The Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s (CFIA) National Center for Foreign Animal Diseases confirmed on Jan^ah April that a pet dog in Oshawa, Ontario tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI).

The domestic dog was infected with bird flu after chewing a wild goose and died after developing clinical symptoms. The autopsy was performed on April 3, 2023 and showed a condition of the respiratory system.

The CFIA and the Public Health Agency of Canada said additional analysis was ongoing but that this was the only case of its kind in Canada.

In fact, the number of documented cases of H5N1 avian influenza in non-avian species such as cats and dogs is low, although this virus has caused major avian outbreaks around the world in recent years.

Based on current data, the risk of a human being contracting avian influenza from a pet in Canada is minimal.

So far, there have been no recent reports of avian influenza in humans that were of domestic origin in the country. These remain rare in humans and are almost always obtained through direct contact with infected birds or through contact with heavily contaminated environments.

Still, both health authorities encourage owners to take reasonable precautions to protect their pets and themselves.

This includes not feeding pets raw wild fowl or poultry meat, not allowing pets to eat or play with dead wild birds found in the wild, and communicating with their veterinarians if they have questions about their pet’s health.

Recall that on July 7, 2022, the CFIA reported HPAI findings in mammals to the World Organization for Animal Health. These have been found in foxes in Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia, and in seals, dolphins and black bears in Quebec.

Evidence has also been found in wild mink, raccoons, porpoises and skunks in several regions of Canada. (NP)