Spain detects two bird flu infections in poultry farm workers

Two Spanish poultry farm workers tested positive for bird flu following an outbreak in poultry, in what appear to be the first known human infections in Spain and the second in Europe since 2003, the World Health Organization said Nov. 4. The poultry outbreak was confirmed by authorities on Sept. 20 and there has been

UN bodies set up panel on animal disease risks

The ‘One Health’ panel will advise on plans to curb zoonotic infections

The World Health Organization (WHO) and three other international bodies have formed a team of experts to help develop a global plan to prevent the spread of diseases from animals to humans, the WHO said May 20. The One Health High-Level Expert Panel was an initiative launched by France and Germany late last year, and


China is effectively playing the fear card. Some call it propaganda.

Comment: Food safety nationalism

China appears to be using the pandemic as a tool to make its people afraid of food imports

Many are talking about vaccine nationalism these days, with concerns that some nations are involved in a race to access as many vaccines as possible. Disappointing of course, but highly predictable. Vaccines are seen by the entire western world as our collective portal towards some sort of normalcy. The World Health Organization has rightly registered




File photo of a farmed mink. (Konstantin Sokolov/iStock/Getty Images)

Denmark to cull entire farmed mink population

Coronavirus mutation spreads to people

Copenhagen | Reuters — Denmark will cull its mink population of up to 17 million after a mutation of the coronavirus found in the animals spread to humans, the prime minister said on Wednesday. Health authorities found virus strains in humans and in mink which showed decreased sensitivity against antibodies, potentially lowering the efficacy of


Photo: File/Reuters

G4 swine flu virus not new, China says

Ag ministry says virus does not infect or sicken humans, animals easily

Shanghai/Beijing | Reuters — China’s ministry of agriculture and rural affairs said Saturday that the so-called “G4” strain of swine flu virus is not new and does not infect or sicken humans and animals easily, rebuffing a study published last week. That study, by a team of Chinese scientists and published by the U.S. journal

The strength and resilience of Canadian agriculture and our food supply chain is a result of science and research.

Comment: Is science back in style?

There have been some unexpected impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. One of these is the new celebrity status of our chief medical health officers. A lot of people who just a few short months ago never even knew every province had a chief medical health officer are now hanging on to every word. Does this mean science and respected authority