New US dog importation rules have some good points but also some areas that are still unclear and some unintended negative consequences.

Impact on cross-border vet care is discussed here.👇

wormsandgermsblog.com/2024/05/articl…

New US dog importation rules. Logical and reasonable, but changes to rules for dogs coming from low risk countries like Canada are bound to catch some people off guard.

wormsandgermsblog.com/2024/05/articl…

Absolutely.👇👇

We also need to have better communications; re-assure farmers that we're here to support, not penalize; build trust, and think about the big picture, not just individual interests.

The science is tough, but the human factors are often the biggest barrier.

Correct. Without meeting with and addressing the concerns of farmers, farmworkers, dairies, we won't have adequate surveillance, making us fly blind. WHO’s top scientist learned a hard lesson about H5N1 two decades ago: statnews.com/2024/05/07/bir… via STAT

“We have been closely monitoring developments regarding recent reports of the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI H5N1) that has been identified in both dairy cattle and cats in Kansas and Texas.” Says Dr. Bruce Kornreich, director of the Feline Health Center. (1/8)

'Last week, Iowa State University researchers described what happened to 24 felines who drank raw milk and colostrum from cows teeming with the virus...Cats are not humans—any more than canaries are coal miners—but the virus clearly went straight to their brains and killed them.'

20% of World Organisation for Animal Health members report using growth promoters- #antibiotics in healthy animals to ⬆️productivity. Eliminating the use of medically important #antimicrobials for humans in animals for non-vet. use can be done by implementing alt. interventions for sustainable food production

While there have been no detections of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in Canadian cattle, given the recent detections in the United States, the Government of Canada is enhancing testing and surveillance in Canadian cattle and milk.
bit.ly/4dpPsE7
#HPAI #CdnAg

BREAKING: The Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Public Health Agency of Canada jointly announce Canada will be expanding surveillance of #H5N1 , including cattle and retail milk testing, amid ongoing outbreak among U.S. dairy cattle.

More from their new statement:

Milk, meat, humans, cattle, cats....
A quick update on some recent H5N1 developments.

wormsandgermsblog.com/2024/05/articl…

Yes, great info but I doubt they did all the analysis and writing last night so it’s frustrating that they’ve been sitting on data that are important for risk assessment and mitigation.

When will we learn to improve outbreak communications?

Notice to industry: Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI or H5N1) in dairy cattle in the USA - Addendum to export certificate
inspection.canada.ca/animal-health/…

Canadian Food Inspection Agency

.FDA says pasteurization does appear to kill #H5N1 #birdflu in milk, and sour cream and cottage cheese too. Megan Molteni reports. statnews.com/2024/05/01/bir…

To be clear, there's no evidence it's circulating in cats. We're seeing spillover from other species, often with very bad outcomes. But, there's nothing indicating we're seeing cat-cat spread.

The more H5N1 in species that cat's might be exposed to, the > the risk.

H5N1 in dairy cattle...we need to dump milk from infected cattle (and maybe the herd).

Simple, eh?

Not so much.

How do we dispose of large volumes of infected milk on farms?

Manure pits, pasteurization, ship it away (where?)...what can be done?👇
wormsandgermsblog.com/2024/04/articl…