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H5N1 is a strain of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) that is deadly to birds. H5N1 has spread rapidly throughout the globe due to the migration of wild birds carrying the virus and transmitting it to poultry.  Once H5N1 is detected in poultry barns many birds become very sick and die, and all remaining birds in the barn must be killed to try and stop the spread of the virus, resulting in significant negative impacts on food security and the economy. Since 2022, over six million birds have been lost in British Columbia (BC) alone, resulting in considerable economic losses.

Recently, H5N1 has also crossed over into humans and cattle. In Spring 2024, an outbreak of H5N1 was reported in cattle in the United States. Since then, H5N1 has spread among herds across the US, with cases of humans and other mammals being infected with the same strain. So far, the virus has caused only mild symptoms in humans and cattle. However, the spillover from birds into mammals has raised concerns about the virus becoming a public health risk with pandemic potential if it continues to transmit between species and evolve.

There are currently no cases of H5N1 in humans or cattle in Canada and health authorities are monitoring the situation carefully. To stay ahead of this threat the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC), the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Agriculture and Food are developing an H5N1 Unified Bio-response to enhance BCs capability to monitor, respond and mitigate the impact of potential outbreaks in BC.

This project will:

(1) investigate the role of wind in transmitting H5N1 between facilities  to better understand the spread of the virus and inform management policies,

(2) investigate the true burden of the disease by developing antibody tests to monitor H5N1 in human populations,

(3) evaluate wastewater surveillance strategies to monitor H5N1 in environmental sources, providing an early warning system for outbreaks, and

(4) develop genomic strategies to determine the H5N1 strain and monitor for mutations that have the potential to make H5N1 highly pathogenic to humans.

The development of these tools will help to ensure a coordinated and comprehensive approach to mitigating the spread of H5N1 across species. The expected outcome is a robust, predictive and responsive system that safeguards both animal and human health in British Columbia and beyond.