The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has confirmed two more farms with avian influenza in British Columbia’s Fraser Valley.
About 11,800 birds will be destroyed in a broiler breeder farm at Langley, B.C. It is the 11th commercial flock to be identified with the highly contagious H5N2 virus, bringing the total number of commercial turkeys and chickens to be destroyed to 245,600.
Until now, avian influenza has been confined to commercial poultry, but CFIA identified its first a non-commercial premise, Dec. 19, in Aldergrove, B.C., with avian influenza.
About 85 ducks, chickens, geese and turkeys will be destroyed. It’s the first backyard flock that has been identified with the disease since the outbreak began.
Throughout its investigation, CFIA officials have warned the highly contagious H5N2 virus could show up in more poultry flocks in December.
Testing shows the virus contains genes from the H5N2 virus common in North American wild birds as well as the H5N8 Eurasian strain. Officials are still not sure how the virus arrived in Canada.
A number of countries have placed full and partial restrictions on the export of Canadian poultry and poultry products since the outbreak. The United States has placed restrictions on Canada, but since then has discovered avian influenza in two Washington state locations.
mary.macarthur@producer.com
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