaccination against HPAI in Canada.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency continues to engage with international trading partners about potential vaccination strategies to help minimize any potential impact on trade should a vaccination program be implemented.

What is Avian influenza?
Avian influenza (AI) is a contagious viral infection that can affect several species of food producing birds as well as pets, wild birds and mammals, including cattle. AI viruses can be classified into two categories based on the severity of the illness caused in birds: low pathogenicity (LPAI) and high pathogenicity (HPAI) forms.
In Canada, HPAI and LPAI subtypes H5 and H7 are reportable under the Health of Animals Act and the Reportable Diseases Regulations. All suspected cases of AI must be reported to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA).
Human health
AI viruses are present globally and may, on rare occasions, cause disease in humans. Transmission to humans has occurred through close contact with infected birds or heavily contaminated environments. However, there have been no known human cases of HPAI in Canada.
HPAI in mammals and wild birds
AI is being reported in bird populations worldwide. Outbreaks are occurring in the United States, Mexico and in Africa, Asia, Europe, and Central and South America.
HPAI H5N1 has also been confirmed in wild birds in all Canadian provinces and territories.
Mammals such as foxes, skunks, raccoons, otters, seals, dolphins and bears have been infected with HPAI H5N1 during this global outbreak. Infection is thought to occur following consumption of infected bird carcasses or significant exposure to the virus within the environment.
Over the course of the Canadian outbreak starting in December 2021, HPAI H5N1 has been detected in Canada in various wild mammals such as red foxes, skunk, seal, bear, wild mink, river otter, raccoons and an Atlantic white-sided dolphin. HPAI H5N1 has also been confirmed in domestic mammals including one dog and four cats (2 domestic and 2 feral).
HPAI in U.S. cattle
In March, 2024, the United States Department of Agriculture reported cases of HPAI H5N1 in dairy herds in Texas and Kansas. This was the first known transmission of HPAI H5N1 to cattle.
Since this time, cases have been reported in other US states and have been associated with the movement of infected cattle. Infected cattle have a significant decline in milk production and other mild clinical signs. Cattle appear to recover from the illness over a two to three week period.
Current epidemiological evidence suggests the initial case was a point source introduction, likely associated with contact from an infected wild bird. Further cases are likely associated with indirect transmission between cows during the milking procedure.
On April 24, 2024, the Food and Drug Administration reported finding influenza virus particles in samples from pasteurized commercial milk. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is collaborating with the Public Health Agency of Canada and Health Canada to further understand the implications of this report in Canada.
On May 3rd, 2024, the CFIA announced enhanced requirements for lactating dairy cattle entering Canada from the US. All lactating dairy cattle being imported from the US to Canada require a negative HPAI test.
The current risk to the public remains low. Initial testing by the United States National Veterinary Services Laboratories has not found changes to the virus that would make it more transmissible to humans.
Current science suggests that the risk of humans contracting AI from an infected mammal (i.e., domestic dogs and cats or wildlife) is low; however, the potential role of mammals, domestic and wild, in human AI infection is not known. Appropriate precautions should be taken with any suspected or confirmed infected domestic or wild animals.
Disease response for poultry
The CFIA responds to HPAI outbreaks by establishing movement controls, ordering the humane destruction of all infected and exposed poultry, conducting trace-out activities, overseeing the cleaning and disinfection of premises and verifying that affected farms remain free of HPAI according to international standards. Collectively these actions are referred to as a stamping out policy.
When responding to animal disease events, the CFIA takes the following steps:
• Movement control - Access to infected premises is controlled until the disease transmission risk from the premises is eliminated;
• Investigation - Collection of critical information from the premises is undertaken;
• Diagnostics - Laboratory diagnostics are performed by a CFIA approved laboratory and/or the CFIA National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease;
• Traceability - Gathering of information to determine where the virus came from and where it may have spread is attained;
• Depopulation – Infected birds are ordered to be destroyed;
• Evaluation & Compensation – Reimbursement may be paid for animals and things ordered destroyed (Market value as determined by the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food);
• Cleaning & Decontamination – Performed by poultry farmers to help further mitigate the risk of spread of the infective agent from the infected premises.

From December 2021 to June 3, 2024:

Cumulative Cases by Province
Newfoundland 2
Nova Scotia 8
New Brunswick 2
Quebec 54
Ontario 49
Manitoba 23
Saskatchewan 44
Alberta 82
British Columbia 158
Total 422

Poultry = 355 Non-Poultry = 67
Number of birds affected 11 032 319

The Poultry and Non-Poultry numbers may not add up to the total number of cases because in some instances determination has not yet been made.
*These numbers represent both currently infected premises and previously infected premises (released premises)
Trade restrictions
Trade restrictions have been implemented on certain poultry and poultry products as a result of the most recent outbreak in 2022-23. Some countries have implemented Canada-wide import restrictions while some have implemented provincial or zone-specific trade restrictions.
The Government continues to work with key trading partners to share information on the HPAI outbreak and to minimize the impact of trade disruptions. Vaccination against HPAI
The scale and duration of the 2022 outbreak has compelled countries, including Canada, to explore the use of vaccination as an additional tool in the fight against HPAI.
International standards set by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) support the use of vaccination against HPAI, with no trade restrictions, when adequate surveillance systems can support the country’s claim that it does not have the disease. Nevertheless, trade of poultry and poultry products from countries that employ vaccination may still be affected as importing countries may choose not to follow WOAH recommendations.
In collaboration with industry, academia/experts, other federal departments, provincial and territorial governments, and international regulatory authorities, the CFIA is considering the challenges and opportunities associated with the development and use of vaccination against HPAI in addition to its existing stamping out policy.
The CFIA has established the Avian Influenza Vaccination Task Force to serve as a forum for discussion and information sharing on an approach to HPAI vaccination in Canada.

• In Canada, highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) is reportable under the Health of Animals Act and the Reportable Diseases Regulations. All suspected cases of HPAI must be reported to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

• The Government of Canada has been monitoring, investigating and responding to the HPAI outbreak in poultry since 2021.

• There have been no detected cases of HPAI in dairy cattle in Canada as of today.

• The current risk to the public remains low. Measures have been implemented including enhanced testing of milk at the retail level and negative HPAI test results from lactating dairy cattle being imported from the U.S.