Avian flu outbreak has now reached 52 B.C. farms

Fifty-two farms in British Columbia have been struck by this season’s avian flu outbreak, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency confirms.

The highly-transmissible virus spread rapidly after Oct. 20, primarily impacting farmers in the Fraser Valley. Five small-flock farms and 47 commercial farms have lost thousands of animals in the past few weeks.

The frequency of infections, however, is beginning to slow down, B.C.’s Ministry of Agriculture and Food said Thursday.

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“Staff with B.C.’s Ministry of Agriculture and Food are continuing to work closely with the CFIA and B.C. poultry producers to ensure enhanced biosecurity measures are in place to try to limit the spread of disease and protect flocks,” the department said in a news release.

“Avian influenza presents an extremely low risk to public health with no risk to food safety. There are currently no anticipated food supply disruptions of either eggs or poultry due to the virus.”

The BC Poultry Association is set to host a webinar next week to share additional information and resources with producers.

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Almost five million birds died or have been “humanely depopulated” in the province since the first case of H5N1 avian influenza was reported in April 2022.

The Wildlife Rescue Association of BC, a non-profit animal rescue group, has said it has received more than 100 calls from the public since Oct. 1 about sightings of possible infected wild birds, showing symptoms such as the inability to stand or fly.

Last month, Food and Agriculture Minister Pam Alexis said risks of avian flu spreading locally is always present because the Lower Mainland and the Fraser Valley are on the Pacific Flyway, a major north-south path for migratory birds in North America.

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The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is the lead agency in Canada for the disease. Anyone who has a bird suspected of having bird flu is instructed to contact that agency, their veterinarian and the BC Animal Health Centre in Abbotsford, which conducts testing for the disease.

On Oct. 20, the province’s chief veterinarian issued an order for chickens and turkeys that fall under B.C. regulation to remain indoors, with the comingling of birds not permitted within the Lower Mainland.

A $5-million Farmed Animal Disease program launched earlier this year to provide farmers with enhanced biosecurity measures, equipment for disease response, research and training as a preventive measure.

— with files from The Canadian Press

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