It’s being described as a non-threat to humans, but the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Manitoba Agriculture have established a response team of 90 people to deal with a positive case of avian influenza at a turkey farm north of Winnipeg.
Last week, the CFIA confirmed that turkeys at a farm in the Rural Municipality of Rockwood tested positive for an H5 strain of bird flu.
In a release, the CFIA stated the strain is likely a low pathogenic virus, meaning it is less dangerous than the Asian strain of bird flu that has caused about 15 human deaths.
“This is not that strain at all,” said Bill Uruski, Manitoba Turkey Producers chair.
It’s unlikely that this strain can cross over into the human population, he said.
More than 8,000 birds have been destroyed at the farm where turkeys tested positive for the virus.
The CFIA, which didn’t return calls before deadline, has placed three other poultry operations under quarantine because they had contact with the farm in Rockwood.
