As the unprecedented outbreak of H5N1 avian influenza continues in North America, there are various concerns about where this outbreak is going and the threats to other species….domestic and wild mammals, and people (us being just another ‘domestic animal’). My inbox is filled with questions about various concerns and scenarios. The one I’ll address today
H5N1 Avian Influenza in Foxes: Ontario
H5N1 influenza was recently found in two wild fox kits in St. Marys, Ontario. It’s a pretty noteworthy event given the scope of the current H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreak across Canada, and the fact this is the first identification of H5N1 influenza in wild mammals in Ontario. The fox
Antibiotic Use in Food Animals: Breaking Down Some of the Issues
An recent news article from Thailand entitled Superbugs lurk in local food systems came to my inbox the other day. There’s nothing really new in it, but it has some talking points that are commonly used (and sometimes misused) when we discuss and debate antimicrobial use (AMU) and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in food animals.
Here
Should We Vaccinate Animals Against SARS-CoV-2?
Concerns about the animal aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic continue to come in waves. Most of the time they are ignored or dismissed, but there are also periodic flurries of attention and (often over-) reaction. Lately, questions about vaccination of animals against SARS-CoV-2 follow have been on the rise.
Should domestic and wild animals be
Are “Deer Strains” of SARS-CoV-2 Emerging?
One thing we’ve been watching for with SARS-CoV-2 in animals is whether we will see establishment of “animal” variants. Humans have done an effective job of infecting a wide variety of animal species with this primarily-human virus. Fortunately, thus far these infections usually die out rapidly in that animal or group of animals (mink being
Urban Wildlife and SARS-CoV-2 Variants
As SARS-CoV-2 continues to rip through the human population, we’re getting more information about downstream impacts, including transmission to animals. One of my talking points since the start of the pandemic has been that we want to keep this virus in the human population. If we spread it to animals, it will be much harder
Acyclovir Use in Raccoons With Distemper
In 2021, the Ontario Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry (NDMNRF) contacted the University of Guelph’s Centre for Public Health and Zoonoses (CPHAZ) about concerns pertaining to the use of the antiviral drug acyclovir in raccoons, specifically for “treatment” of distemper. While only used by a distinct minority of raccoon rehabilitators (maybe
Omicron and Animals
It’s been a pretty chaotic week in the zoonotic SARS-CoV-2 world, with a lot of attention being paid to hamsters in Hong Kong and deer in Canada.
However, one issue that’s gotten less attention is the need to keep up with this virus as it changes, through serial waves and new variants, and to
The Great Escape: Hamster Style
I doubt it will involve tunnelling under the wall and fake travel documents, but the 2022 Great Hamster Escape is apparently underway in Hong Kong. It’s not surprising, following the recent heavy-handed over-reaction to finding SARS-CoV-2 in a small number of hamsters, and the attempted blame-shifting (COVID-19? No, we don’t have any of that
SARS-CoV-2 in Pet Hamsters (and a Massive Over-Reaction)
As someone who works in zoonotic diseases and One Health, I deal with the ever-present issue of trying to raise awareness while preventing people from over-reacting, panicking or doing something stupid. It can be tough, since we want people to realize that animal-to-human transmission of infections is an important issue, but don’t want them huddling