No detection of bird flu among Yukon wildlife in 2025 so far
There are no confirmed cases of avian influenza among wildlife in the Yukon for 2025 yet.
The avian influenza, or bird flu, is caused by the avian influenza virus, of which there are several strains. One strain known as highly pathogenic avian influenza, or HPAI, is known to cause severe illness and high death rates among infected birds. It has also infected mammals like domestic livestock.
So far in Canada, HPAI has been detected in domestic birds, such as poultry in British Columbia and Newfoundland and Labrador, according to Public Health Agency of Canada. However, the agency said that the strain found in U.S. dairy cattle hasn't been detected in birds, cows or other animals in Canada.
According to
data collection
done by Environment and Climate Change Canada, the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, there are 2,858 samples from wildlife which have tested positive. Ontario had 20 per cent of positive cases, followed by British Columbia, Alberta, Quebec and Saskatchewan. The earliest cases in the data set date back to 2021.
The Yukon, with 6 total positives recorded, represented 0.21 per cent of positive cases in the country.
In an email to the News on May 12, the Yukon department of the environment said the only confirmed cases of avian influenza in wildlife in the Yukon occurred in 2022 and 2023.
So far this year, despite increased surveillance during the spring migratory season, there have been no detections of avian influenza in wildlife in the Yukon, according to Yukon department of environment spokesperson Mara De La Rosa. Also, the virus hasn't been detected in any domestic poultry in the territory, she said.
Despite there being no detection, the virus is likely circulating in wild bird populations, said De La Rosa.
The risk of a bird transmitting the virus to a human is 'very low,' but De La Rosa said hunters are recommended to take precautions when handling birds. Those precautions, as detailed by the Public Health Agency of Canada, include wearing gloves when handling bird harvests, avoiding contact with the bird's mouth and respiratory secretions, washing hands thoroughly after handling, and cooking meat and eggs thoroughly.
It is also recommended to disinfect any tools or work surfaces used for butchering after the fact, and to wash any contaminated clothes immediately.
The agency also recommends not eating or handling animals that appear to be sick or have died from unknown causes.
De La Rosa said the Yukon government is working with the Canadian Wildlife Service to monitor infections among wildlife within the territory. YG is also providing sample kits to the public or any organization that requests them.
For example, said De La Rosa, Ta'an Kwäch'än Council was provided with sample kits for harvested birds.
As of right now, according to Yukon Chief Medical Officer Sudit Ranade, there are no known human cases in the Yukon. Last year, a teenager in B.C. was
hospitalized
in what is Canada's first known human case of avian influenza.
Contact Talar Stockton at
talar.stockton@yukon-news.com
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