Bird flu is beginning to spread to farms in Quebec, reported at four separate sites in less than a week.
On Sunday, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) confirmed the discovery of the H5N1 strain in a flock of poultry in Les Sources, a municipality in the Estrie region of Quebec.
Bird flu was also detected in the Brom-Missisquois, Heit-Saint-François and Val-Saint-François regions last week.
“Infected sites have been quarantined,” the CFIA website said. “The CFIA has established traffic control measures and recommends that other farms in the area increase biosecurity.
Until April 12, the highly contagious strain had been identified only among wild geese in Quebec, but apparently made its way into domesticated populations.
H5N1 can cause serious damage to poultry farms, leading to high mortality.
The risks of it are far less serious for people, although experts advise anyone infected to seek immediate medical attention.
“There are things you can do to help, including early use of antiviral drugs and support in the intensive care unit,” said McGill Infectious Diseases expert Dr. Raymond Tellier.
The Quebec Ministry of Wildlife has urged the public not to handle live or dead wild birds to prevent them from spreading.
The virus has been circulating in Europe since 2020 and in Canada since December 2021.
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