Avian influenza viruses (AIVs) are a hot topic right now due to their evolving impacts on wildlife, domestic animals, and humans. As a veterinary epidemiologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), I spend a lot of time in the field sampling wild birds for AIVs and even more time interpreting data and meeting with colleagues and partners from across North America, all to better understand and mitigate the impacts of these viruses (more on that here). Although this topic is far too vast to entirely cover here, I hope this overview answers some common questions and sparks your interest in learning more. The key message is that things are changing quickly – there’s no need for panic, but it’s imperative to be informed and follow best practices.

This article was written by Dr. Jolene Giacinti (BHSc, DVM, PhD), Wildlife Health Specialist at Environment and Climate Change Canada. Jolene is on the Board of Directors with Veterinarians Without Borders North America/Vétérinaires Sans Frontières Amérique du Nord Canada.