GUELPH/ERAMOSA – The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has confirmed the presence of a highly pathogenic avian influenza, subtype H5N1, in a poultry flock in the Township of Guelph/Eramosa.
In an alert posted on Wednesday the CFIA says “To control any potential spread of the disease, the CFIA has placed the premises under quarantine and is establishing movement control measures and recommending enhanced biosecurity for other farms within that area.”
The CFIA says “AI is spreading in wild bird populations across the globe and presents a significant national concern as birds migrate to Canada.”
The CFIA continues to urge anyone with poultry or other susceptible birds to practice good biosecurity habits to protect them from infectious animal diseases.
In an email to The Grand at 101 a spokesperson from the CFIA says “The source of the outbreak is most likely the wild bird population. Scientific evidence indicates that the Avian Influenza (AI) virus circulates naturally in wild birds, and is spread through migratory birds. Highly pathogenic AI is found worldwide and outbreaks are currently also occurring in the United States and other countries in Asia and Europe.”
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency says it is working to eliminate and prevent the spread of highly pathogenic AI in poultry while minimizing the impact of the disease includes:
· Quarantining implicated premises to prevent disease spread;
· Negotiating with key trading partners to recognize control zones to minimize the impact of trade disruptions;
· Actively engaging with industry, provincial governments, and Indigenous partners on the response and recovery actions;
· Reminding poultry owners to protect their flocks with biosecurity measures and reporting any signs of illness; and
· Imposing strict requirements on the import of animals and animal products from countries where AI is known to exist.
The spokesperson said “The CFIA takes immediate disease control actions in response to all situations where domestic birds are suspected of being infected with AI.”
The CFIA says “the recent outbreaks and findings in wild birds are strong reminders for anyone raising poultry to remain vigilant against AI and ensure they have effective biosecurity measures in place. Biosecurity is a key tool for preventing the transmission of this disease to farm birds.”
Anyone who finds a sick or dead wild bird is encouraged to contact the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative (CWHC) at 1-800-567-2033.
Resources to help stop the spread of AI are available on CFIA’s website: inspection.canada.ca/avian-influenza
