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Smith tells Trudeau Alberta will opt out of federal dental plan
Alberta is opting out of the federal dental plan, the premier told the Canadian government late Tuesday afternoon.
As avian flu spreads south of the border, Canadian officials are now testing samples of milk sold in grocery stores across the country.
Results of these tests were made public Thursday, the day after a second U.S. dairy worker tested positive for bird flu, also known as H5N1.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) said that all 303 samples of retail milk collected nationally as of May 16 tested negative for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) fragments. The milk samples showed no evidence of disease in dairy cattle, it added.
Despite some unpasteurized U.S. milk samples testing positive, Canadian health officials say there is no concern about the safety of the commercial milk supply because of the pasteurization process.
"Commercially sold milk and milk products remain safe to consume," the CFIA said in an update on its website. "The pasteurization process kills harmful bacteria and viruses, including HPAI, ensuring milk and milk products are safe to drink and eat."
It said pasteurization still retains the nutritional properties of milk.
Milk must be pasteurized before it is sold in Canada and all suspected cases of HPAI must be reported to the CFIA, it added.
"Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has not been detected in dairy cattle or other livestock in Canada," it wrote. "HPAI is not a food safety concern and the risk of transmission to humans remains low."
The CFIA said it tested commercial milk samples from across Canada using a type of polymerase chain reaction test. This method to test milk for HPAI is "very sensitive," allowing it to detect fragments of the virus even if it is not infectious, it explained.
The following is the number of samples assessed during testing completed on May 16:
Although there are no confirmed cases, the CFIA says it is continuing to monitor the situation and take proactive measures by testing commercial milk. It will also provide updates and consider any additional measures if necessary. "Our role in HPAI in cattle is to provide scientific guidance and diagnostic assistance and to report internationally," it wrote.
It said there are no impacts to trade of live cattle or their products. Canada requires imported lactating dairy cattle from the U.S. to test negative for HPAI as of April 29.
The CFIA says import controls are in place for cattle, including import permits, export certification and veterinary inspection.
Alberta is opting out of the federal dental plan, the premier told the Canadian government late Tuesday afternoon.
One of the country's most popular vehicles is being recalled in Canada due to a transmission issue that may impact tens of thousands of drivers.
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has pleaded guilty to obtaining and publishing U.S. military secrets in a deal with Justice Department prosecutors that secures his liberty and concludes a drawn-out legal saga that raised divisive questions about press freedom and national security.
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Former B.C. premier and current Canadian ambassador to Germany John Horgan has been diagnosed with cancer for a third time.
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A Bracebridge man who died trying to save a distressed swimmer nearly four years ago is being recognized among 18 others for their extraordinary acts of heroism.
For the first time in two years, a model of the RMS Titanic will return to the Halifax Public Gardens, thanks in part to public demand.
A decision to quietly remove a decades-old Heritage Minute on Louis Riel has left some in the Métis community scratching their heads, as questions are raised about how Canada's history is portrayed.
There's a changing of the guard at Victim Services Toronto, as one trauma dog hangs up her harness and another reports for duty.
The Northern Tornadoes Project (NTP) out of Western University in Ontario confirmed that five tornadoes touched down in Quebec during the June 13 storm, bringing the total number of tornadoes in the project to six.
A Superior Court judge has ordered the Quebec government to pay taxi drivers $143 million in compensation for its decision to abolish their permits nearly five years ago.
Honciuc Menendez is barely old enough to get a driver’s licence but on Friday he’ll officially graduate from the University of Toronto with distinction.
Police say a deer gained entry to a basement apartment in Ottawa's west end this week and refused to leave.