REGINA – The Saskatchewan government followed proper procedure to stem an outbreak of infectious laryngotracheitis disease in a Saskatoon area chicken barn, said the province’s agriculture minister.
“At every step of the way immediate action was taken,” Eric Upshall told reporters Dec. 12 after Liberal agriculture critic Harvey McLane charged there was an 11-day lapse between diagnosis of the highly contagious disease and the flock’s eradication.
McLane issued a news release saying the diagnosis was made Nov. 27 but Upshall did not order the flock to be eradicated until Dec. 7, putting the province’s entire poultry and egg industry at risk.
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McLane questioned if the delay was because the chickens were owned by municipal government minister Carol Teichrob.
But Upshall denied a delay and said it did not matter who owned the birds.
“On Nov. 28, immediately upon diagnosis of this disease, a biosecurity system was put in place … whereby the movement of anything, people or goods or animals, is restricted in the barn,” he said.
The same day commercial egg producers were informed of the outbreak from their marketing board and advised of precautions they should take.
Upshall said eradication couldn’t be done until a plan was made.
ILT is an extremely contagious viral disease that kills chickens. Humans are not affected.
Under provincial legislation Teichrob is eligible for up to 80 percent compensation. Upshall said he has asked for an independent third party to make recommendations because he doesn’t want a perception of a conflict of interest.
