Researchers in Guelph are working on new ways to fight a problem that’s been plaguing poultry farmers: avian influenza Avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu, is a viral infection that can impact food producing birds, pet birds and wild birds. Although in most cases, infected birds show little or no signs of illness, in severe cases it can cause death. When the disease is detected, Canada’s emergency response can require the destruction of all infected and exposed animals, potentially costing farmers thousands of dollars. “There’s devastating consequences,” chicken farmer Dave Vandenberg said. “It can wipe out a flock.” Currently, there is no treatment available, but there is hope. A University of Guelph research team is trying to develop Canada’s first avian flu vaccine for poultry. “What we are trying to do is to create a robust platform for creation of a vaccine that is quite adaptable,” Shayan Sharif, a professor at the Ontario Veterinary College, said. “What we are doing is identifying sequences of the virus that would render the virus highly susceptible to our immunity or to immune responses that are generated in the body.” It’s a solution many farmers have been hoping for. “It would give us peace of mind,” Vandenberg said. “It’s a time that we’re headed into with a lot of unknowns now. It’s definitely a big concern and risk.” But the potential vaccine is not the only research revolving around the disease at the University of Guelph. Another researcher is developing artificial intelligence models that could detect the virus. “Since 2016 we have been working on this,” Rozita Dara, director of Artificial Intelligence for Food, said. “Because of the frequent outbreaks, data is becoming more and more available. We decided that there are lots of opportunities to be able to contribute.” Some factors that help aid in detection are environmental conditions, bird migration patterns and even social media buzz. Researchers hope that they may be able to save birds by looking at the whole picture. “Between one week to three weeks earlier, we can identify an outbreak in a region before it is officially confirmed,” Dara said.
