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This is the first time that bird flu has been detected in commercial poultry flocks in the province since 2007.
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April 18, 2022 • 22 minutes ago • 3 minutes reading • Join the conversation Truck pulls out the entrance to the egg farm in Cold Springs, where it was reported that the presence of avian influenza was detected, forcing the egg trader to destroy nearby 3 million chickens on March 24, 2022 near Palmyra, Wisconsin. To control the spread of the virus, the US Department of Agriculture ordered testing of all poultry in a control area established around the infected farm before the birds or eggs could be sold or transported. The discovery of avian influenza on a farm was the first reported case in Wisconsin, but it has already been reported in poultry farms in several Midwestern states. Photo by Scott Olson / Getty Images
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Heavily infected bird flu entered poultry flocks in Saskatchewan just a week after it was found in a wild bird.
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The Canadian Food Inspection Agency said it had launched an investigation and quarantined two separate flocks after discovering avian influenza late last week. This is the first time that bird flu has been detected in commercial poultry flocks in the province since 2007, when there was a limited outbreak in a commercial chicken coop.
One affected flock is a commercial flock in the RM of Loreburn, near the eastern shore of Lake Diefenbaker. The other was a small herd in the backyard of the Moose Mountain RM in the southeast of the province, according to the agency and the provincial government.
“Every infected room is quarantined. The CFIA has launched an investigation and will introduce traffic control measures on other farms in the area, “the CFIA said on its website.
The findings come about a week after the virus – particularly the H5N1 strain of bird flu – was discovered in a wild snow goose near Elrose on April 8, a short trip south of Rosetown and hundreds of kilometers from the other two places where the flu was. open. The virus is probably an unintentional souvenir of migratory birds. There is no evidence to suggest that the cases found so far in Saskatchewan are related.
The provincial chief veterinarian has already banned poultry owners from taking these animals to exhibitions, auctions, agricultural fairs and other events where birds with diseased feathers can congregate.
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“By implementing this order, the risk of transmitting the disease between herds is reduced,” the statement said at the time.
Chickens are seen at a poultry farm in Pruille-le-Chetif near Le Mans, France, March 4, 2020. Photo: Stephane Mahe / REUTERS
The H5N1 strain of bird flu is a highly contagious pathogen that can be particularly deadly to poultry. A report released by an international working group earlier this year said the recent rash was linked to the deaths of hundreds of wild birds in the Netherlands; thousands of Scottish geese and about 8,000 Israeli cranes.
The same line of the virus was discovered in Newfoundland in December. Since then, the CFIA has detected the virus in flocks and wild birds in Nova Scotia, Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia and Quebec.
The United States Department of Agriculture has reported influenza in approximately 20 states.
Influenza rarely crosses the species barrier in humans. But people who spend long periods of time with infected birds or polluted environments are at risk. The province says there is “no risk” to food safety.
But the virus could be a financial blow to farmers. Affected poultry – those that are infected and exposed – are often killed.
“When it comes to protecting poultry, we are not talking about a few birds here and there. That’s thousands and thousands, “said Graham Snell, CEO of Chicken Farmers in Saskatchewan. Snell represents the 72 broiler poultry farms throughout the province raising poultry for the slaughterhouse. He said these sites have strict security measures to keep invisible pathogens, even in normal times. Visits to closed farms are recorded and farmers take care to change their shoes and clothes to avoid tracking viruses on the farms.
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At the moment, Snell said there were no confirmed cases at any of these farms. He does not believe that there is a risk to society.
“We ask farmers to increase their game and be vigilant,” Snell said.
The CFIA has warned that it will introduce “traffic control measures” on other farms in the affected regions. Its official emergency measures to control bird flu include “the humane destruction of all infected and exposed animals”. He has not yet issued any emergency orders for the Saskatchewan herds.
The CFIA advises people working with poultry to wear protective clothing, including masks, goggles and gloves. Farmers are advised to keep flocks away from areas visited by wild birds and to strictly control access to poultry houses. The province advises farmers to contact their veterinarian if they have concerns about their herd and to call the local CFIA office if they suspect bird flu.
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Sask. poultry producers need to keep in mind the risks of bird flu, the expert said
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Poultry producers have called for caution as bird flu in the countryside
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