The view from the Director’s office

Just when we were breathing a (tentative) sigh of relief that control efforts to prevent highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) from infecting Canadian dairy cattle appear to be highly successful, along comes notification of 2 separate spillover mutation events involving the D1.1 genotype of H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b that have infected dairy cattle in Arizona and Nevada. We can no longer be complacent that strict border biosecurity will protect our cattle, as genotype D1.1 is circulating in wild birds throughout Canada and is the dominant strain affecting poultry flocks in this country. Therefore, we need to remain vigilant and expect that similar homegrown favourable mutations will occur and affect our cattle. Kudos to all the bovine practitioners who have submitted samples for HPAI testing from sick cattle in their practices. Despite the justifiable fear and anxiety that a positive diagnosis would engender for clients, it behooves all of us to continue to test sick cattle, birds, cats and peridomestic mammals for HPAI, so that outbreaks can be contained quickly and the risk to humans mitigated.

It has been a challenging winter in Ontario with 8 positive poultry flocks diagnosed with HPAI since mid-December. AHL found itself in the unfamiliar circumstance of being located in one of the infected primary control zones. This requires all of our clients who submit diagnostic samples from a poultry facility to apply for a CFIA general movement permit in order to comply with movement restrictions. Most control zones are in place for approximately 3 months, and we will certainly inform you as soon as movement permits are no longer required. A huge thank you to all affected veterinarians and poultry industry clients for your patience during this time!

Maria Spinato, Director

Animal Health Laboratory, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON.