Alleged cases of bird flu are occurring in some mammal species in Saskatchewan.
Trent Bollinger is a wildlife pathologist at Western College of Veterinary Medicine in Saskatoon.
He told CBC News that the first alleged case of bird flu in a “major carnivore” entered the lab about three weeks ago.
Since last week, six to ten more have been tested.
“They are mostly skunks, with some occasional red fox, that have neurological signs that could be attributed to the (highly pathogenic) bird flu virus,” he said.
Bollinger noted that there are other viral diseases, such as mumps and rabies, that cause similar symptoms in these species.
However, recent molecular diagnostic tests point to bird flu as the most likely cause in at least three of the cases.
“We have several others on whom we’ve done autopsies and we’re doing more research. And that could make the numbers go up,” Bollinger said.
The transmission to mammals is not a surprise to Bollinger, who said the cases have been filed in the United States.
“But we’re seeing a fair number, which is perhaps a little unusual. So we’ll see as time goes on,” he said.
Mortality will continue throughout the summer
The pathologist says he expects more waterfowl, which have a high risk of viral transmission, to succumb to bird flu during the summer.
He noted a “peak in activity”, referring to the number of birds that die from the virus, during the spring migration through the prairies.
While he expects these numbers to decline in the coming months, there is another vulnerable group: bird chicks.
“We will have new cohorts of ducklings and young ducks that could also be exposed,” he said.
“So we can see, again, an increase in mortality that the public is watching.”
Bollinger said the bird species most affected by the virus appear to be “relatively abundant” and that mortality rates do not significantly affect these populations at this time.
He noted that the biggest concern is the flocks of poultry, which have to be depopulated en masse and have economic implications.
Bollinger said the transmission to people and pets, such as dogs and cats, does not appear to be taking place.
What to watch out for
Bollinger said people who see an animal “acting abnormally” should avoid touching it and contacting a conservation agent.
However, if the animal dies later and there is concern that it may be bird flu, people may pick up the animal with latex gloves or a plastic bag to take to a diagnostic lab.
“Take him to the vets’ university here. We’ll do an autopsy, determine the cause of death, and then report those findings,” he said.
He added that the laboratory has not seen the disease in domestic pets, such as dogs and cats, and at the moment there is no concern about the transmission.