The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) said avian influenza (AI) outbreaks have been detected in other poultry flocks in southern Alberta and Saskatchewan (Canada).
The agency announced over the weekend that the bird flu was identified late last week in flocks in the following areas:
Mountain View County;
Warner County;
Cardston County;
Rural Municipality of Moose Mountain No. 63, Sask.; and,
Rural Municipality of Loreburn No. 254, Sask.
Additionally,it was reported that the latest case of the H5N1 strain of bird flu was detected in Les Sources, Quebec., about 190 kilometers east of Montreal.
The four farm outbreaks are concentrated in the Estrie region, east of Montreal, including at a commercial duck farm that announced its first case last week.
According to the CFIA, the H5 strain of avian influenza poses no significant public health concern for healthy humans who are not in regular contact with infected birds.
Zoos across North America, including the Calgary Zoo, have closed their aviaries to visitors and moved birds indoors to shield the birds from the virus.
More than 27 million chickens and turkeys in 26 states in the United States have been slaughtered to limit the spread of the virus during the outbreak.
Continue after advertising.
Small flock owners in Canada are being encouraged to keep their birds indoors as much as possible during wild bird migration when the risk of exposure to the virus increases.
The CFIA said that each infected premises had been placed under quarantine. Also, the organization has begun an investigation and will be establishing movement control measures on other farms within that area.
AI is
TO CONTINUE READING REGISTER IT IS COMPLETELY FREE
Access to articles in PDF Keep up to date with our newsletters Receive the magazine for free in digital version
