Avian flu detected in Scarborough’s Rouge Park

Health officials are warning the public to be vigilant after avian flu was detected at Rouge National Urban Park in Scarborough.

Parks Canada says the highly pathogenic avian flu subtype H5N1 has been confirmed in a dead goose from the 19,500-acre green space in southeast Scarborough.

Five more cases are suspected and there is concern about mass outbreaks outside of the park’s boundaries.

Avian flu has been a growing concern over recent years with the virus being detected more frequently in birds and other animals in North America. Human cases have mostly been linked to people who work at farms or handle wildlife.

While there’s no evidence of human to human transmission now, Dr. Fahad Razak, an internal medicine specialist at St. Michael’s Hospital, said the virus appears to be evolving quickly. 

“A third of all cattle herds in California are positive. We saw mass mortality among sea lions … The critical event that would be the breakthrough in this becoming a pandemic or an epidemic is human to human spread. We’re clearly seeing it’s possible in other mammals now,” said Dr. Razak.

Right now human infections remain rare. Canada’s first confirmed case is believed to be a 13-year-old girl from British Columbia who came close to death last fall, but the source of the infection was never identified. 

“It was extraordinary, frankly, how sick she was. This is a person who received essentially the highest level of care that Canada could offer, which would only be offered to a handful of people across the country. There simply is not the capacity to offer this at most hospitals,” shared Dr. Razak.

Visitors of the Scarborough park are being urged to stay away from wildlife and to keep their dogs on a leash. 

“If a dog is kept on the leash, it’s not able to break free and run into the woods, grab a dead bird, chew on it. That would be the mechanism by which this could spread to your animals,” added Dr. Razak. “Basic steps that should be taken, dead animals should not be handled.”

Parks Canada says the big urban park is still safe to enjoy and it is actively monitoring the situation. Visitors are also being asked to report sick, injured or dead animals, especially birds