Genome BC is funding a set of research projects to address the risk associated with a strain of avian influenza, of the H5N1 subtype. The BCCDC is conducting the projects in partnership with the Provincial Health Officer, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food and researchers from the University of British Columbia.
The announcement comes at a critical time, with the recent detection of the first domestically acquired human H5N1 case in British Columbia. In addition, human cases have been reported in the United States and elsewhere, most often following close contact with sick animals. While the overall risk to the general population remains low, the recent avian influenza activity and human cases underscore the urgent need to be prepared.
How These Research Projects Will Support BC’s Response to Avian Influenza
“These projects will use genomics to study how the H5N1 virus is transmitted, create tests to monitor for cases of H5N1, identify ways to track the virus to see how it changes, and will also develop platforms to analyze, interpret and share the data that is being gathered,” says Genome BC’s Chief Scientific Officer and Vice-President Research and Innovation, Federica Di Palma. “We are responding to the need to stay ahead of this threat through the development and use of genomic tools to enhance testing, improve monitoring and deepen our understanding of the virus.”
