BC Wildlife Avian Influenza (AIV) Surveillance Dashboard: A Powerful Tool for Protecting Poultry and Wildlife

British Columbia is home to diverse wildlife and crucial migratory bird habitats, making it an essential region for monitoring avian influenza viruses (AIV). To support this, we’ve launched the BC Wildlife AIV Surveillance Dashboard—a dynamic, interactive platform designed to provide up-to-date insights into avian influenza activity across the province.

What Does the Dashboard Do?

The dashboard provides a clear and up-to-date visualization of our surveillance efforts, offering a snapshot of the latest monitoring data. It integrates information from two main sources:

  • Passive Surveillance: Testing sick or dead wild birds and mammals across BC throughout the year.
  • Environmental Surveillance: Sampling sediments from wetlands during fall migration and overwintering periods, capturing viral activity in waterfowl populations.

Since 2022, over 2,000 wildlife and 1,600 sediment samples have been tested. This data is now accessible in a user-friendly interface, allowing users to explore trends, geospatial patterns, and high-risk areas.

Why Is This Important?

Wild birds, especially waterfowl, are natural reservoirs of AIV, including highly pathogenic strains like H5N1. These birds can spread the virus across vast distances during migration, posing a significant risk to BC’s poultry industry. Morever, AIV can cross species barriers, occasionally infecting mammals. The detection of HPAI H5 in wetlands is significant, as research indicates that the virus can stay active in these environments for weeks or even months, potentially enabling its transmission to other non-waterfowl species.

Monitoring these risks helps safeguard not only domestic poultry but also public health and wildlife ecosystems. The dashboard plays a critical role in this effort by turning complex datasets into actionable insights, enabling early detection, risk assessment, and timely response.

Collaborations and Innovations

This program is a joint effort involving the Ministry of Agriculture and Food, Ministry of Water, Land, and Resource Stewardship, Canadian Wildlife Service, and the BC Centre for Disease Control.

A Shared Responsibility

While our surveillance program is robust, it relies on collaboration with communities and partners. We encourage everyone to report sick or dead birds (Contact the Wild Bird Mortality Investigation Program at 1-866-431-BIRD (2473)) to help strengthen our data collection. Together, we can mitigate the spread of avian influenza and protect BC’s rich biodiversity.

Explore the BC Wildlife AIV Surveillance Dashboard to learn more about how we’re tracking and managing this critical issue.

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