Health

BC bird flu: Vancouver Island farmers on alert | CTV News – CTV News VI

Published

2 months ago

May 15, 2022

Harry Miller

The fears of many chicken farmers on Vancouver Island have been realized. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) confirmed that a case of the avian flu that’s been spreading across Canada has been found in a small flock in the Comox Valley on Wednesday.

Jeremy Vigini considers his birds pets, but they do provide limited income on his Black Creek, B.C., hobby farm, Broken Head Farms.

He’s only been at it for a few months but had heard the bird flu was headed towards the island.

“We first started hearing there was a problem last month,” he said, noting that he’d been keeping an eye on biosecurity and preventative measures.

Vigini and other poultry operations of all sizes are now under tighter restrictions after a positive case of the avian flu was confirmed on the Mid-Island.

“All we got was a post saying it’s in the Comox Valley now, and so our minds went to, ‘How do we secure our birds, our pets, all this stuff?'” he said.

Vigini’s now put up a new gate and increased fencing and netting to try to keep wild birds out.

WILDLIFE WORKERS

Staff and volunteers at the Mountainaire Avian Rescue Centre (MARS) in Merville are increasing their protocols.

“[It’s] extremely contagious as far as we are aware, so at this point it can spread to any species of bird. Not necessarily all birds will show symptoms,” said Gylaine Andersen, manager of wildlife rehabilitation at MARS.

Staff are now taking a second look at the condition of their current patients.

“It’s kind of hard because a lot of these symptoms we’re seeing in animals anyway, and now we have to think, ‘OK maybe this is the flu instead of whatever else they would normally be,'” said Andersen.

The facility’s asking the general public to help out by encouraging birds to socially distance.

“For gathering of birds at bird feeders and bird baths, we are asking that people take those down,” said Andersen.

MARS is worried that if the avian flu is left unchecked, it could spread to wild birds, like eagles and geese.

As of Wednesday, seven properties across B.C. had confirmed cases of the avian flu.

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Toronto Public Health reduces COVID-19 vaccine clinic hours for summer – Global News

Published

4 hours ago

July 4, 2022

Harry Miller

COVID-19 vaccination clinics in Toronto will operate on reduced opening hours through the summer, Toronto Public Health has announced.

In a tweet, the local health authority confirmed new hours will begin Monday morning at its vaccine clinics.

2:01
Ontario researchers focus on possible clue of long COVID

Ontario researchers focus on possible clue of long COVID

All six city-run vaccine clinics, including Metro Hall, will offer reduced hours. The move will “meet the needs of Toronto residents throughout the summer,” Toronto Public Health said.

The new hours, beginning Monday, are:

1940 Eglinton Avenue: 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday
Cloverdale Mall: 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday
Crossroads: 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Thursday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday
Metro Hall: 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Thursday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday
Mitchell Field: 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday
Thorncliffe Park Community Hub: 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday

NEW: Starting tomorrow, we will be shifting our hours of operation for our city-run clinics to meet the needs of Toronto residents throughout the summer. See ⬇️ for more information or visit our website here: https://t.co/zowJ7oWnma pic.twitter.com/1ZoDsCNJJr

— Toronto Public Health (@TOPublicHealth) July 3, 2022

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Toronto to shorten COVID-19 vaccine clinic hours over summer – CTV News Toronto

Published

5 hours ago

July 4, 2022

Harry Miller

Toronto will be shortening hours at the city-run immunization clinics during the summer.

According to Toronto Public Health, the new hours of operation will begin on Monday and will impact all of the six active clinics offering the COVID-19 vaccine. In a notification posted to social media, officials said the changes will “meet the needs of Toronto residents throughout the summer.”

These are the new hours:

At Metro Hall and Crossroads Plaza the clinics will be open between noon to 6 p.m. Monday to Thursday, and between 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday.
At Cloverdale Mall, Mitchell Field Community Centre and 1940 Eglinton Avenue, the clinics will be open noon to 6 p.m. Tuesday to Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday.
At Thorncliffe Park Community Hub, the clinic will be open between noon to 6 p.m., as well as between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday.

All clinics are offering first, second and third doses, as well as fourth doses for select eligible groups.

NEW: Starting tomorrow, we will be shifting our hours of operation for our city-run clinics to meet the needs of Toronto residents throughout the summer. See ⬇️ for more information or visit our website here: https://t.co/zowJ7oWnma pic.twitter.com/1ZoDsCNJJr

— Toronto Public Health (@TOPublicHealth) July 3, 2022

Residents can book an appointment using the provincial booking portal or call centre.

Students in Grades 7 to 12 can also book appointments at these clinics for school-based vaccinations such as those for Hepatitis B, HPV and Meningococcal diseases.

About 51.7 per cent of all eligible Toronto residents have received three doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.

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Cat transfers Covid-19 to human in first documented case | Health24 – News24

Published

6 hours ago

July 4, 2022

Harry Miller

Seamlessly repeating kitty cat pattern with happy cats with whiskers.

The possibility that humans can infect their pet cats and dogs with the SARS-CoV-2 virus was established during the Covid-19 pandemic.

In 2020, Canadian researchers suggested that more pets could have contracted Covid-19 than initially though, with numerous reports of the virus in domestic cats. One study found that a cat caught the Delta variant from its owner, Health24 previously reported.

There is also a risk, albeit very small, that animals can pass the virus to people, but there hasn’t been any documented evidence of this – until now.

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