Genome BC funds research after bird flu appears in local patient

If, after five short years, the COVID-19 pandemic feels like a mere memory (or a forgotten nightmare), here’s some news to get worriers riled up: avian influenza has arrived in B.C. and can be transmitted to humans. 

Canada’s first case of H5N1, a strain of avian influenza — also known as bird flu — was detected in the province at the beginning of November in a 13-year-old patient. After two months in hospital, which included intubation, life support, and plasma exchanges, the teen was discharged on January 7. 

Bird flu is carried by wild aquatic birds such as geese and ducks and can be transmitted to poultry, like chicken, turkey, and other species that are bred for food. H5N1 is a highly pathogenic strain of bird flu, meaning that it has a high likelihood of killing the infected birds. When an outbreak occurs on a farm, flocks must be immediately culled to try and stop the spread of the virus.

Globally, H5N1 has already been transmitted from birds to a variety of mammals including skunks, cats, seals, and cattle. A number of human cases with mild symptoms were reported following close contact with infected cows. Then, in January, the U.S. reported its first human death from bird flu after the individual had been in close contact with sick and dead birds from a backyard flock.

While Canada has only recently seen its first case of H5N1 in a human, researchers are already preparing. This week, Genome BC announced the funding of two projects investigating the risk of the virus. The organization says the research will provide resources and data to help officials monitor, manage, and control the H5N1 virus, protecting both human and animal health.

One of the funded initiatives is called the Hub, which consists of four sub-projects that will look at various aspects of surveillance, testing, and research to better understand how the virus is transmitted and how it may evolve. 

Amongst other experiments, the Hub will research the possible role of wind in transmitting the virus between farms, monitor how any mutations could make it more adaptable to humans, and develop tests to track H5N1 in human populations.

“We know serious infections can occur and without early detection and containment there is a potential for these infections to spread,” said Dr. Linda Hoang, medical director of the BCCDC Public Health Laboratory and principal investigator on the Hub projects. “However, with enhanced strain-detection strategies for influenza virus already in place across B.C. microbiology labs, we were well placed to detect the first human case of H5N1 in B.C. The state-of-the-art genomics capacity at the BCCDC Public Health Laboratory enabled us to conduct genetic analysis to help inform patient care and population risk.” 

This week’s announcement comes after a combined $182 million injection of funding into B.C.’s life sciences sector from the federal government, including the launch of the Canadian Genomics Strategy, which is backed by an investment of $175.1 million in federal funding over seven years.

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