February 5, 2009
Bird flu on Canadian poultry farm poses low risk
The strain of bird flu detected late last month on a poultry farm in the western Canadian province of British Colombia has a low risk of spreading the virus, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency said.
Preliminary tests indicate the strain of avian influenza is of "low pathogenicity," but 36 premises in the region still remain under quarantine as the investigation continues, the agency said in a statement Tuesday.
To limit the virus' potential for spreading, restrictions were applied on the movement of poultry and poultry products within three kilometres of the farm in Abbotsford, 70 kilometres southeast of Vancouver.
By the beginning of last week some 60,000 birds in the vicinity had been slaughtered by Canadian health authorities.
According to the World Health Organization some 250 people have died from bird flu worldwide since 2003, mostly in Asian countries.
The H5N1 virus typically spreads from birds to humans through direct contact, but experts fear it could mutate into a form easily transmissible between humans, with the potential to kill millions in a pandemic.
