CFIA confirms avian flu outbreak on B.C. farm

Updated Sun. Jan. 25 2009 1:05 AM ET
CTV.ca News Staff


The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has confirmed an H5 avian influenza outbreak on a turkey farm in B.C.'s Fraser Valley.


CFIA says the strain in this case is of low pathogenicity, and further tests will be done to determine the precise subtype and stain of the virus.
Pathogenicity refers to the severity of the bird's illness.


All birds on the farm will be humanely euthanized, the CFIA said in a news release. There are as many as 60,000 birds on the farm.


Afterwards, the organization will oversea the cleaning and disinfection of the farm.


Several other farms in a three-kilometre radius of the infected farm have been quarantined.


Avian viruses are not a risk to food safety providing poultry products are properly cooked. Avian influenza rarely affects humans, unless they have been in close contact with the infected birds, the CFIA says.


CTV British Columbia's Maria Weisgarber told CTV Newsnet Saturday afternoon that one man in close contact with the infected birds is under close medical watch in case anything develops.


She added that no recalls of any meat products from the farm are expected.


Weisgarber said that other farms in the area will have their birds extensively tested before they can put their product to market.


Testing was done at the infected farm after some birds showed signs of respiratory distress.

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Dr. Neil Rau an infectious disease specialist told CTV Newsnet that the infected birds could have been contracted the virus from migratory birds.

"It may not be that the virus will cause disease in the migratory birds that fly in and out and drop their stools in various areas, but then if you have farm-raised poultry they may be much more susceptible and then it spreads like wildfire in that population of domestic poultry," he said.


CFIA is notifying the Paris-based World Organization for Animal Health of the incident as per regulations.


There are multiple subtypes of the H5 avian flu. Additionally testing is being done to determine the virus's neuraminidase subtype -- the N in a flu virus's name.


Low path viruses, usually only lead to drop in egg production. However, a high path virus can wipe out an entire poultry operation as birds must be culled to extinguish the outbreak.


In 2005, the Fraser Valley suffered an outbreak of H5N2 avian influenza.
In Feb. 2004, 17 million birds were slaughtered in the Fraser Valley following an outbreak of H7N3, a different subtype of avian influenza.
Seventeen million birds were slaughtered in the Fraser Valley in February 2004 following an outbreak of H7N3, a different avian influenza subtype.
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