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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 • 27 minutes ago • 3 minutes reading • Join Dion Martens in the Saskatchewan CEO Egg Producers. Photo taken in Saskatoon, SK on Monday, April 18, 2022. Photo by Matt Smith / Saskatoon StarPhoenix
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Heavily infected bird flu has infiltrated Saskatchewan’s flocks, fueling farmers’ fears that their birds may be next.
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The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has launched an investigation and quarantined two flocks after detecting bird flu last week, the first time it was found in commercial poultry in Saskatchewan in 2007.
“All poultry farmers of different species are concerned. It’s a stressful time, “said Saskatchewan Egg Producers CEO Dion Martens.
On Monday, the CFIA and the province said the flu had been detected in two separate locations – one herd in a backyard in the rural municipality of Moose Mountain and another in a store in RM Loreburn, hundreds of kilometers away.
“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.
This is part of a larger wave of bird flu in North America caused by the arrival of a non-infectious strain of influenza called H5N1, which previously circulated in Europe and Asia.
The CFIA found the flu on farms in Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, Nova Scotia and Quebec, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture has identified it in approximately 20 states.
The H5N1 strain is so contagious, Martens said, egg producers have set about disinfecting truck tires as they approach barns, fearing they could find traces of the virus along the way.
“This strain of bird flu seems to be particularly widespread and very easy to spread. So the farms are extremely vigilant in protecting the health of their herds, “Martens said.
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Martens said farmers are stepping up their defenses to protect bird flu outside barns. Photo by Matt Smith / Saskatoon StarPhoenix
The flu was first discovered in Saskatchewan in a wild snow goose near Elrose on April 8. Dr Trent Bollinger, a veterinary pathologist at the University of Saskatchewan, says migratory waterfowl are the main carriers of the virus, an unintentional souvenir from their annual trip south.
Such viruses usually do not reach humans unless the individual spends a long time with infected birds or in an infected environment. The province says there is “no risk” to food safety. But Bollinger says he can and does kill commercial birds like chickens, often with strict measures to stop infections.
“Once in the herds, they try to eradicate the disease in those herds. This often means complete depopulation of the herd. “This is where the economic impact can be quite large,” Bollinger said. The CFIA has in some cases also issued orders restricting the transit of poultry within a radius of affected farms, although it has not yet issued such orders in Saskatchewan on Monday.
The province’s chief veterinarian has already banned poultry owners from bringing these animals to exhibitions, auctions, agricultural fairs and other events – something like a social distancing for birds designed to reduce the risk of spread.
Chickens are seen at a poultry farm in Pruille-le-Chetif near Le Mans, France, March 4, 2020. Photo: Stephane Mahe / REUTERS
“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.
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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 are carefully recorded and limited. Farmers routinely change overalls and boots before entering and the sites are fenced in to protect them from the elements.
But once the pathogen enters, Martens said, it could spread quickly, so he and Snell are asking members to stay alert.
“I think we’re doing our best,” Martens said.
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.
This article has been updated to include commentary by Martens, Bollinger and Snell.
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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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