Close X
Friday, September 27, 2024
ADVT 
National

B.C. poultry staff told to vaccinate against flu as avian strains spread among birds

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 10 Nov, 2023 05:40 PM
  • B.C. poultry staff told to vaccinate against flu as avian strains spread among birds

British Columbia's provincial health officer says people living or working on poultry farms should "prioritize" getting influenza vaccinations as avian flu spreads among flocks this fall.

Dr. Bonnie Henry says while avian flu does not transmit easily from birds to humans, infections "can happen and are very concerning" because of the potential for the virus to mix with human influenza and mutate into something much more contagious.

Henry told a news briefing that health officials are well aware of the risks if a human becomes infected with both avian flu and standard influenza strains, and that is why people connected to poultry farms are being asked to vaccinate against the human strains right away.

The number of B.C. poultry flocks infected with avian flu has grown dramatically in recent weeks, with Canadian Food Inspection Agency data showing nine commercial infected zones, mostly in the Fraser Valley.

Provincial trends for other respiratory illnesses including COVID-19 have meanwhile slowed, with data from the BC Centre for Disease Control showing sharp drops in hospitalization, deaths and positivity rates for the coronavirus.

However, Henry is warning residents to remain vigilant, with COVID-19 outbreaks continuing in hospitals.

Island Health said in a statement earlier Thursday that an outbreak had been declared at the centre unit of Saanich Peninsula Hospital, with 15 patients infected and all experiencing mild illness.

There are also ongoing COVID-19 outbreaks at Abbotsford Regional and Chilliwack General hospitals in the Fraser Health region. 

The CDC says there were 144 new COVID-19 hospitalizations in the week ending Nov. 4, fewer than half the 296 hospitalizations three weeks earlier.

 

MORE National ARTICLES

Man pleads guilty to manslaughter in 2019 drug death of teen in Langley, B.C.

Man pleads guilty to manslaughter in 2019 drug death of teen in Langley, B.C.
Police say the death of Carson Crimeni on Aug. 7, 2019, and the circumstances surrounding the case were "a shock to the community." Crimeni's family has said that on the day he died he was given drugs by others who wanted to share his reaction on social media.

Man pleads guilty to manslaughter in 2019 drug death of teen in Langley, B.C.

Vancouver man charged with arson

Vancouver man charged with arson
The 37-year-old suspect is charged with one count of arson. No one was injured in the blaze near Argyle Street and Victoria Drive on December 16th. It caused more than a million-dollars in damages.

Vancouver man charged with arson

Serial groper on the loose: Vancouver Police

Serial groper on the loose: Vancouver Police
Police in Vancouver are looking to identify a serial groper who has sexually assaulted numerous women since late last month. They say four women have been sexually assaulted since April 27th.  

Serial groper on the loose: Vancouver Police

Online child exploitation on the rise

Online child exploitation on the rise
Between January and March of this year, police say more than 57-hundred reports of online child sexual abuse were been received. They say if that rate continues, reports could more than double in 2023 over last year.  

Online child exploitation on the rise

3 youth struck in Chilliwack crash

3 youth struck in Chilliwack crash
Two youth have since been released from the hospital with minor injuries. The third youth is completing further medical examinations but expected to be released later today.  

3 youth struck in Chilliwack crash

Joly to announce Canada's bid for a seat on the UN Human Rights Council

Joly to announce Canada's bid for a seat on the UN Human Rights Council
Two government sources familiar with the matter, who were not authorized to speak publicly before the official announcement, say Canada is running on a bid that will highlight six main priorities, including holding states accountable for locking up human-rights activists.  

Joly to announce Canada's bid for a seat on the UN Human Rights Council