After the United States, it is Canada’s turn to strengthen protective measures against avian flu. While cases have been reported in American herds, Canadian dairy cattle will be subject to more rigorous testing.
This was stated by the Government of Canada in a press release on Friday, announcing additional protective measures to prevent the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), particles of which have been detected in dairy products in the United States in April.
Lactating dairy cows imported from the United States will be required to test negative for HPAI, according to the release. Canada will also conduct “increased milk testing at the retail level,” in addition to expanding cattle testing “to include voluntary testing of those without clinical symptoms of milk.” “IAHP”, lists the press release.
Since the discovery of cases of avian flu in herds in the United States, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has strengthened requirements for the importation of American dairy cattle on April 29, 2024, according to the press release from the Government of Canada.
“We understand that the safety of milk and dairy products could be of concern to the Canadian population,” we can read, but the CFIA, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) and Health Canada assure that the dairy products sold on the market are indeed safe. Milk from Canadian dairy cows “must be pasteurized before being sold,” an effective measure to inactivate the virus, assures the Government of Canada, citing a recent study by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Cases detected
These new measures come as cases of avian flu appear in American cows. Since the end of March, 36 cattle herds in nine states and one person in Texas have tested positive for the H5N1 virus.
The American commercial food chain, however, is not affected, assured representatives of the FDA, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), in a press conference, Wednesday.
Many dairy products such as milk, cottage cheese and baby formula are now under the microscope of American public health.
Results from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) released this week show that a large proportion of the country’s cows carry the virus that causes HPAI, but do not have symptoms, according to Richard Webby, avian flu specialist at St. Jude Hospital in Tennessee.
However, these cases do not pose a risk to consumers. “Pasteurization eliminates viruses that are much more resistant than H5N1,” emphasizes Geneviève Toupin, veterinarian at the CFIA.
With Mathieu Perreault, The PressAnd USA Today
reference: www.lapresse.ca