Canada Ramps Up Avian Flu Precautions Amid US Milk Contamination

In response to a growing avian flu outbreak within the US dairy industry, the Canadian government is expanding its surveillance and testing protocols. This comes after fragments of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) were detected in pasteurized milk sold in the United States.

To protect Canadian livestock, lactating dairy cattle imported from the US will now require negative HPAI tests. Additionally, Canadian officials will conduct enhanced testing of milk at the retail level to detect any potential viral fragments.

As part of “enhanced industry biosecurity efforts,” voluntary testing will also be made available for cows that do not show clinical signs of HPAI.

The worrisome discovery in US milk was highlighted last week by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which reported that approximately 20% of milk samples from across the country tested positive for fragments of avian flu.