By: Annie Wagner (’27)
This colourized electron microscope image provided by the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in 2024 shows the red and yellow particles of avian influenza A virus, or bird flu, grown in cultured cells. (CDC/NIAID/The Associated Press) Credit CBC News.
Avian flu or H5N1, a disease that decimates bird populations and has led to the deaths of more than 8.7 million birds in B.C., has begun to infect cattle and even humans.
In years past, avian flu has spread through wild bird populations and domestic flocks, causing many farmers’ flocks to be euthanized to prevent the spread. This has caused the price of eggs to increase drastically, and has made poultry products more scarce, taking its toll on consumers. However, this year, higher costs are the least of our worries.
In the fall in the United States, farmers began to notice that their cows were getting sick with a flu-like illness. They discovered dead birds in and around the property, and it became clear that the virus had species-jumped to cows.
Since then, poultry and dairy workers have been getting infected with the flu at high rates. Some have recovered with little to no long-lasting effects, but one or two have died.
Even small numbers of infections are alarming, as every new human and cattle infection provides an opportunity for the virus to mutate. Mutations, while mostly harmless, can accumulate over time and potentially even allow the virus to be transmitted from person to person. Right now, the majority of human cases are the result of interactions between birds and people or cows and people, and occur most often in farm environments. However, a 13-year-old girl living in the Fraser Valley contracted the virus in November and spent a month in B.C. Children’s Hospital before being discharged. Where she contracted the virus from is still unknown.
To protect yourself from the virus and prevent further mutations, scientists believe that the best way to avert a global health crisis is to slow the spread as much as possible. This means protecting poultry and cattle from infections from wild birds, and ensuring that farm workers safeguard their own health by wearing personal protective equipment.
You can also do your part to stop the spread of avian flu by avoiding interactions with wild birds and their feathers, as well as avoiding unpasteurized milk and fully cooking eggs and meat before consumption. While a looming threat, avian flu has not yet become a major public health concern, so everyone must do their part to prevent it from becoming one.
Sources:
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/bird-flu-pandemic-potential-scientists-60-minutes/
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/bc-avian-flu-toll-1.7503297
https://www.sciencealert.com/bird-flu-is-evolving-dangerously-but-we-can-prevent-a-disaster
https://www.today.com/health/news/virus-spreads-pandemic-concerns-bird-flu-rcna204114
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/avian-flu-bc-teen-1.7421512
https://www.uchicagomedicine.org/forefront/news/bird-flu