Canadian Food Inspection Agency to test milk after findings of inactive avian flu virus in U.S. milk

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The Canadian Food Inspection Agency announced late Friday that it will begin testing milk from grocery stores for viral fragments of H5N1 avian flu virus.

The agency said that it wants to reassure Canadians that commercially sold milk and milk products remain safe to consume.

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“With recent news of dairy cattle in the United States testing positive for the High Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) and reports of fragments of HAPI detected in pasteurized milk sold in the U.S., we understand the Canadians may be concerned about the safety of milk and milk products,” CFIA said in a statement late Friday.

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The move comes after inactive fragments of avian influenza showed up in retail milk in the United States where the virus has been confirmed in 36 dairy herds. Inactive avian influenza fragments were found in about 20 per cent of samples tested by the Food and Drug Administration in the U.S. The FDA also found fragments of the virus in cottage cheese and sour cream. Beef is also being tested in the U.S.

The fragments are not active and not considered a risk. Pasteurization kills any viruses in milk. The FDA released a study this week showing that pasteurization works to inactivate the virus that causes HPAI, or H5N1 avian influenza. But the findings in U.S. milk were widely seen as evidence that the spread of avian influenza in cattle is more common than believed and may involve asymptomatic livestock not identified as being infected.

HPAI is a reportable disease in Canada, meaning any person who suspects a case in poultry or livestock must report it to the CFIA. Confirmed and probable human cases are also reportable.

Previously, testing for avian influenza was done if animals showed showed any signs of having HPAI. None had been identified in Canada.

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The CFIA says expansion of already existing measures is to manage the possible emergency of HPAI avian influenza in Canada.

“If the CFIA becomes aware of any potential food safety or animal health risks, immediate actions will be taken to help protect Canada’s food supply and livestock.“

Its work will “inform and support” ongoing preparations being undertaken by the Public Health Agency of Canada and its partners to protect human health.

The CFIA announcement comes amid growing global concern about the spread of avian influenza in mammals, which increases the risk of the virus mutating to a form that can easily spread among humans, potentially causing a deadly pandemic.

The spread to cattle and barn cats in the U.S. in recent months has heightened that concern.

One person who worked with cattle also tested positive for the virus. Anecdotally, some have talked about illnesses in farm workers in the U.S. over the same period that went un-reported.

Officials in Canada and elsewhere continue to say the risk remains low for humans.

In Canada, though, there have been growing concerns that not enough was known about whether the virus was in cattle here. A leading animal health expert is among those who have been pushing for the federal  government to do more active testing for the virus in Canada, saying without that there isn’t enough information to say whether the virus is in Canada.

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Despite assurances from government officials that no cases H5N1 have been identified in Canada, J. Scott Weese, the head of the Centre for Public Health and Zoonoses at the Ontario Veterinary College, told this newspaper Friday there hasn’t been enough surveillance to say for certain that it is not in Canada.

“We don’t know if we have it in this country in cattle. We don’t have evidence yet, but we haven’t done a lot of surveillance,” said Weese.

“You can’t control it if you don’t look,” said Weese.

Canada has an influenza pandemic plan in place which allows for the manufacture of pandemic vaccines as well as pre-pandemic vaccines to protect people if deemed necessary.

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