Dataset Information

Public health response to outbreaks of Avian Influenza A(H5N2) and (H5N1) among poultry - British Columbia, December 2014-February 2015.

ABSTRACT: In December 2014, the first detection in Canada of a highly pathogenic avian influenza A (HPAI) virus was reported in poultry within the Fraser Health Authority of British Columbia. It was the second outbreak of HPAI from Eurasian H5 reassortment viruses in North America. The Fraser Health Authority provided the lead public health coordination for this response as well as consultation and support to the occupational health response. The public health response focused on contact tracing, monitoring and follow-up for household, farm worker and other community contacts exposed on the affected farms. A total of 50 contacts were identified. Contacts received daily active monitoring by public health nurses for seven days from their last exposure and were advised to self-monitor until day 10. All contacts and other household members were recommended seasonal influenza vaccination to protect against further possible reassortment with human influenza viruses circulating within the community at the time. A total of 26 (52%) contacts were recommended chemoprophylaxis for ongoing exposure to the affected barns and flocks, of whom only 11 (42%) initiated this. During the seven-day active surveillance period, four contacts developed acute respiratory symptoms and influenza B was identified in one individual. Local area health care providers and acute care facilities were alerted to the outbreak and public messaging was provided regarding the human health risks from avian influenza. Collaboration between health and agriculture at the local, regional, provincial and federal levels was key to a rapid response to this outbreak.

SUBMITTER: Murti M

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5937059 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Public health response to outbreaks of Avian Influenza A(H5N2) and (H5N1) among poultry - British Columbia, December 2014-February 2015.

Murti M M Skowronski D D Lem M M Fung C C Klar S S Bigham M M Loadman S S Chambers C C Pritchard J J Lee V V

Canada communicable disease report = Releve des maladies transmissibles au Canada 20150402 4

In December 2014, the first detection in Canada of a highly pathogenic avian influenza A (HPAI) virus was reported in poultry within the Fraser Health Authority of British Columbia. It was the second outbreak of HPAI from Eurasian H5 reassortment viruses in North America. The Fraser Health Authority provided the lead public health coordination for this response as well as consultation and support to the occupational health response. The public health response focused on contact tracing, monitori ...[more]

PMID: 29769935

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Project description:BackgroundWest Nile virus (WNv) has recently emerged as a health threat to the North American population. After the initial disease outbreak in New York City in 1999, WNv has spread widely and quickly across North America to every contiguous American state and Canadian province, with the exceptions of British Columbia (BC), Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland. In this study we develop models of mosquito population dynamics for Culex tarsalis and C. pipiens, and create a spatial risk assessment of WNv prior to its arrival in BC by creating a raster-based mosquito abundance model using basic geographic and temperature data. Among the parameters included in the model are spatial factors determined from the locations of BC Centre for Disease Control mosquito traps (e.g., distance of the trap from the closest wetland or lake), while other parameters were obtained from the literature. Factors not considered in the current assessment but which could influence the results are also discussed.ResultsSince the model performs much better for C. tarsalis than for C. pipiens, the risk assessment is carried out using the output of C. tarsalis model. The result of the spatially-explicit mosquito abundance model indicates that the Okanagan Valley, the Thompson Region, Greater Vancouver, the Fraser Valley and southeastern Vancouver Island have the highest potential abundance of the mosquitoes. After including human population data, Greater Vancouver, due to its high population density, increases in significance relative to the other areas.ConclusionCreating a raster-based mosquito abundance map enabled us to quantitatively evaluate WNv risk throughout BC and to identify the areas of greatest potential risk, prior to WNv introduction. In producing the map important gaps in our knowledge related to mosquito ecology in BC were identified, as well, it became evident that increased efforts in bird and mosquito surveillance are required if more accurate models and maps are to be produced. Access to real time climatic data is the key for developing a real time early warning system for forecasting vector borne disease outbreaks, while including social factors is important when producing a detailed assessment in urban areas.

Dataset Information

Public health response to outbreaks of Avian Influenza A(H5N2) and (H5N1) among poultry - British Columbia, December 2014-February 2015.

Publications

Public health response to outbreaks of Avian Influenza A(H5N2) and (H5N1) among poultry - British Columbia, December 2014-February 2015.

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