Welcome to the Western Canadian Animal Health Network

WeCAHN is an animal surveillance and intelligence network, detecting and sharing animal disease trends and best practices with livestock producers, pet owners, and veterinarians, improving animal health and welfare in western Canada. WeCAHN also produces infographics, network reports, and surveillance information in other media such as podcasts which can be accessed with WeCAHN membership. For full access to these materials, please join us.

What's New

Foot and Mouth Disease in Hungary 7th March 2025

Hungary reported an outbreak of foot and mouth disease (FMD) in cattle, making this the first occurrence of the disease since 1973 in the country. While the FMD virus is not considered a public health problem, it is crucial for animal health due to its easy transmission and the significant economic impact it can have. Hungary has already put in place containment measures. Early detection and rapid response are critical to contain any outbreak.

For more information: LINK

H5N1 Bird Flu Surveillance in U.S. Horses

At a February 2025 Gluck Equine Research educational seminar, Feng Li, DVM, PhD, professor at the University of Kentucky’s Department of Veterinary Science, discussed the latest developments in avian influenza A (H5N1) surveillance for horses in the United States.

One objective of the current surveillance model for horses is to assess immune responses elicited through available equine H3N8 vaccines or natural infection with endemic strains of H3N8 and see if these exposures can offer some cross-protection against H5N

Cases of EIV have been increasing in the United States from 2024-2025, says Dr Li, with 199 confirmed cases in 2024. Testing continues on confirmed cases of pan-flu A that tested positive with PCR but without subtyping. In a cohort of 457 equine serum samples from Kentucky and Ohio, all were negative for H5 antibodies. Another 367 serum samples, mostly from California and Kentucky, are being evaluated for H5 antibodies. Li said that by spring 2025, roughly 3,500 samples will undergo surveillance; these samples will primarily come from horses in California, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Kansas, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Texas—areas that correlate with major bird flyways across the U.S.

For more information LINK

Saskatchewan cattle herd declared infected with bovine tuberculosis, 26th Feb. 2025

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) investigation and testing following a November 29, 2024, case of bovine tuberculosis (bovine TB) has detected the disease in the birth herd of the infected animal. 
There have been three additional confirmed cases in the animals tested to date. All animals over twelve months of age will be tested to determine the prevalence of the disease, and the entire herd will be humanely depopulated. 
Laboratory culture results from the November 29, 2024 infected animal found a strain that has never been identified in animals or humans in Canada, and the origin of the strain is unknown. It is not closely related to any of the recent strains in Western Canada.

For more information LINK

Animal Health Surveillance in Western Canada