The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has found no signs of bird flu in Canadian retail milk.
Tests on 142 samples across the country showed no presence of the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) virus.
This testing follows an outbreak of H5N1 bird flu in U.S. dairy cows, where fragments of the virus were found in about 20 per cent of milk samples. The CFIA reassured Canadians that the pasteurization process effectively kills any viruses, including HPAI, ensuring milk remains safe to consume.
One human case of bird flu in a farm worker in Texas has been linked to the dairy cattle outbreaks, but the transmission route isn't yet clear. That worker's only symptom was eye inflammation.
Some farm cats, however, have reportedly died after drinking contaminated raw milk from cows infected with H5N1.
CFIA's ongoing testing is part of a broader effort to monitor and prevent the spread of H5N1 in Canada, in collaboration with the Public Health Agency of Canada and Health Canada. The agency also requires negative test results for dairy cattle imported from the U.S.
