As we enter 2025, Dr. Theresa Tam has her eye on H5N1 bird flu, an emerging virus that had its first human case in Canada this year.

At the same time, CanadaB次元官网网址檚 chief public health officer is closely monitoring measles B次元官网网址� a virus that was eliminated in this country more than two decades ago, but is making an accelerated resurgence.

H5N1, a strain of highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses carried by wild birds, has been on the rise globally. It has decimated poultry farms in Canada and infected dairy cattle herds in several states south of the border.

But its spread to humans is especially worrisome.

B次元官网网址淲hat I am particularly concerned about is that this virus has demonstrated the capability of a whole range of clinical outcomes, from asymptomatic infection B次元官网网址� all the way to rare cases of severe illness,B次元官网网址� said Tam in a year-end interview on Dec. 18.

B次元官网网址淪o itB次元官网网址檚 something that we really need to be very vigilant about.B次元官网网址�

CanadaB次元官网网址檚 only confirmed H5N1 patient B次元官网网址� a teen in B.C. B次元官网网址� was severely ill and hospitalized in November. Health officials there have still not been able to determine how the teen got infected.

No one else got sick with the virus, said Tam, which is encouraging because it suggests there hasnB次元官网网址檛 yet been any human-to-human transmission.

Although the risk to the general public is still considered low, there have been at least 65 confirmed human cases in the U.S. in 2024, mostly among farm workers. Most cases have been mild, with conjunctivitis, or pink-eye, among the symptoms.

But on the same day as The Canadian Press interview with Tam, health officials announced the first case of severe illness in the U.S. B次元官网网址� a person over 65 in Louisiana who had been in contact with sick birds in a backyard flock.

B次元官网网址�(That) tells me that we need to do significant outreach not just to commercial poultry farms, for instance, but there are people who keep backyard chickens or other birds,B次元官网网址� Tam said.

B次元官网网址淭hose backyard birds are exposed to wild birds that are the carriers of this H5N1 virus.B次元官网网址�

Education about wearing personal protective equipment and taking biosecurity measures is important for anyone keeping birds in Canada B次元官网网址� not just commercial farms, she said.

Tam says itB次元官网网址檚 also time for more bird flu awareness among the general public.

B次元官网网址淲e need to handle any sick or dead birds (or) other animals with a great deal of care,B次元官网网址� she said.

B次元官网网址淚f in doubt, donB次元官网网址檛 touch and call up your local veterinarian or public health authority in order to know what to do if you do have dead birds or animals in your garden or backyard.B次元官网网址�

But itB次元官网网址檚 not just new illnesses that Tam is worried about.

B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 an increase in circulation of a number of vaccine-preventable diseases like measles, like pertussis (whooping cough),B次元官网网址� she said.

Tam said there have been close to 170 measles cases in Canada in 2024, compared to 59 cases last year.

Many cases are related to a large outbreak that started in the fall in New Brunswick and has since spread through travel to people in Ontario, she said.

The majority of people affected had not been vaccinated.

Children can be especially hard-hit by measles, she said. One child under five years old died in Ontario this year, something B次元官网网址渨e have not seen for a very long time,B次元官网网址� Tam said.

B次元官网网址淭hese are just really incredible reminders of why we need to keep up with our vaccinations.B次元官网网址�

Most parents havenB次元官网网址檛 seen measles and may not realize the gravity of the illness because B次元官网网址渧ery effective vaccinesB次元官网网址� have protected children from getting it for decades, Tam said.

Measles was declared eliminated in Canada in 1998. Cases since then can generally be traced back to someone who travelled and brought in the virus from another country B次元官网网址� then it spreads to those who arenB次元官网网址檛 immunized.

B次元官网网址淭his is such an infectious virus, it will seek out all the unvaccinated people,B次元官网网址� Tam said.

B次元官网网址淚t is a serious illness. Kids get very sick and sometimes they have to be hospitalized.B次元官网网址�

Whooping cough is also making a comeback after being controlled by vaccination for years, Tam said.

It can make young children very ill and health-care professionals often call it the B次元官网网址渢he 100 day cough.B次元官网网址�

Tam said one of the factors likely driving the resurgence of measles and whooping cough is the disruption to childrenB次元官网网址檚 routine immunizations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite B次元官网网址渃atch-upB次元官网网址� programs, B次元官网网址渨eB次元官网网址檙e still not back at the pre-pandemic levels of vaccine coverage.B次元官网网址�

When it comes to COVID-19 itself, Tam said the virus continues to evolve and spread, but has not established a predictable pattern like seasonal flu or respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

Flu is starting to rise and RSV activity is high, but the number of COVID-19 infections have come down since the fall, Tam said.

B次元官网网址漌eB次元官网网址檙e not seeing them sort of come together in one big B次元官网网址榯ripledemicB次元官网网址� like we did two years ago.B次元官网网址�

Still, a winter bump in COVID-19 is possible, and people who are older and who have underlying chronic health conditions are still especially vulnerable to serious illness, Tam said.

Handwashing, wearing masks and staying home when sick B次元官网网址� as well as getting updated vaccinations B次元官网网址� continue to serve as B次元官网网址渓ayers of protectionB次元官网网址� against circulating viruses, she said.

B次元官网网址� With files from The Associated Press

Nicole Ireland, The Canadian Press