The Dose

H5N1 avian flu has now spread through dairy herds in 16 U.S. states. Close to 60 human cases have been reported in the U.S. and one here in Canada with a B.C. teen. Most have been caused through contact with infected animals, though a few sources are unclear. A new study in the journal Science says the virus might be just a single mutation away from more easily spreading between people. But infectious diseases specialist, Dr. Lynora Saxinger, says that while there’s no reason to panic, we need to take precautions and get any exposure to sick animals checked out.

California is issuing warnings about consuming raw milk after bird flu was detected in some samples from a farm's milk products . But proponents of unpasteurized milk say that it’s healthier than pasteurized milk, despite evidence to the contrary. Lawrence Goodridge, a food safety professor and director of the Canadian Research Institute for Food Safety at the University of Guelph, explains how pasteurization works, while debunking some common myths about raw milk.For transcripts of The Dose, please visit: lnk.to/dose-transcripts. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. For more episodes of this podcast, click this link.

Some communities in the U.S. are debating whether to remove fluoride from water supplies. And it's also happening in Canada. Officials recently voted to stop water fluoridation in Montreal's West Island. Dr. Gerry Uswak, a public health dentist and dental therapy professor at the University of Saskatchewan, explains how fluoride protects teeth, while addressing controversial research linking fluoride with a variety of medical conditions.For transcripts of The Dose, please visit: lnk.to/dose-transcripts. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. For more episodes of this podcast, click this link.

You may have heard you should throw out your black plastic kitchen utensils. That’s because it could be leaching harmful chemicals into our food. Tizazu Mekonnen, a professor of chemical engineering and Canada Research Chair in sustainable multiphase polymers, explains how black plastic in our home can be harmful to our health, and offers safer alternatives we can use.For transcripts of The Dose, please visit: lnk.to/dose-transcripts. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. For more episodes of this podcast, click this link.