Three cases of bird flu have been reported in Quebec as a highly contagious strain spreads across the country. “The general public should refrain from handling live or dead wild birds. “If contact with a wild bird can not be avoided, you should use gloves or a double plastic bag and avoid any contact with blood, body fluids or feces,” said a statement from the Quebec government. So far, the H5N1 strain has been detected in Granby Canada goose, Saint-Jean-sur-le-Richelieu snow goose and Saint-Isidore-de-Laprairie goose, according to the announcement. Although avian influenza poses little risk to human health, it can cause serious damage to poultry farms, leading to high mortality rates. H5N1 can be introduced to farms through wild birds such as geese, ducks and gulls, as well as contaminated materials such as human clothing. Detected in Quebec as part of a provincial surveillance program, the virus has been circulating in Europe since 2020 and in Canada since December 2021, including the offshore provinces of Ontario and British Columbia.
