Dr. Jim Clark, Canada's National Manager
Avian Influenza Working Group
Canadian Food Inspection Agency



Listen To This Interview (17 minutes)

Executive Editor's Note:  This is an interview worth listening to in its entirety, and we're grateful to have been given access to Dr. Clark.

The interview is much more than about 'birds.'  At the outset of this interview, Dr. Clark gives the best five minute description of the relevant viruses that I've ever heard, an encapsulated 'virus 101' so to speak.  He discusses virus travel by infected, sick birds as well as virus travel by 'carrier' birds that are not themselves sick -- one of the dangerous manifestations of H5N1.  Dr. Clark then clears up some confusion about the testing for H5N1, explaining why this testing process can take more time than we would often like.  In addition, he talks about the breadth of Canada's 'Wild Bird Survey' and the effort to stay ahead of the situation through a multi-organizational effort.  Finally, he discusses the liaisons that his agency has with the Untied States and overseas nations.

I highly recommend this interview for anyone interested in learning more about the key elements and animal transmission methods of H5N1, as well as about the kinds of testing that are often required to confirm or eliminate the presence of this dangerous pathogen.

                                                                      James Unland, Executive Editor