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, Canada91裸聊视频檚 chief public health officer is closely monitoring measles 91裸聊视频� 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.

91裸聊视频淲hat I am particularly concerned about is that this virus has demonstrated the capability of a whole range of clinical outcomes, from asymptomatic infection 91裸聊视频� all the way to rare cases of severe illness,91裸聊视频� said Tam in a year-end interview on Dec. 18.

91裸聊视频淪o it91裸聊视频檚 something that we really need to be very vigilant about.91裸聊视频�

Canada91裸聊视频檚 only confirmed H5N1 patient 91裸聊视频� a teen in B.C. 91裸聊视频� 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 hasn91裸聊视频檛 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. 91裸聊视频� a person over 65 in Louisiana who had been in contact with sick birds in a backyard flock.

91裸聊视频�(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,91裸聊视频� Tam said.

91裸聊视频淭hose backyard birds are exposed to wild birds that are the carriers of this H5N1 virus.91裸聊视频�

Education about wearing personal protective equipment and taking biosecurity measures is important for anyone keeping birds in Canada 91裸聊视频� not just commercial farms, she said.

Tam says it91裸聊视频檚 also time for more bird flu awareness among the general public.

91裸聊视频淲e need to handle any sick or dead birds (or) other animals with a great deal of care,91裸聊视频� she said.

91裸聊视频淚f in doubt, don91裸聊视频檛 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.91裸聊视频�

But it91裸聊视频檚 not just new illnesses that Tam is worried about.

91裸聊视频淭here91裸聊视频檚 an increase in circulation of a number of vaccine-preventable diseases like measles, like pertussis (whooping cough),91裸聊视频� 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 91裸聊视频渨e have not seen for a very long time,91裸聊视频� Tam said.

91裸聊视频淭hese are just really incredible reminders of why we need to keep up with our vaccinations.91裸聊视频�

Most parents haven91裸聊视频檛 seen measles and may not realize the gravity of the illness because 91裸聊视频渧ery effective vaccines91裸聊视频� 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 91裸聊视频� then it spreads to those who aren91裸聊视频檛 immunized.

91裸聊视频淭his is such an infectious virus, it will seek out all the unvaccinated people,91裸聊视频� Tam said.

91裸聊视频淚t is a serious illness. Kids get very sick and sometimes they have to be hospitalized.91裸聊视频�

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 91裸聊视频渢he 100 day cough.91裸聊视频�

Tam said one of the factors likely driving the resurgence of measles and whooping cough is the disruption to children91裸聊视频檚 routine immunizations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite 91裸聊视频渃atch-up91裸聊视频� programs, 91裸聊视频渨e91裸聊视频檙e still not back at the pre-pandemic levels of vaccine coverage.91裸聊视频�

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.

91裸聊视频漌e91裸聊视频檙e not seeing them sort of come together in one big 91裸聊视频榯ripledemic91裸聊视频� like we did two years ago.91裸聊视频�

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 91裸聊视频� as well as getting updated vaccinations 91裸聊视频� continue to serve as 91裸聊视频渓ayers of protection91裸聊视频� against circulating viruses, she said.

91裸聊视频� With files from The Associated Press

Nicole Ireland, The Canadian Press